Creekside Music ServicesFOLK & ROOTSFour registrations, one distinction, and the money that goes uncollected.
The composition — melody and lyrics. Owned by whoever wrote it. It exists the moment you write it down or record it.
The master — this particular performance of it. A separate piece of property, often owned by someone else.
Anyone who has cut a traditional tune knows the song is old and the recording is yours. What surprises people is that the two earn through different organizations — which is why doing three of these four still leaves money behind.
Performance royalties whenever the composition is played in public — radio, live venues, streaming, television. Every payment arrives in two halves, a writer's share and a publisher's share, split roughly evenly. They are collected separately, and you have to be registered for each one. If you are self-published and signed up only as a writer, the publisher's half of your own airplay goes unclaimed.
Register as both. Nobody else is holding that second half for you.
Mechanical royalties from streaming and downloads in the United States. Free to join, and it takes an afternoon.
Unmatched money accrues here and sits unclaimed, sometimes for years.
Digital performance royalties for the master on satellite radio, internet radio, and the online simulcasts of terrestrial stations. The featured artist's share is paid directly to the artist, separately from the label's.
The one folk artists miss most often, and the shows that champion this music stream online.
Two separate filings, one for the composition and one for the recording. Registration does not create your copyright — it is what lets you enforce it.
Register late and your options narrow if you ever need them.
These follow the same split. Two of them belong to the recording, one belongs to the song.
ISRC — belongs to the recording. One per track, and a new one for a live version, a re-record, or a radio edit. It is how a play gets counted and credited to you.
UPC — belongs to the release. One per album or single, the barcode for the package as a whole.
ISWC — belongs to the song. Your PRO issues it when you register the work, so you do not apply for it separately. If you have registered your songs, you already have them.
Your distributor can issue the ISRC and UPC for you. Owning them yourself keeps the catalog portable if you ever change distributors.
Get the splits in writing while everyone is still in the room. Every person likes you on the last day of tracking — a signed page is what keeps that from mattering later.
The Climb sets out six career stages and where a radio campaign genuinely helps. The Long Runway is the twelve-month release calendar, phase by phase. Both are free to read here.
The Climb The Long Runway Back to the homepageCreekside Music Services · artist education for folk and roots musicians. jc@jcclementsband.com
Orientation only, not legal or tax advice. Creekside Music Services does not register works or file on your behalf.