Master Rights

Master Rights (also called master recording rights) are the copyright ownership of a specific recorded version of a song — the actual audio recording as it was captured and produced. Master rights are distinct from publishing rights, which cover the underlying composition. Historically, record labels owned master rights in exchange for funding recording and distribution. In the modern creator economy, independent artists who self-fund their recordings own their master rights by default. Owning master rights is critically important for creators because it determines who controls how the recording is used, licensed, and monetized. High-profile disputes over master rights — such as Taylor Swift's re-recording campaign — have raised public awareness of their importance.