Music Business Terminology

Part 1

• 360 Deal:  Record Labels receive a percentage of all the artist’s streams of income: merchandising, publishing, touring.

• A + R:  Artist and Repertoire

• Advance: Once an Artist is signed, they will receive a sum of money known as an Advance

• Agent: Representation for an Artist for Live Shows.

• APRA AMCOS: Organisation that acts on behalf of musicians or publishers to licence songs and issue performing rights licences.

• AR:  Artist Representation

• Artist: Live Performer, DJ, Variety, Music, Comedy, Presenter

• Brand: Consistency in Artist Show Experience, Narrative, Promise of Quality and Consistency, Instantly Recognisable

• Buyer: Entity who buys an Artist – Bar/Club Manager, F + B Manager, Functions Manager, Event Manager/Producer, Promoter

• Copyright: Copyright is a legal right by which creators claim ownership of their original material, so that others cannot steal, or fraudulently profit from their lyrics or music.

• Cover: Version of a song performed by an Artist other than the Original

• Curate: Strategically recruit and select the right Artists for the right budget and brief provided by a Hospitality Group in conjunction with the Management and Marketing Team to build the business of each Venue.

• Demo: A demo is a basic recording designed to showcase the quality and style of a musician’s work.

• Digital Distribution: Digital distribution is the process by which music is sold and listened to online through streaming services or digital-download platforms, like Spotify and iTunes.

• Door Split Deal:  Financial arrangement between a Promoter and the performer, in which the musician doesn’t get paid a Guarantee to perform, however receives a percentage of the profit generated from ticket sales.

• EP: Extended Play collection of 3-5 songs

• EPK: Electronic Press Kit –High Resolution Publicity Ready Photograph, Full Song List, Biography and Social Media Links

• Executive Producer: They design content strategy. Supervise Production. Management Budget. Brand Consultation. Project Management.

• Getting Signed:  Contract between Artist and Label

• Guarantee: An Agreed Set Fee Payable to the Artist by the Promoter

• Guarantee Plus: An Agreed Set Fee Payable to the Artist by the Promoter plus a bonus should ticket sales reach an agreed total.

• Guarantee Versus: An Agreed Set Fee Payable to the Artist by the Promoter OR an agreed percentage of Tickets Sold – whichever is the greater

• Indie Label: Independent Label who is not funded from a Major Record Label. Local Scale. Small Budgets

• Management: Manager of Artist Business

• Playlist: A Playlist is curated by Music Influencers.

• Producer: Oversees and manages the sound recording and production of a band or performer’s music.

• Promoter: Promotes a Show featuring an Artist at a Venue who manages the Event including the Marketing and Sales of all Tickets

• Promotion: The Process by which an artist, or their representatives, raise public awareness of their work, in order to increase the sales of their music.

• PRS: Organisation that acts on behalf of musicians or publishers to licence songs and issue performing rights licences.

• Publisher: Organisations that deals with the copyright associated with distributing music

• Publicist: Handles media and public relations on behalf of an Artist

• Radio Plugger: Public Relations specialists who specialize in getting clients’ music played on the radio

• Record Deal: A record deal is an agreement between a musician and their record label, which gives the record company the right to sell and distribute music produced by their signed artists.

• Record Label: Organisations which make deals with musicians allowing the record label to sell the artist’s music, licences for their songs, merchandise and other related products.

• Royalties: Fees paid to the copyright owner of a song before it can be used by a third party are known as royalties.

• Session: An agreed time period paid in a Recording Studio

• Synch: A synchronisation licence is a licence granted by the copyright owner of a piece of music, in order for it to be placed in different types of media, such as cinema, television or advertising.

• TR:  Talent Recruitment

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