Distribution Deal
Handing recordings to a distributor for release and collection, usually without transferring the master
Related
A distribution deal hands a recording's sale and delivery to a distributor, which places it on platforms, collects income and takes an agreed cut or fee. It usually does not transfer the master: the rights holder keeps ownership, while the distributor receives a limited-term, limited-territory distribution right, often non-exclusive.
The clauses that matter are exclusivity, the percentage, accounting periods, marketing obligations, and takedown and migration after termination. The usual mistake is to assume distribution includes promotion: most deals cover channels and accounting only, with marketing billed separately; treating a distribution deal as a copyright assignment is another common error. This is general information, not legal advice.
Read deeper → digital distributor
Sources
- 发行协议的渠道、抽成与版权归属，参通行音乐产业教材（Donald S. Passman, All You Need to Know About the Music Business）；本文为通识说明，不构成法律意见
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.