Master Lease
Renting out master use rights for a term while ownership stays put
Related
A master lease lets the owner of a master rent out the right to use a recording to a label or distributor for a set term and territory; the licensee releases it and pays a royalty or rent. Ownership does not move, and the rights return when the term ends.
It is often used instead of an outright sale: the owner avoids transferring the master while the other side funds manufacturing and promotion. The usual mistake is to treat a lease as a sale; another risk is a long term with automatic renewal that works like a permanent assignment. This is general information, not legal advice.
Read deeper → master rights
Sources
- 母带租赁与授权发行的区别，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.