Master Rights
Rights in one specific recording — separate from the composition
Related
Master rights are the rights in one specific recording: who owns this sound and who may license it to be copied, synchronized, sampled or remixed. They sit on a different layer from the composition: the song may belong to writers and a publisher, while the recording belongs to a label or an independent artist.
So "covering a song" and "using the original recording" are two different things: a cover needs the composition (mechanical), while using the original also needs the master (sync or sample clearance). The usual mistake is to think writing the song owns the recording — unless a contract says otherwise, the recording usually belongs to whoever paid for it. When you see "who owns the master", first ask whether it means the sound or the work.
Read deeper → copyright
Sources
- 录音母带权的归属与授权，参通行音乐产业教材与 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Copyright"；本文为通识说明，不构成法律意见
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