What is the difference between a sync license and a master-use license?

Using a recording in video generally requires both: a synchronization license for the underlying composition and a master-use license for the specific recording. They are owned by different parties and licensed separately. We make sure both are handled — cleared when you are the user, fairly priced when you are the owner.

What is a 360 deal, and should I sign one?

A 360 deal lets the label share in revenue beyond recordings — touring, merchandise, endorsements. Whether it is acceptable comes down to the percentages, the term, and what is carved out. We negotiate the scope so the label's share matches what it actually contributes.

Will I keep ownership of my master recordings?

Only if the deal says so. Many recording agreements assign masters to the label, sometimes permanently. We fight to retain ownership or secure a defined reversion, because whoever owns the masters controls the catalog's long-tail value.

How are streaming royalties actually calculated?

Streaming pay flows through several layers — the platform, the distributor or label, and the splits defined in your contract — and small definitional choices change the result substantially. We read the definitions and build in audit rights so you can verify you are paid what the contract promises.

Can my catalog be used to train AI without my consent?

It is an emerging risk, and standard older contracts rarely addressed it. We insert explicit terms prohibiting use of your catalog for generative-AI training without separate, negotiated compensation, so the rights are not swept in by silence.

Practice - Art and entertainment - Streaming licensing

Music & Streaming Licensing

Streaming is not an addendum to the music industry—it is the central economic fact. The difference between a deal that pays a creator and a deal that only looks like it pays a creator lies in the definitions of revenue, platform-specific terms, and the intermediaries between the master recording and the artist. We dissect complex licensing agreements, negotiate master rights, and ensure creators capture long-tail value in an environment designed to dilute it.

Begin the matter Review the steps

Matter: Licensing deals
Register: Transactional
Counsel: Christopher Moye

Streaming licensing

Definitions dictate revenue

Net receipts, gross revenue, and recoupable costs are not standard terms.

The problem

In music, the contract definitions — not the headline royalty rate — decide what an artist is actually paid.

“Net receipts,” recoupable costs, who owns the masters, what reverts and when, and how streaming revenue is split before it reaches you: these terms determine the real economics, and they are negotiated once, at signing. After that, the artist lives with them for the life of the catalog.

Principles Â· 01

How we draft the matter.

Every engagement is composed against these commitments. They shape the protections we add, the questions we ask, and the document that leaves the file.

Â§ 01

Definitions dictate revenue

Net receipts, gross revenue, and recoupable costs are not standard terms. We negotiate the definitions that determine actual payout.

Â§ 02

Master control

We structure deals so artists retain ownership where possible, or secure meaningful reversions of their master recordings.

Â§ 03

Platform agnostic protections

Technology shifts; the contract must survive. We draft terms that capture value across undiscovered distribution channels and AI ingestion.

What we watch Â· 02

What can break the matter.

These are the terms, structures, and practical risks that usually decide whether the work holds when the file is tested.

ARTISTLABEL

Master Recording & Publishing Deals

Negotiating the critical agreements that dictate ownership, royalty splits, and reversion rights for both the sound recording and the underlying composition.

PRODUCERMANAGER

Streaming Platform Terms

Dissecting opaque DSP terms and distribution agreements to ensure artists are compensated accurately across diverse global tiers.

CREATORESTATE

AI Ingestion & Fencing

Inserting explicit contractual prohibitions against the use of the artist's catalog for generative AI training without separate, premium compensation.

The work Â· 03

Four steps. One engagement.

Each step is concrete; each step has a deliverable. The scope is defined, the matter moves, and the file closes.

01
Contract Dissection
We audit the proposed licensing or distribution agreement to expose unfavorable royalty definitions and hidden recoupment traps.
02
Rights Retention Strategy
We structure counter-offers focused on master ownership, shorter licensing terms, and explicit reversion triggers.
03
Negotiation & Redlining
We negotiate the commercial terms closely, so the definitions of revenue favor the creator, not the intermediary.
04
Royalty Compliance
We establish the audit rights necessary to verify that the label or distributor is actually paying what the contract demands.

Proof

What stands behind the work.

What stands behind the work — credentials and representative engagements, stated plainly.

Authorship

Music and licensing matters are handled by Christopher Moyé, Esq., who authors the firm's published writing on music and entertainment law.

Scope of practice

Master and publishing deals, sync and master-use licensing, streaming and distribution terms, reversions, and royalty audits.

How the work is run

We negotiate from the revenue definitions outward — recoupment, splits, and reversion — because that is where the money is decided.

Common questions

Questions clients ask.

Plain answers to the questions that come up most. If yours is not here, send the facts — we answer in writing.

What is the difference between a sync license and a master-use license?: Using a recording in video generally requires both: a synchronization license for the underlying composition and a master-use license for the specific recording. They are owned by different parties and licensed separately. We make sure both are handled — cleared when you are the user, fairly priced when you are the owner.
What is a 360 deal, and should I sign one?: A 360 deal lets the label share in revenue beyond recordings — touring, merchandise, endorsements. Whether it is acceptable comes down to the percentages, the term, and what is carved out. We negotiate the scope so the label's share matches what it actually contributes.
Will I keep ownership of my master recordings?: Only if the deal says so. Many recording agreements assign masters to the label, sometimes permanently. We fight to retain ownership or secure a defined reversion, because whoever owns the masters controls the catalog's long-tail value.
How are streaming royalties actually calculated?: Streaming pay flows through several layers — the platform, the distributor or label, and the splits defined in your contract — and small definitional choices change the result substantially. We read the definitions and build in audit rights so you can verify you are paid what the contract promises.
Can my catalog be used to train AI without my consent?: It is an emerging risk, and standard older contracts rarely addressed it. We insert explicit terms prohibiting use of your catalog for generative-AI training without separate, negotiated compensation, so the rights are not swept in by silence.