Publishing tracks that I composed for a client on streaming platforms

[alexvaulin]

Hello, friends!

Could you help me! I am a music composer and I composed a few music soundtracks for a client here for his video game! Am I still allowed to publish them on a major streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and so on?

Thank you! 

[joshlnyc]

It depends on what types of rights you granted the client. 

There is the master use fee - which is the use of the actual recording. 

Then there is the intellectual property as it relates to the composition. There is the publishing share and the writers share. You would collect royalties on those through a performing rights organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC. You should register with one of them before you release music on streaming services. 

If you granted a client exclusive use of a master recording you would need permission from them to release it. If you didn't grant any publishing rights, you could re-record the piece and release it. 

 

 

[alexvaulin]

1 hour ago, joshlnyc said:

It depends on what types of rights you granted the client. 

There is the master use fee - which is the use of the actual recording. 

Then there is the intellectual property as it relates to the composition. There is the publishing share and the writers share. You would collect royalties on those through a performing rights organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC. You should register with one of them before you release music on streaming services. 

If you granted a client exclusive use of a master recording you would need permission from them to release it. If you didn't grant any publishing rights, you could re-record the piece and release it. 

 

 

Thank you for your answer! The only option I see and able to edit as gig owner is to check "Commercial Use" in gig setup! I can't grant any other rights to client. And here is what FIverr says about "Commersial Use" 

Quote

By purchasing a "Commercial Use License" on Fiverr, the seller grants you a perpetual, exclusive, non-transferable, worldwide license to use the purchased delivery for Permitted Commercial Purposes. Unless clearly stated otherwise on the seller's Gig page/description, all intellectual property rights of the purchased delivery are hereby assigned to you.

 

"Permitted Commercial Purposes" means any business related use, such as advertising, promotion, creating web pages, integration into product, software or other business related tools etc., and strictly excludes any illegal, immoral or defamatory purpose.

 

 

And it seems like the client is not allowed to publish the music that I composed because it doesn't look like "Permitted Commercial Purposes"! And I can't see any restrictions here to publish music that I composed either!

[joshlnyc]

So..."all intellectual property rights of the purchased delivery are hereby assigned to you." pertains to publishing and the rights and royalties associated. The perpetual commercial use license pertains to the master use fee (i.e. the actual recording) - so you could re-record the piece and release without violating terms. 

[srimathi783]

That's awesome that you composed music for a video game! In regards to your question, it really depends on the agreement you have with your client. If you own the music rights, you can definitely publish them on major streaming platforms. However, if your client has exclusive rights to the music, then you would need their permission to publish them elsewhere.  If you do end up publishing your music on Spotify, Apple Music, or other platforms, I highly recommend checking out this link for some Spotify promotion: https://songlifty.com/spotify-promotion/. It's a great way to get your music heard by more people and potentially gain new fans. Good luck!!

Edited April 29, 2023 by srimathi783

[ehsandanish]

On 1/19/2022 at 4:03 PM, alexvaulin said:

Hello, friends!

Could you help me! I am a music composer and I composed a few music soundtracks for a client here for his video game! Am I still allowed to publish them on a major streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and so on?

Thank you! 

Yes, you can publish your composed music on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, but ensure you have the rights to the music. Check your agreement with the client for any specific clauses regarding distribution. If you have retained the rights or have the client's permission, you can use a distribution service like DistroKid or TuneCore to upload your tracks. Make sure to credit the project if required and set up your accounts for royalty payments.