APPENDICES

A&R Artist and Repertoire. The department within a record company assigned to scout talent and songs, develop artists, match artists with record producers, and oversee record production.

AC Adult Contemporary. A radio format that broadcasts material drawn from soft rock contemporary artists.

accounting statement A statement of royalties earned by an artist from either a publisher or a record company, usually issued quarterly.

ACM Academy of Country Music. Los Angeles-based country music industry organization.

acoustic Musical instruments that are not electronically amplified.

add A record added to a radio station or video channel playlist.

administration deal A publishing contract in which a music publisher issues licenses, and collects mechanical royalties on behalf of an artist, in return for a percentage of receipts, but does not control the copyrights and is not obligated to exploit the artist's material.

advance A prepayment of royalties or other earnings that will later be recouped from sales.

affiliate See network.

AFM American Federation of Musicians. A musicians’ union.

AFTRA American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. A broadcast talent union.

airplay The broadcast of a recording or music video on radio or television.

AMC American Music Conference. An organization that promotes music education.

amplitude Volume. See dynamic range.

AMVB Association of Music Video Broadcasters. A video industry organization.

analog A recording and playback method where the speed and loudness of sound waves are reflected in a similar fashion onto magnetic tape or a phonograph record.

ancillary income Concert revenues derived from parking, food and beverage service, and so on, which are not subject to artist or promoter commissions.

AOR Album-Oriented Rock. A radio format that broadcasts material drawn from rock albums, rather than from singles.

ARB See Arbitron.

Arbitron The American Research Bureau (ARB) radio rating service.

arrangement A written or mental musical score specifying instrumental parts, vocal harmonies, and overall form of a composition.

artist concessions Concert revenues derived from the sale of the artist's own merchandise, which may be subject to venue commissions.

ASCAP American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers. A royalty collection and performance rights organization.

audio engineer A person who designs or operates sound recording and reproduction equipment.

author The creator of a copyrightable work.

automation Radio or television broadcast of prerecorded material by electronically programmed machinery.

bar code The series of black and white stripes assigned by the Universal Product Code (UPC) to encode product information.

BDS Broadcast Data Service. The company that uses computers to monitor radio airplay.

BET Black Entertainment Television. A cable television broadcaster whose programming is geared toward the African-American market.

blanket license Permission to use a recording, or group of recordings, for unlimited play for a set fee, rather than on an individual per-use basis.

BMI Broadcast Music, Inc. A royalty collection and performance rights organization.

book Management terminology for selling a performance date to a promoter or venue.

bootleg An unauthorized recording manufactured and sold without payment of royalties.

branch distributor A regional distributorship owned and operated by one of six conglomerates.

break To gain sufficient airplay or exposure to generate a significant sales increase.

break-even point The dollar amount at which income equals expenses.

breakage allowance A percentage deducted by the label from artist royalties to cover product damage.

broadcast The electrical transmission of sound or image through waves that can be reconstituted by a receiver mechanism.

budget line A record label product line that sells for less than new releases by established artists.

bump Also called an “escalation”; this is a provision in a recording contract that increases an artist's percentage points if a certain number of records are sold. See point.

burnout Radio industry terminology for when the public grows tired of a particular record.

buy-back An agreement that a given promoter will promote an artist's show the next time the artist is in the promoter's area of influence.

© Symbol signifying that a particular work has been copyrighted.

call-out Market research based upon a radio station calling the public within its listening area to solicit opinions on programming.

CARP Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel. A panel appointed to arbitrate a specific copyright or royalty dispute.

catalog The song copyrights owned by a publishing company, or the master recordings owned by a record company.

catalog album The previously released recordings owned by a record company, but that are no longer being promoted.

census The logging by a performance rights organization of every single recorded performance played by a broadcaster. See sample.

chain A group of retail outlets owned by the same parent company.

channel A specific electronic path for broadcast or recording signals.

chart Industry ranking of records according to rate of sales and/or broadcast.

CHR Contemporary Hit Radio. A radio format that broadcasts material drawn primarily from the 20 most popular records of each week.

clearance Permission granted to reproduce a copyrightable work.

clip A film segment of a performance.

CMA Country Music Association. Nashville-based country music industry organization.

collective work Individual works assembled into a copyrightable whole. An anthology.

commercial spot A prerecorded radio or television advertisement.

commercially acceptable The minimum level of artistic and technical merit necessary for a recording master to warrant manufacture and distribution by a record label.

commission A percentage of an artist's income paid for agent or management services.

common-law copyright Copyright protection applied to works not fixed in a tangible form.

compression Reducing the range between the highest and lowest frequencies of audio signals, particularly during mastering of phonograph records.

compulsory license Permission personally granted by the artist to reproduce a copyrightable work.

concept video A music video that tells a story beyond the simple recording of an artist performing a song.

configuration The media format on which a recording is fixed, such as cassette or CD.

container charge A percentage deduction from artist royalties to cover the cost of product manufacturing and packaging.

contemporary Music and broadcasting terminology for current popular music.

contributory infringer One who receives benefit from copyright infringement.

controlled composition A song or master, partially or wholly owned by an artist, which his record label wants to acquire at a reduced rate.

co-op advertising Money paid by a record label to distributors or retailers to locally advertise the label's product.

co-publishing An arrangement whereby two or more publishing companies, one of which usually belongs to the songwriter, share copyrights and royalties to a single song.

copy Advertising and public relations terminology for written advertising or press releases.

copyright Ownership or licensed control over artistic or intellectual property.

copyright administration The registration of artistic works with the Copyright Office and the licensing of those works for reproduction.

corporate A derogatory term for music specifically created to fill a market niche, rather than as an artistic expression.

counterfeit recording A “pirate” recording that is duplicated and sold with the intent to defraud the legitimate owner of royalties.

cover A performance of a song by an artist other than the one who originally recorded it.

creative controls Authority granted to control various creative aspects of a recording.

cross-collateralization A provision within a recording contract that allows the label to recover losses on one recording from the sales of the artist's future earnings.

crossover When a record gains sales or is broadcast in more than a single market format.

crosstalk The leaking of sound from one track to another on audiotape.

cutout A recording deleted from a record label's catalog, with remaining stock sold at a discount.

dB Decibel. The standard unit of measure for audio loudness.

dbx A patented noise reduction system that compresses sound and encodes it onto tape or disc for recording and playback.

defaulter Union terminology for an individual who refuses to pay singers or musicians for a live or recorded performance.

delay The electronic analog or digital close repetition of a sound signal during recording.

demo Demonstration recording of a song or performance.

derivative work A copyrightable work that draws heavily on other pre-existing works.

development deal A short-term contract and fee supplied to an artist not sufficiently developed to warrant a true contract, giving a record label or publishing company the option to sign the artist during a specified time period.

digital A recording system where sound is sampled and converted by computer into a high-speed binary pulse code for storage on magnetic tape or compact disc.

digital sampling Sound transformed and stored as a numerical sequence, which can then be reproduced in such a way as to be indistinguishable from the original sound.

disc mastering Cutting a master acetate disc from which vinyl phonograph records will be pressed.

distortion The variation in tone from the original source that occurs during recording or playback.

distributor A person or company that distributes products to retailers.

Dolby/Dolby Stereo A patented high-frequency noise reduction system for audio recordings and film sound tracks.

door The revenue from admission fees to a small venue. See gate.

draw A monetary payment against future sales or receipts. See advance.

drum machine The piece of electronic equipment that reproduces the sound and rhythmic patterns of drums.

dub (1) To blend several recorded sources into a single sound track. (2) To make a copy of recorded material. (3) A copy of recorded material.

dues Monthly or annual fee to maintain membership in an industry association or union.

dynamic range The range between the softest and loudest sound possible on any recording or playback system.

echo The controlled reverberation of recorded sound.

editing Assembling recorded material into the order it will appear on the finished album or video project.

end cap The portion of a retail display at the end of a fixture, facing the main aisle.

engineer The technician who operates the sound board during the recording process.

equalization (EQ) Electronically adjusting the frequency levels of individual audio tracks during the recording process or mixing.

established artist An artist with a proven marketability.

evergreen A song that maintains a consistent popularity over many years. A standard.

exclusive artist An artist contractually obligated to record for a single record label.

exclusive contract The contractual obligation that binds an exclusive artist.

exclusive license Copyright permission granted to a single user and none other.

exclusive songwriter A songwriter contractually obligated to write for a single publisher.

fair use A provision that permits limited use of copyrighted works without payment of royalties.

FCC Federal Communications Commission. The government agency that regulates all broadcasting and telephone transmissions.

filter The electronic suppression of specific pre-chosen audio frequencies.

first sale doctrine A provision that allows the lawful owner of a reproduction of a copyrighted work limited rights to sell, rent, lease, or give away that reproduction.

flat A full-size album front cover reproduction used for display purposes.

flutter See wow and flutter.

folio A songbook containing multiple song scores, as opposed to individual sheet music.

45 A 45 RPM vinyl phonograph record with one song recorded on each side.

four walls A deal where a concert promoter rents a venue with no other services provided beyond use of the building itself.

free goods A recording contract provision that provides a distributor or retailer free copies of a record, usually 15 percent of the total quantity ordered, for which the artist receives no royalties. See promotional copies.

frequency The speed of sound wave vibration that produces any given sound. See Hz.

front line A record label's most recent releases from its top artists.

gate The revenue from admission fees to a concert venue. See door.

GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. International treaty that sanctions World Trade Organization member nations for failing to protect copyrights.

glass master Sometimes called the “mutha,” it is the CD master used for duplication.

gold The RIAA designation for records that sell 500,000 wholesale copies, or videos that sell 50,000 wholesale copies. See platinum.

good ears Industry terminology for a person who can choose songs or artists that will be successful.

Grammy Awards Annual recording industry achievement recognition awarded by NARAS.

grand rights Permission granted to perform a copyrighted dramatic musical work, such as an opera.

gross income Total income before expenses, taxes, and so on are deducted.

guarantee The fixed amount an artist will be paid to perform, regardless of ticket sales.

hard tickets Admission tickets preprinted and distributed before going on sale. See soft tickets.

harmonics The use of complementary full and half tones to create a composite tone.

Harry Fox Agency A royalty collection and licensing agency organized by NMPA.

hiss The high-frequency background noise picked up during recording with analog tape. See dbx and Dolby.

hold A verbal agreement to reserve a song for a specific artist, or a venue date for a specific promoter.

hype Exaggerated claims of worth or value. Short for “hyperbole.”

Hz Hertz. The standard unit of measurement of audio pitch, communicated in cycles (vibrations) per second.

IATSE International Association of Theater and Stage Employees; a union for backstage technicians who work at theater and concert events.

in-house promotion A performance promoted by the venue itself, without an outside promoter.

independent distributor A wholesaler of product from independent record labels.

independent label A record label not affiliated with any of the six music conglomerates.

independent record store A record store not part of a chain.

indie Short for “independent.”

infringement The act of violating the rights of a copyright owner.

initiation fee A one-time fee to join an industry association or union. See dues.

jingle A short song used in radio and television product advertising.

joint work A work created by two or more people that is copyrightable as a whole.

key-man clause A recording, publishing, or management contract provision that allows an artist to terminate the contract if a specific person, who is integral to that artist's career, leaves the company.

label An individual record company, or one of several product names under which a record company releases its recordings.

lacquer (1) Industry slang for a master disc. (2) The compound from which blank master discs are made.

lacquer master See lacquer and master.

Librarian of Congress The appointed officer of the Copyright Office, charged with distributing royalties collected by the office and convening arbitration panels. See CARP.

license Permission granted to reproduce a copyrighted work.

liquidate reserves When a record label must pay out any funds reserved beyond the actual dollar value of product returns.

listening station A record store outpost for “test driving” selected recordings.

local Union terminology for the regional union office.

logging See census.

long form A music video that is longer than five minutes, or is made up of several songs.

loss leader A product sold below cost to attract customers into a store.

major label One of six music conglomerates owning its own distribution system.

MAP Minimum Advertised Price. The price a record company sets to discourage a retailer from selling product below cost.

margin The difference between the cost of a product and its selling price.

mass merchandiser A retail outlet selling a wide variety of products, like a department store.

master The final, multitrack mix of a recording, either on tape or cut into a lacquer master disc, from which copies will be manufactured.

MBS Mutual Broadcasting System. A radio network.

mechanical license Permission granted to manufacture and distribute copies of a copyrighted sound recording.

mechanical royalty Fee paid by a record label to a music publisher in exchange for a mechanical license.

merchandising Any product that utilizes an artist's image, name, or likeness to promote that artist.

MIDI Musical Instrumental Digital Interface. The standard connection of digital electronic musical instruments to each other, computers, and software.

mid-line A record label's product priced between its front line and budget line.

mix/final mix The combination of multiple audio tracks into one or two tracks/the combination of multiple audio tracks into the final, two-track tape from which a master will be made.

mom and pop store See independent record store.

MOR Middle of the Road. A radio format that broadcasts material drawn from various sources termed as “easy listening” for an older adult market.

MSRP Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. The basis for computing recording artist royalties.

multitrack A recording system that allows from four to twenty-four separate audio tracks to be simultaneously recorded onto a single tape.

musicology A branch of scholarship that focuses primarily on music history.

NAB National Association of Broadcasters. A broadcast industry organization.

NAIRD National Association of Independent Record Distributors. An industry trade organization for independent record labels and distributors.

NAMM National Association of Music Merchants. An industry trade organization for music store owners.

NARAS National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. A recording industry organization. See Grammy Awards.

net income The remaining income after expenses, taxes, and so on, are deducted.

network A group of radio or television stations (affiliates) that broadcast programming supplied by one of the major broadcasting systems like ABC, CBS, or NBC.

niche marketing Specialized advertising aimed at specialized product consumers.

NMPA National Music Publisher's Association. An industry trade organization.

nonexclusive license Permission granted to reproduce a copyrighted work that may also be granted to other users at the same time. Performance and mechanical licenses are nonexclusive.

nonreturnable A prepayment of royalties or other earnings that will not be recouped from sales, or returned to the provider.

notice The copyright notice printed on published reproductions of copyrighted works.

NPR National Public Radio.

O Symbol signifying that the particular phonorecording has been copyrighted.

one-nighter A performance booked into a venue for a single night.

one-stop A distributor who sells all records from all labels to retailers.

option A provision that allows a contract to be extended for a specified amount of time beyond the original termination date.

out-of-the-box Radio terminology for adding a record to the playlist immediately upon receipt.

overdub To add new audio tracks to the tape of a music performance that was previously recorded.

overlay Overdubbing as applied to film sound tracks.

P&D deal Pressing and Distribution deal. An agreement between an independent record label and a distributor/manufacturer to make and distribute copies of recordings.

parallel imports Copies of records legitimately manufactured outside the country of origin for foreign distribution, but imported back into the country of origin for sale alongside copies that were manufactured for sale within the country of origin.

pay-for-play The practice of artists paying to perform at a popular nightclub as a way to gain recording industry attention.

pay-or-play A recording contract clause that allows a label to pay an artist scale wages for a recording session in lieu of actually having the artist play on the session, as a way of fulfilling the label's contractual obligation to the artist.

payola The illegal practice of a record label paying a disc jockey to play its records.

per-use license Permission to use a single recording on a one-time basis.

performance clause A publishing contract provision that reverts copyright ownership back to the songwriter if the publisher fails to exploit the writer's work in a specified manner.

performance right The right to publicly perform a copyrighted work.

performance royalty Fees paid to songwriters and music publishers in exchange for performance rights.

personality folio A songbook of compositions written or recorded by a particular artist.

piracy The unauthorized duplication and sale of sound recordings.

pitch (1) The relative location of a given musical sound within the range of audible frequencies. (2) The attempt to interest an artist in recording a particular song.

platinum The RIAA designation for records that sell one million wholesale copies or videos that sell ten thousand wholesale copies.

playlist A radio station's weekly programming list of songs to be played. See rotation.

PMCD Pre-mastered compact disc.

P-O-P Point of Purchase. Advertising and display materials supplied by a record label to record stores.

point Each point is equal to a percentage, usually 1 percent, of an artist's royalty rate.

point of sale The cash register where the sale of a product is actually recorded.

power of attorney The assigned right to act in a legally binding manner on behalf of another person.

pre-echo/post-echo A faint echo distortion on a taped recording caused by the “bleeding” of sound from an adjacent wrap of tape.

print rights Permission granted to reproduce printed sheet music of a copyrighted work.

progressive A radio format that broadcasts material drawn from artists and albums not usually receiving Top Forty airplay.

project studio A recording studio owned by an artist or producer for the sole use of the owner.

promotion The label department or outside agency whose job it is to get radio airplay for the label's records.

promotional copies Copies of recordings given to radio stations and record stores for airplay or giveaways.

public domain Works whose copyrights have expired or were not eligible for copyright, and are available for public use without licensing.

publishing administration A sub-licensing agreement where a large music publisher issues licenses and collects royalties on behalf of a smaller company, in exchange for a percentage of income.

rack jobber A distributor who services the record department of a mass merchandiser.

rack location A store with a record department serviced by a rack jobber.

rating The percentage of listeners a radio station attracts within its listening area.

recording fund Money advanced by the label to pay the costs of a master recording.

Recording Trust Fund A small percentage of a record's list price paid to the AFM by the label to fund free public concerts.

recoupable Advance money repaid to the label through deductions from the artist's royalties.

recurrent Radio terminology for a recent hit record still popular enough to warrant fairly regular airplay, but that is neither a current hit nor an “oldie.”

release A recording available to the public for purchase.

release date The actual day a recording is first available to the public for purchase.

renegotiate The practice of an artist using his success to obtain more favorable contract terms.

reserve A percentage of royalties due an artist that are withheld by the label until sales are confirmed.

reserve for returns The amount of artist royalties withheld by the label to cover the estimated royalties lost through the return of unsold recordings.

returns Defective and overstock recordings sent back by a retailer to the label.

reverb An electronically produced echo effect with a depth of sound.

reverberation The acoustic echo characteristics of a room.

reversion The point at which a song's copyright returns to the songwriter.

RIAA Recording Industry Association of America. Industry trade association for record labels and manufacturers. Certifies gold and platinum sales status.

rider An attachment to a performance contract that lists specific needs, such as lighting, catering, technical requirements, and so on.

right to work A statute in some states releasing employers from hiring only union labor.

rotation The number of times a given song is played during the course of a radio station's daily or weekly playlist.

royalty A fee paid to writers and performers based upon the sale or licensing of their copyrighted work.

RPM Revolutions Per Minute. The standard measure of speed for disc recordings.

sampling The digital capture of a recorded sound for manipulation and integration into a new recording. See digital sampling.

scale wages The minimum payment set by a union for its members’ services.

score The orchestration of a musical work broken down into individual parts for specific musical instruments.

self-contained An artist who writes his own material, or a band who does not require additional musicians to perform.

SESAC Society of European Stage Authors and Composers. The smallest of the three royalty collection and performance rights organizations.

share The percentage of the listening public actually listening to a particular radio station within that station's listening area.

shed An outdoor amphitheater.

shelf price The standard price a recording sells at within a given store, as opposed to the sale price.

short form A music video containing a single song.

shortfall Label-supplied tour support that makes up the difference between an artist's per-performance price, and what the artist actually earned per performance.

showcase A short performance where an artist “auditions” for invited industry and label representatives for recording contract consideration.

shrinkage Inventory lost through theft, damage, or other problems.

side A recording of one song. To “cut a side” is to record one song.

signal The electrical pattern representing sound waves.

signal to noise ratio (S/N) The comparison of relative levels of signal (sound waves) to noise (interference) within a sound system.

single A record released with one song recorded on each side.

small rights The right to perform a musical work licensed through a performance rights organization like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC.

SMPTE Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers. An industry organization for audio engineers.

soft tickets Admission tickets printed at the time of sale. See hard tickets.

sound-alike A new recording made to closely mimic the original recording.

sound recording A recorded audio performance that is captured in a tangible medium, considered an artistic work, and qualifies for copyright protection. See phonogram and phonorecord.

SoundScan The company that determines recording sales patterns through collection of UPC information at the point of sale.

sound track (1) the audio portion of a film. (2) A record album containing the musical portions of a film.

source music Music in a film produced by artists pictured onscreen, as in a nightclub scene.

SPARS Society of Professional Recording Services. An industry organization for recording studio owners.

special payments fund A small percentage of a record's list price paid to the AFM by the label. It is distributed annually to recording session musicians based upon the number of sessions each musician played on that year.

sponsored tour A performance tour whose costs are underwritten in full, or in part, by a corporation, in return for advertising consideration.

spot See commercial spot.

SRDS Standard Rate and Data Service. Publications that list media outlet information.

SRLP Suggested Retail List Price. See MSRP.

staff writer A songwriter exclusively signed to a publishing company.

statutory rate The standard royalty rates set by CARP.

stereo/stereophonic sound Sound recorded on two or more tape tracks and requiring an equal number of speakers to reproduce.

stiff Radio terminology for a record that receives little or no airplay.

stylus/cutting stylus The needle used to play a phonograph record/the needle used to cut the grooves into a lacquer master.

sweetener An overdubbed audio track used to enhance a multitrack tape recording.

sync right Synchronization right. The owner of a copyrighted musical work has the right to apply that work to moving images, such as film or television.

syndication Prepackaged radio or television programming distributed for local broadcast.

synthesizer A keyboard controlled electronic instrument that reproduces a wide variety of sounds and effects.

take A complete version or incomplete attempt of a recorded performance.

technically acceptable The minimum level of technical merit necessary for a recording master to warrant release. Artistically inferior to “commercially acceptable.”

tempo The speed of music, expressed in beats per minute.

term The time period that a contract is in force.

termination right The right of an author to regain ownership of transferred copyrights after a specified amount of time.

Top Forty A radio format that broadcasts material drawn primarily from the forty most popular records of each week.

tour support The recoupable label-supplied financial assistance. It allows artists to tour who would otherwise be unable to sell performances at a cost to cover their expenses.

track A recorded single voice or instrument that will ultimately be meshed with others to form a complete orchestration.

tracking The process of recording individual tracks.

trades Publications devoted to industry information, such as Billboard and Pollstar.

traffic The scheduling and reporting of radio commercial spots for billing purposes.

transcription license Permission granted to reproduce a copyrighted work for a purpose that does not involve sale to the public.

turntable hit A record whose airplay success fails to translate into record sales.

UPC See bar code.

venue The location where a live performance is held.

video An electronic medium, combining audio and visual elements, that is stored on videotape or videodisc, broadcast via airwaves, and viewed on television or a monitor.

video jockey A television announcer/host who plays music videos as part of his show.

videodisc Video programming recorded onto disc and played via laser illumination.

videogram A video recording of a visual work made for consumer purchase.

VJ See video jockey.

wholesale price The price at which a manufacturer sells a product to a retailer.

work made for hire A work produced by an employee as part of his job duties that is owned and copyrightable by his employer.

wow and flutter Distortion in the speed of recorded sound. Wow is a slow undulation; flutter is a rapid fluctuation.

WTO World Trade Organization. An international trade organization charged with the protection of copyright laws, among other things.

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