Master recordings

Master recordings are the original recordings of audio performances. The term covers recording as well as post-recording mixes and production edits: masters are the copyrighted recordings that are used for analog and digital duplication.^[1] Master refers only to the recorded performance of a song; it does not cover the composition of recorded material, which is a separate copyright that belongs to the songwriter unless ownership of the copyright is transferred or sold to a separate entity.^[2]

References

1. Passman, Donald S. (2006). All you need to know about the music business (6th ed.; [rev. and updated] ed.). New York: Free Press. ISBN 978-0-7432-9318-1.
2. Osborne, Richard (2023). Owning the masters: a history of sound recording copyright. New York London Oxford New Delhi Sydney: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-1-5013-4593-7.