Free music industry glossary with plain-language definitions of over 30 essential terms for independent artists and songwriters.
The LUCY Music Industry Glossary is a free reference guide that explains over 30 essential music business terms in plain language. Whether you are a new artist preparing your first release or an experienced musician navigating complex licensing deals, this glossary helps you understand the terminology that shapes your career and earnings.
Each definition includes practical context explaining how the term affects independent artists specifically. We skip the corporate jargon and focus on what these concepts actually mean for creators distributing music through platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music.
ISRC (International Standard Recording Code): A unique identifier assigned to each individual sound recording. Every track you distribute needs its own ISRC code, which streaming platforms use to track plays and attribute royalties correctly. LUCY generates ISRC codes automatically for your releases.
UPC (Universal Product Code): A barcode assigned to each release (single, EP, or album) that identifies the product in digital stores. Like an ISRC but for the release as a whole rather than individual tracks. DSP (Digital Service Provider): Any platform that delivers music to listeners digitally, including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, and Deezer.
Masters: The original sound recording of a song. Owning your masters means you control how your recordings are used, licensed, and distributed. With LUCY, artists always retain ownership of their master recordings.
Mechanical Royalties: Payments generated each time your song is reproduced, whether through streaming, downloads, or physical copies. In the streaming era, mechanical royalties are paid per stream by DSPs to songwriters and publishers.
Performance Royalties: Payments earned when your song is performed publicly, including radio play, live venues, and streaming. Collected by Performance Rights Organizations (PROs) such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, PRS, and GEMA.
PRO (Performance Rights Organization): An organization that collects performance royalties on behalf of songwriters and publishers. If you write your own music, registering with a PRO ensures you receive performance royalties from radio, streaming, and public performances.
Sync Licensing: Licensing your music for use in visual media such as films, TV shows, commercials, video games, and online videos. Sync placements can be a significant revenue source for independent artists beyond streaming royalties. Blanket License: An agreement that grants the licensee access to an entire catalog of music for a set period, commonly used by radio stations, venues, and streaming platforms.