Deals & Your Rights
Music Deal Types
The spectrum of music deals — distribution, label, 360, and publishing (co-pub vs admin) — differs mainly in who owns your rights and how big a cut they take.
Music deals sit on a spectrum of how much you give up. Distribution gets your music to stores for a fee or small cut while you keep your masters. A label deal funds you with an advance but usually owns your recordings and takes the largest share. A 360 deal extends the label's cut to touring and merch too.
On the publishing side, a co-publishing deal shares ownership of your compositions, while publishing administration only collects for a fee and takes no ownership. Notes is distribution plus pub-admin — no ownership, no percentage, no advance to recoup.
Good to know
Music Deal Types: common questions
- What's the difference between a distribution deal and a label deal?
- Distribution delivers your music and you keep your masters and rights; a traditional label typically funds you with an advance but owns your recordings and takes a much larger share.
- What is a 360 deal?
- A deal where the label takes a percentage not just of recordings but of your other income too — touring, merch, sponsorships — in exchange for broader investment.