Copyright and release documents

The four core permissions

Adapting a song usually needs permission from four core groups. The exact set depends on the recording, the changes and the territories; other performers, translators, producers, sample owners and collecting societies may also be involved.

• The master rights holder: the person or company that controls the original master recording.
• The publisher and songwriters: changing the lyrics can create a derivative work, so the adaptation needs approval where their rights require it.
• The artist: specific written consent to the new lead vocal, separate from the master licence.
• Featured performers: anyone whose performance is on the recording, including non-featured and session performers where their rights apply.

What Moozz does

• Records the core permissions before production starts.
• Keeps the original master recording unchanged.
• Creates a new master with its own ISRC.
• Records the split sheet, label copy and metadata.
• Supplies an AI disclosure where the release is in scope.
• Leaves the release, the UPC and the DSP relationship with your distributor.

What Moozz does not do

• –It does not acquire ownership of your original master recording or composition.
• –It does not take a share of what the original recording earns.
• –It does not distribute the release.
• –It does not use client master recordings, catalogues or project files to train a shared or general-purpose AI model.
• –It does not source project recordings from the internet.
• –It does not make songs from a prompt.

Where the copyright sits

The original master recording and composition remain with their owners. The agreement sets out the licence Moozz takes and who owns the new master and the new contributions.

The target-language lead vocal is produced from the artist’s authorised voice. Copyright in machine-made material depends on the law of the release territory and on the human contributions to the adaptation, production and arrangement. This page is general information, not legal advice; your counsel and the agreement govern the release.

The release package

For each version, Moozz keeps a record of the approvals and supplies the documents a distributor, platform or lawyer may ask for.

• Master licence for the original recording.
• Lyric adaptation licence from the publisher and songwriters where required.
• Artist voice consent, separate from the master licence.
• Performer releases where their rights apply.
• A new ISRC for the master and a new or updated ISWC for the composition where required.
• Split sheet, label copy and release metadata.
• A plain-language AI disclosure for first exposure and platform metadata where required.

Moozz is not a distributor

Moozz supplies the new master and the release package. Your distributor keeps the release, assigns the UPC and delivers through its usual DDEX workflow.

Sources

• Who has to approve a new-language version? (opens in a new tab)
• IFPI, ISRC Handbook, 4th edition (opens in a new tab)
• EU AI Act, Article 50 (opens in a new tab)
• Liner: Article 50 disclosure tool (opens in a new tab)

Questions and answers