What Is Copyright?
A plain explanation of what copyright protects, the rights it gives owners, and how it applies to music you distribute with DistroVibe.
Copyright is a legal right that gives creators of original works exclusive authority over how their creations are used, distributed, and commercialized.
Copyright does not protect raw ideas, concepts, or titles; rather, it protects the original expression of those ideas (in many countries, once it is fixed in a tangible form), such as a recorded audio master or a written composition. It is subject to legal limitations such as fair use or fair dealing.
The Exclusive Rights of Copyright Owners
U.S. copyright law (17 U.S.C. § 106) lists six exclusive rights. Most other countries grant similar rights, although they group and name them differently:
Reproduction: The right to duplicate the work across physical media (vinyl, CDs, cassettes) or digital formats (downloads, server streams).
Derivative Works: The right to adapt, sample, remix, or create new arrangements based upon the original underlying work.
Distribution: The right to release and distribute copies of the work to the public through sale, rental, or licensing.
Public Performance: The right to perform the work publicly (e.g., live venue performances, radio airplay, television broadcasts, club sets).
Public Display: The right to show visual works, such as cover artwork, publicly.
Digital Audio Transmission: For sound recordings, the right to perform the audio master publicly by digital audio transmission (for example, streaming services, webcasts, and satellite radio).
How Copyright Operates on DistroVibe
When distributing music through DistroVibe:
You Keep Ownership: You retain 100% ownership of your master recordings and underlying publishing rights. DistroVibe receives a distribution license, not a transfer of copyright. Note that this license is exclusive for the releases you distribute with us: while they are live through DistroVibe, the same recordings (same ISRCs) may not be delivered by another distributor.
Master vs. Composition: Every track contains two distinct copyrights: the Musical Work / Composition (lyrics and melody) and the Sound Recording / Master (the specific recorded audio performance).
Protection & Monetization: Your rights are what allow DistroVibe to collect streaming and download royalties for your releases and, for eligible releases, to protect them through digital fingerprinting systems such as YouTube Content ID and Meta Rights Manager. Songwriter royalties such as mechanical and performance royalties are collected only if you use our optional Publishing Administration service.
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