Music Law

Every track has at least two legal lives: the composition, owned by songwriters and publishers, and the master, owned by whoever produced the recording. Confusing the two is the most common mistake in the music business, and one of the most expensive. We advise on both, from the first contract to international licensing and disputes.

What we do

• Recording and masters: recording, licence and distribution deals, advances and royalties, master ownership and reversion, producer and featured artist agreements.
• Publishing and collecting societies: publishing and administration deals, songwriter splits, registration of works, royalty statements and mismatched data.
• Sync licensing: licences for film, series, advertising and games, in Italy and abroad.
• Live and management: management and booking agreements, tour and festival contracts, crew agreements, band agreements. See our case study on Caparezza’s 2026 tour.
• Music and AI: protection of AI-assisted tracks, voice clones, takedowns, and opt-out of catalogues from AI training.
• Disputes: royalties, breach of contract, plagiarism and unauthorised use.

A contract signed at twenty can decide who earns from a song for the next seventy years. Reading it carefully, first, is the most important artistic choice.

Collecting societies in Italy

Since 2017 SIAE is no longer the only organisation collecting authors’ rights in Italy: others, such as Soundreef, also operate. On the recording side, SCF represents record producers and Nuovo IMAIE is the largest of the organisations collecting for performers. Registering works and recordings consistently, with the same shares and data everywhere, is what gets royalties paid: mismatched data is one of the most frequent reasons they get blocked.

FAQ

What is the difference between the composition and the master?

The composition (music and lyrics) belongs to songwriters and publishers; the master is the recording and belongs to its producer, usually the label. To use an existing track in a film or advert you need a sync licence for the composition and a master licence for the recording.

Do songwriters have to join SIAE?

No. Since 2017 they can choose other organisations operating in Italy, and foreign writers are usually covered through their own society. What matters is consistent registration everywhere.

Can music created with AI be protected in Italy?

Yes, if it results from a human author’s creative work, under Law 132/2025. Content generated by a machine alone is not protected, so documenting the human contribution matters.

What should I check before signing a recording contract?

The term and options, who owns the masters and whether they revert, the royalty rate and how it is calculated, the advance and recoupment, the territory and any rights relating to AI.

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