This glossary contains several different types of terms. Each term will have an identifier below it to help you quickly recognize what type it is, if it is more than one type, and how it is or should be used in music/music business contexts. Below are the four types of terms you’ll find, their visual identifiers, and their descriptions:
Legal - 🔑 lgl
Legal terms are formally defined within and codified by U.S. law. Legal definitions supercede all others.
Technical - 🔑 tch
Technical terms are formally defined and standardized by industry sectors and the concensus of their governing bodies and/or decision makers.
Jargon - 🔑 jrg
The general definition of jargon is: “special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand**1**.”
Within this glossary, jargon will always mean music industry jargon. Since the music industry has numerous sectors, subsectors, and niches within niches, you will see an additional tag when helpful for context.
Acronyms - 🔑 acr
The general defenition of acronym is
It is important in every industry to know the functional role of the language used when communicating about it and within it, so that misunderstandings and miscommunications can be avoided, or addressed when they happen. This is especially true in the music industry, because:
Common usage and practice can often conflict with legal definitions and requirements or technical definition and usage
The variation and fluidity of jargon can catalyse mutual misunderstanding
Any type of term can be a homonym terms can be homonymous
🔑 tch: An original modification or alteration of the lyrical content of a pre-existing work, regardless of whether the musical content has also been modified.
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers - A performing rights organization that collects and distributes royalties.
A document listing all music used in a production, including timing, usage type, and rights information.
A bundle of exclusive rights which belong to and protect the owner of a copyrightable piece of intellectual property—an **original work **of authorship,fixed in a tangible medium.
