CMU INSIGHTS RESEARCH HUB

Music Copyright Explained

Helping music-makers and other creators get to grips with music copyright

‘Music Copyright Explained’ is a free user-friendly guide to how music copyright works in the UK, produced by CMU Insights for the UK’s Intellectual Property Office.

The IPO is the official UK government body responsible for intellectual property rights including copyright. With the shift to digital making it so much easier to record and share music, the IPO recognises that it’s more important than ever for all music-makers and other online creators to understand the basics of music copyright and music licensing. That’s why it commissioned CMU to create ‘Music Copyright Explained’.

Available online or to download as a PDF, the guide explains how copyright gives music-makers control over the songs and recordings they create. It also talks through how music-makers and the music industry generate income out of their music rights, and outlines all the key things music-makers and other creators need to know about music copyright and licensing.

You can read and download ‘Music Copyright Explained’ here.