Legal Circles
Your Legal Shield (Copyright & LLC).
Royalty Types
Performance vs. Mechanical royalties.
The 4 Wallets
Who collects what (PRO, MLC, etc.).
Song Circles
Understanding Splits & Collaboration.
Music Business
"If you don't know the rules to the game, the game will play you."
Welcome to Music Quest. We are not attorneys. This school is based on real-world experience, not legal theory. Any legal decisions you make should be consulted with a qualified attorney in your state of residence.
We provide this knowledge 100% free. You do not need to log in to learn. A login is only required to take tests and earn XP, which helps protect your files and our community. Feel free to create a free account when you're ready.
Module: Public vs. Private
Grasp the critical legal distinction between public and private performances – the key to understanding the ARC Player and CreatorHelm's DTC model.
Quest: Public vs. Private Performance
Before we dive in, we must understand the most fundamental concept of our marketplace: the difference between a Public and a Private performance. This is essential because our platform employs both.
A Public Performance is when music is played in a public space (radio, TV, streaming services, restaurants, venues). These performances require licenses (often expensive) from Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) and generate royalties collected by those PROs.
A Private Performance is when music is played in a private setting (like your home or in your headphones for personal use). This does *not* generate royalties. Think of our radio player's private listening mode like picking up a flyer from a public bulletin board - you are discovering the music for yourself, it's not a broadcast requiring royalty payments.
Understanding this difference is the key to knowing *when* you get paid. This leads us to the next logical question: what *is* being performed?
+50 Artist XP / +20 Fan XP
Module 1: The Two Halves of Your Song's Soul
Understand the fundamental difference between the song you write and the recording you make.
Quest 1.1: Composition vs. Master (© vs. ℗)
Every song has two copyrights! Learn about the Composition (the melody & lyrics - the © symbol, representing the "Songwriter") and the Sound Recording (the specific version you hear - the ℗ symbol, representing the "Artist" performance captured). Royalties for both halves are traditionally split. The Composition (©) royalties are split between a Publisher and the Songwriter. The Sound Recording (℗) royalties are split between a Label (acting as the master's publisher) and the Artist. Understanding these "splits" is the first step to sovereignty! On CreatorHelm, *you* are both the Publisher and the Label.
+25 Artist XP / +10 Fan XP
Module 3: Following the Money - Performance Royalties
Understand who collects royalties when your music is performed *publicly*.
Quest 3.1: The Songwriter's Share (PROs)
Meet ASCAP, BMI, SESAC! These Performance Rights Organizations (PROs) collect royalties for the **public performance** of the **Composition** (©). This money is then typically split between the Publisher (50%) and the Songwriter (50%). This is why controlling your 'publisher's share' is so important! As a sovereign artist on CreatorHelm, you act as your own publisher.
+25 Artist XP / +10 Fan XP
Quest 3.2: The Recording's Share (SoundExchange)
What about *digital* public performances (like internet radio, Pandora, SiriusXM)? SoundExchange collects royalties for the digital public performance of the **Sound Recording** (℗). This money is also split: typically 50% to the Label (the master rights owner), 45% to the main Artist, and 5% to session musicians/vocalists (via AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund). If you are your own label on CreatorHelm, you are entitled to both the Label and Artist shares!
+25 Artist XP / +10 Fan XP
Module 4: Following the Money - When Music is Copied (Mechanicals & The MLC)
Understand royalties generated when your music is reproduced (sold or interactively streamed), anchored by the MLC Legend.
Quest 4.1: The Right to Reproduce (Mechanical Royalties)
Every time your song is "copied" – pressed onto vinyl, burned to CD, downloaded permanently, or streamed interactively (like on YouTube Music) – it generates a **Mechanical Royalty**. This royalty is for the **Composition** (©) and is paid to the Publisher, who then pays the Songwriter their share based on your split agreement.
+25 Artist XP / +10 Fan XP
Quest 4.2: Decoding The MLC Legend
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is crucial! They collect *digital* mechanical royalties in the US from interactive streaming services and pay them to Publishers (or administrators like those who caused my "catalog nightmare"), who are then supposed to pay the Songwriters. Let's look at their official Legend!
Let's break down the stream types shown in the legend:Interactive Streams & Downloads (Codes 1, 2, 3): These are 'on-demand' plays where the user picks the song (like YouTube Music). They generate Mechanical Royalties (for the Composition ©, paid via The MLC) AND Streaming/Sales Royalties (for the Sound Recording ℗, paid via your Distributor - see graphic below).Non-Interactive Streams (Code 4): These are 'radio-style' plays where the user doesn't pick the song (like Pandora). They generate Performance Royalties (for BOTH Composition © via PROs and Sound Recording ℗ via SoundExchange), but NOT Mechanicals via The MLC. Understanding this difference is key to tracking ALL your money!
+50 Artist XP / +20 Fan XP (Crucial Concept Bonus)
Module 5: The CreatorHelm Advantage - Sovereignty & Simplicity
Synthesize the knowledge and understand why CreatorHelm's DTC model is revolutionary.
Quest 5.1: The Power of Ownership (ARC Player)
Remember Private Performance? Because fans *own* the music files in their ARC Player (like buying a CD), we bypass the complex public performance licenses needed by streaming services.Crucially, because the fan *owns* the file, listening via the ARC Player is a Private Performance, regardless of whether they are selecting a specific track or using a discovery mode. It is *not* considered an 'interactive' or 'non-interactive' *public performance stream* in the way services like YouTube Music or Pandora are. Therefore, the complex royalty rules for streaming don't apply; the value is captured directly in the D2C sale. The primary royalty generated within CreatorHelm is effectively captured *at the point of sale* as part of the direct transaction between you and the fan. Because you function as your own Publisher and Label on our platform, you control 100% of the revenue splits defined in your upload agreement. Simple. Transparent. Sovereign.
+50 Artist XP / +20 Fan XP
Quest 5.2: Your Transparent Treasury
Our D2C model means money flows directly from fan to creator (minus platform fee). Your Treasury clearly shows your sales revenue. While you still need to register with PROs, The MLC, and SoundExchange to collect royalties generated *outside* CreatorHelm, our platform simplifies *your direct earnings*. You control all your shares for sales made here. This is "Brazen Transparency" in action! Don't forget tools like SoundCredit can help manage splits and metadata *before* you even upload, making collaboration easier.
+25 Artist XP / +10 Fan XP
Creator Certification Exam
Demonstrate understanding of the core concepts to unlock the ability to sell music on CreatorHelm.
Certification Exam coming soon! Complete all modules to prepare.