Who owns the music?

The person or entity that creates a musical work is the original owner of the music. This can be a songwriter, composer, band, record producer, or other individual or group that contributed to the creation of the music.

Copyright law protects the original owner's exclusive rights to the music, including the right to:

- Reproduce the music, such as by making copies or recordings

- Distribute copies of the music to the public

- Perform the music publicly

- Display the music publicly

- Create derivative works based on the music

In some cases, the original owner of the music may assign or transfer some or all of their rights to another person or entity. This can happen through a contract or agreement, such as a record deal, publishing agreement, or synchronization license. When this happens, the new owner becomes the legal owner of the music and has the exclusive rights to use it as specified in the contract.

It's important to note that copyright ownership is not the same as physical ownership of a sound recording or musical instrument. The person who owns the physical copy of a CD, vinyl record, or cassette tape does not necessarily own the copyright to the music recorded on it. Similarly, the person who owns a musical instrument does not necessarily own the copyright to the music that can be played on it.

In the music industry, there can be multiple parties involved in the ownership and exploitation of music rights. These parties can include songwriters, composers, performers, record labels, music publishers, and more. Each party may have different rights and responsibilities related to the music, as determined by contracts and agreements.