Rights, royalties and the business · updated 2026-08-16

DISCLOSURE OF PAID ENDORSEMENT

If a post about gear is paid, gifted or affiliate-linked, U.S. rules require the connection to be disclosed clearly and near the claim.

Rights, royalties and the business — A singer signing a music publishing contract with a publisher across a table — the deal paperwork behind the rights, royalty and publishing terms defined here.

Key takeaways

If a post about gear is paid, gifted or affiliate-linked, U.S. rules require the connection to be disclosed clearly and near the claim.
Disclosure must be hard to miss, not buried at the end of a post.
State the relationship up front in the post itself, in plain language, rather than in a hashtag pile at the bottom.
Watch out: assuming free gear does not count.
Sits under rights, royalties and the business in this glossary, with 2 primary sources below.

Quick checklist

Can you define disclosure of paid endorsement in one sentence without looking?
Can you point at disclosure of paid endorsement in a real session, mix or contract?
Have you tried the practical move above at least once?
Would you catch the common mistake before it costs you a take?
Have you opened one of the primary sources below rather than a forum thread?

DISCLOSURE OF PAID ENDORSEMENT IN DEPTH

In the US, the FTC requires clear and conspicuous disclosure of any material connection between an endorser and a brand — payment, free product, affiliate commission or ownership. Disclosure must be hard to miss, not buried at the end of a post.

How it works in practice

State the relationship up front in the post itself, in plain language, rather than in a hashtag pile at the bottom.

The mistake people make

Assuming free gear does not count. Anything of value creates a connection that has to be disclosed.

WHERE DISCLOSURE OF PAID ENDORSEMENT SITS

Disclosure of paid endorsement belongs to rights, royalties and the business in the Sampled music glossary. The words on your split sheet, your distribution dashboard and your royalty statement.

TEST YOURSELF

0/3 answered · 0 correct

3 quick questions on disclosure of paid endorsement. Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

1. Which statement best describes disclosure of paid endorsement?
2. What is the mistake people most often make with disclosure of paid endorsement?
3. In practice, which of these applies to disclosure of paid endorsement?

Ready for the full thing? Take the 25-question terminology test and get a certificate with your name and score.

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for disclosure of paid endorsement — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

FTC endorsement guides (opens in a new tab)
Primary reference · ftc.gov
“If a post about gear is paid, gifted or affiliate-linked, U.S. rules require the connection to be disclosed clearly and near the claim.”— the claim this source supports
Why it counts: Published by the organisation responsible for the thing being defined, so it is a first-hand source rather than a summary of one.
FTC — disclosures (opens in a new tab)
Primary reference · ftc.gov
“In the US, the FTC requires clear and conspicuous disclosure of any material connection between an endorser and a brand — payment, free product, affiliate commission or ownership.”— the claim this source supports
Why it counts: Published by the organisation responsible for the thing being defined, so it is a first-hand source rather than a summary of one.

RELATED TERMS IN RIGHTS, ROYALTIES AND THE BUSINESS

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