SAMPLED

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

NEIGHBOURING RIGHTS

Performer and label rights in the recording itself. In the US, SoundExchange collects for non-interactive digital radio.

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.
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.

Photo: Katherine Jenkins signing her publishing deal at Rive Droite Music (opens in a new tab) by Danott (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab)

Key takeaways

  • Performer and label rights in the recording itself.
  • In the US, SoundExchange collects for non-interactive digital radio.
  • They are well established across much of Europe and beyond; US terrestrial radio does not pay them for sound recordings, though digital radio does.
  • A session vocalist on a track played across European radio may be owed neighbouring rights income through a national collecting society.
  • Watch out: assuming a distributor collects them.

Quick checklist

  • Can you define neighbouring rights in one sentence without looking?
  • Can you point at neighbouring rights 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?

NEIGHBOURING RIGHTS IN DEPTH

Neighbouring rights compensate performers and master owners when a recording is broadcast or publicly performed. They are well established across much of Europe and beyond; US terrestrial radio does not pay them for sound recordings, though digital radio does.

How it works in practice

A session vocalist on a track played across European radio may be owed neighbouring rights income through a national collecting society.

The mistake people make

Assuming a distributor collects them. Neighbouring rights generally require separate registration with the relevant society.

WHERE NEIGHBOURING RIGHTS SITS

Neighbouring rights 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.

TERMS THAT DEPEND ON NEIGHBOURING RIGHTS

TEST YOURSELF

0/3 answered · 0 correct

3 quick questions on neighbouring rights. Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. 1. Which statement best describes neighbouring rights?

  2. 2. What is the mistake people most often make with neighbouring rights?

  3. 3. In practice, which of these applies to neighbouring rights?

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 neighbouring rights — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

  • SoundExchange (opens in a new tab)

    Primary reference · soundexchange.com

    “Performer and label rights in the recording itself.”— 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.

  • WIPO — Rome Convention (opens in a new tab)

    Intergovernmental body · World Intellectual Property Organization

    “In the US, SoundExchange collects for non-interactive digital radio.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: WIPO sets out how the right works across borders, which is where most confusion about the term starts.

RELATED TERMS IN RIGHTS, ROYALTIES AND THE BUSINESS

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