Music catalog: definition, purpose & value
A music catalog is an organized collection of music assets and their associated metadata that is easily accessible on a single digital platform.
Your catalog can include compositions, studio recordings, tracks, arrangements, beats, songs, recordings of live performances and more. It also includes detailed metadata so that each asset can be correctly identified in terms of who created it, who owns the rights to use it in specific settings, and more.
This information – unique music identifiers, names of creators, artists and performers, etc. – is what makes it possible for rights owners to collect what they are owed in the form of royalties.
Let’s take a closer look at what this actually means, and how your music catalog is an essential tool for thriving within the music industry.
The role of a music catalog in the music industry
A professional music catalog is not simply there to help you organise your work, although it will do this too. It is a means by which you make your works and sound recordings and all the associated copyright and licensing information available when you need to share it with all relevant players in the music industry.
Your music catalog is a tool that helps you communicate accurately and efficiently with other industry professionals. It can open up new opportunities for your music (i.e; sync placements, collaborations, remixes…etc) and act as a reference of ownership to specific recordings or works.
How music assets are organized in a catalog
A well-structured music catalog is absolutely necessary for effectively managing your music assets.
A basic catalog will organize your music according to key information associated with each asset. The most basic way to organize your work might be by sorting individual assets by genre, artist(s), album or release date.
A professional music catalog will go one step further, and associate more technical metadata with your assets, such as unique music identifiers (like ISRCs and ISWCs), release dates, ownership shares (in some cases), sync placements (in some cases), deal structure(s), and other copyright information.
A professional musician could participate in many different musical endeavours over the course of their career. These different endeavours could have specific distinctions in terms of roles, ownership shares, genres, deal structures, or licensing opportunities. Understanding how these specific distinctions relate to the musician’s overall career can be mapped out and structured with a well-organized music catalog.
Let’s look at how this looks, practically speaking:
Multiple music assets across an entire career
With advancements in music-production tools and digital distribution avenues, more opportunities exist now than ever for musicians to expand into new music projects, revenue streams, or collaborations.
Let’s take the example of Musician-A. Musician-A started their career as a rhythm guitar player for an indie rock band, helped write the songs for their first and second album, and are entitled to a 25% ownership share of both the works and the recordings for these two albums.
Although the band saw some decent success locally, they disbanded a few years ago. Musician-A then decided to start a solo endeavour as a singer-songwriter and to this day continues to write, record, and distribute their own music under their singer-songwriter name. The songs Musician-A has written are musical assets for which they own 100% of the ownership share. This ownership applies both to the works and the recordings of the songs written under their singer-songwriter name.
While wanting to make some extra income on the side, Musician-A then decided to begin writing and recording music under a pseudonym for a royalty-free production music company. The royalty-free music company will purchase a song for $500 from Musician-A, add it to their production music library, and sell licenses to other companies who need music for projects like tv shows, advertisements, company promotional videos, podcasts, (think: broadcast companies, production houses, advertising agencies…etc).
Although Musician-A sells songs that they’ve created to this royalty-free music company for $500 each, the company also acts as a publisher and therefore pays the industry-standard 50/50 publisher-split for the specific songs that Musician-A sells them.
This means that in exchange for $500, Musician-A still retains ownership on 50% of the writer’s share, which can translate to decent royalty-income from their PRO should one of these songs receive a large placement in a TV show, advertisement, or film.
So as you can see, Musician-A has interests in multiple different music assets created over the course of their career, each with their own specific distinctions. A well organized music catalog allows Musician-A to have a solid understanding of the nuances between the musical assets they’ve created over their career and helps them plan for new endeavours or opportunities in the future.
Why maintain a music catalog?
Given that music platforms, royalty collectors, and distributors will each use their own internal-systems to handle your music, keeping a central, easily accessible record of all your song information is highly recommended. This gives you the ability to accurately determine your rights and maintain your music assets in a single, central location.
Artists and producers both benefit from a well-maintained music catalog
A music catalog functions as a portfolio for showcasing your work to collaborators, labels, and licensors. It allows both artists and producers to manage rights, track royalties, and negotiate licenses effectively.
When your work is easily accessible and linked with accurate and relevant music metadata, you are prepared to accept offers, sign contracts and approach labels with all necessary information in hand. The music metadata contained in a professional catalog identifies recordings, artists, works and more with accurate copyright information so that royalties can be attributed correctly, no matter where in the world your work is being heard.
Professional music catalog management for professional music distribution
When it comes to distribution, well organized music catalogs are extremely helpful – especially if you ever need to change distributors or sign a distribution deal with a label or label-services company. A catalog that is clean, organized, and accurate will ensure that all essential metadata and details will be provided to distributors and streaming platforms. This will help the different parties in the distribution-chain correctly identify assets, display information, map to streaming profiles, and calculate royalties. Catalog management and distribution may seem similar, but they are distinct but complementary activities.
When key players know exactly how to attribute copyright and royalties, it becomes easier to navigate the complexities of licensing songs to be legally used in commercials, movies, TV programs, video games, and other media.
Music catalogs and the creator economy
In the creator-driven landscape, music catalogs are evolving from static repositories into dynamic engines of value creation. As artists, producers, and independent rights holders increasingly operate like entrepreneurs, their catalogs can now function as both a creative legacy and a financial asset.
Platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and TikTok rely heavily on metadata to ensure proper discovery, attribution, and royalty payout. In today’s creator economy where music-creators might act as their own labels and publishers, managing that data across an entire music catalog becomes mission-critical.
The current music-creator economy is a mix of; complex royalty models, pro-rata distributions, millions of tracks uploaded yearly, and constant algorithm updates across multiple platforms. This means that data accuracy and consistency are persistent challenges – especially for independent creators without robust backend support. The creators who keep their catalog organized with modern catalog management tools are better equipped to thrive.
New digital-monetization opportunities and consistent streaming revenue has also turned catalogs into viable financial instruments. Private equity, venture funds, and publishing entities are acquiring catalogs at significant multiples, particularly those with accurate, organized metadata and clear ownership information. This trend is pushing creators to view their catalogs not just as content, but as long-term assets with liquidity potential.
Artists, producers, and rights holders who prioritize meticulous catalog management are better positioned to succeed in the evolving creator and streaming economies.
Steps to creating a professional music catalog
Creating a useful professional music catalog demands thoughtful planning and organization.
Here are the key steps involved:
- Identify: Account for every musical work or recording that you or your organization owns or controls.
- Gather: Collect precise and detailed information for each composition, including title, artist, songwriter, publisher, and copyright details.
- Choose: Select a music catalog management system or software that aligns with your specific requirements. Spreadsheets can be helpful at the gathering stage but should only be used as a last resort when it comes to managing your music catalog.
- Update: Keep your catalog current with new additions, releases, and copyright updates. Stay up-to-date with industry changes and new or evolving regulations.
Developing a music catalog goes beyond simply listing songs; it involves constructing a detailed database that contains all relevant metadata and audio files.
Free music catalog management by MusicTeam®
MusicTeam® offers a free music catalog management platform so that artists can effectively maintain their music assets and make the most of every professional opportunity that comes their way.
We also offer registration and distribution services via our all-in-one platform for emerging and established artists. We’ll help you manage everything from metadata and registering with your PROs/CMOs to sharing your music with the world.
Join now to access full support and tailored assistance for navigating the music industry. Our platform streamlines the entire process so you can get your music heard and earn the royalties you deserve. Sign up today!
