A&R 실무 가이드

What does A&R actually do?

A&R (Artist & Repertoire) finds artists, matches songs to them, directs demos and recordings, and coordinates releases. This toolbelt cuts the busywork — analysis, watermarking, proxy signing.

Copyright vs neighboring rights

Copyright belongs to the creators (composer/lyricist). Neighboring rights belong to those who realize it (performers, the record producer). Roughly: publishing = copyright, master = neighboring rights.

Master vs publishing

The master is the rights to the recording (usually the label/producer). Publishing is the rights to the composition (writers/publisher). A song’s money flows down these two pipes.

Performers & performance rights

A performer is whoever sang or played the track (vocalist, session musician). Performers’ rights cover that performance — a branch of neighboring rights.

What are moral rights? Can they be transferred?

Moral rights are the author’s personal rights — to decide on publication, to be credited (attribution), and to object to distortion (integrity). Unlike economic rights they cannot be transferred or inherited; they stay with the author.

So even after "selling" a song (economic rights), removing the writer’s credit or heavily altering the work can still be an issue. That’s why contracts spell out credit format and how much alteration is allowed.

What does KOMCA (a collection society) do?

KOMCA is Korea’s main society for songwriters’ copyright — it collects and distributes royalties. Performers’/producers’ neighboring rights are handled by separate bodies.

FKMP & RIAK — the other societies

They handle neighboring rights in Korea.
• FKMP (performers’ federation) — collects and distributes the performers’ share (broadcast/webcast remuneration) for singers and session players.
• RIAK-side bodies — handle the record producers’ share.

When a song airs, money flows three ways: writers (KOMCA), performers (FKMP), producers (RIAK). Even session players should register as performers to receive their share.

What is a split sheet?

A document recording who owns what % of a song’s writing. Fill it out right after the session — it’s the single best way to avoid disputes later.

How do you register a work with KOMCA?

After a song is published (released or broadcast), the writers — or an authorized agent — must file it with the society before royalties can flow. Three documents come up in practice.

• Work registration form — song info (title, artist, release date, duration) plus every writer (lyrics/composition/arrangement, member numbers). Separate forms exist for a single song and for multiple songs.
• Power of attorney — attached when someone other than the writer (label or publisher staff) files on their behalf.
• Share/name change confirmation — to change splits or writer credits on an already-registered song, signed by every participating writer.

The Paperwork tab on this site fills, signs, and exports all three as PDFs right in your browser.

Why register a pseudonym?

If your credits use a stage name the society doesn’t know, the payout system can’t match "who this is" and distribution may be held. Publish under a new pseudonym → register the pseudonym with the society first, then use it on the work registration. Each pseudonym also gets its own IPI Name Number.

Can covers, remakes, and sampled tracks be registered?

Yes, but they’re "derivative works," so the original writers’ approval comes first.

• Covers (new arrangement, same song) — writing shares stay with the original writers; you need the publisher’s permission and your distributor’s cover-release process.
• Remakes/adaptations (new or heavily changed lyrics) — you need the original writers’ consent to a derivative work before registering the new contributions.
• Sampling — you must clear both the publishing (composition) and the master (recording). One without the other is not cleared.

This is exactly why the registration form asks you to tick original / derivative / literary-based.

INST vs MR — and do they need separate registration?

Both mean "the track without vocals," with a nuance: INST is the release-ready instrumental; MR usually means the backing track used for live/broadcast.

Registration-wise: if the writers are identical to the original, KOMCA’s guidance is to not register INST/MR as separate works — note them in the subtitle field as (INST)/(MR). If the writers differ (an added arranger, say), separate registration can apply.

Does a featured artist get writing splits?

The featured vocal itself is a performance — separate from writing splits. A featured artist gets performer remuneration and whatever master royalty the contract gives; they earn a writing split only if they actually wrote lyrics or melody.

Tip: if the feature wrote part of the topline, lock the split on a split sheet that day. "Did they just sing, or did they write?" is the most common later dispute.

What is a technical rider?

When you play a show or festival, the artist (or management) sends this "stage tech requirements" doc to the promoter/venue ahead of time. The more accurate it is, the faster soundcheck goes and the fewer surprises mid-show.

Usually covers:
• Input list — every console channel and its source (vocals, guitar DI, kick, snare…), numbered
• Stage plot — where members, instruments and monitors sit on stage
• Monitors — how many monitor mixes, IEM vs wedges
• Backline — amps, drums, keys the venue provides
• Mic/stand/DI counts, FOH/PA, lighting, power, stage dimensions
• Soundcheck/rehearsal timing, on-site engineer contact

Tips:
• Keep input-list numbers matching the stage plot.
• Clearly split "what we bring vs what the venue provides."
• Stamp the file with a date/version and the tour manager’s contact so everyone has the latest.
• Put catering/green-room needs in a separate "hospitality rider."

How should demos be submitted?

Assume the A&R is skimming hundreds of tracks.

• Files — MP3 320kbps is enough for first-pass listening. Put “title_writer_BPM_key” in the filename so it’s sortable and searchable.
• The email — one line per song (genre, reference artist, target) beats a long bio. Curating the track order matters more than the pitch text.
• Protection — unreleased demos are hard to trace once leaked; bake the recipient’s name in as a voice watermark before sending (that’s what this site’s Watermark tab is for).
• Follow-up — one nudge after ~2 weeks. If a song is on hold somewhere, tell the other recipients.

Is there a pre-release checklist?

The items that most often slip:

• Final audio — master WAV (24-bit/48kHz+), clean/INST versions, filenames finalized.
• Credits locked — writer list and splits (split sheet), featuring/producer credit format.
• Final lyrics — diff the distributor submission against what’s actually sung (this site’s Compare tab exists for this).
• Metadata — title/artist spelling (KR/EN), genre, release date, ISRC issued.
• Registrations — file the work with KOMCA after release (POA if delegated), register performers.
• Artwork/MV — cover specs (3000×3000 recommended), sample/font licenses cleared.

Once the date is set, work the deadlines backwards.

What does a distributor do (vs a label)?

A distributor is the logistics/settlement partner: delivering audio to Melon/Spotify etc., scheduling releases, collecting and reporting revenue, issuing ISRC/UPC. A label goes further — funding production, A&R, marketing, and artist contracts.

Independent artists often release with just a distributor (keeping most revenue); signing to a label trades master share/revenue for investment and muscle.

Why do credits matter so much?

Payout systems match text strings, not people. If the credited name/pseudonym differs from what the society has on file, matching fails, distribution stalls, and retroactive claims can take months.

Check: names match society records, KR/EN spellings are consistent, same-name writers are disambiguated (member number/IPI), and platform credits match the registration filing. Fixing credits after release differs per platform and is slow — lock them before release.

Arrangement share (KOMCA 5:5:2)

KOMCA lets contributors freely agree on lyrics/composition/arrangement shares. Without a written split it falls back to the traditional default — lyrics 5 : composition 5 : arrangement 2 (12 points).
So the arranger ≈ 2/12 (~16.7%); lyricist & composer get 5/12 each (~41.7%).
If no arranger is registered, there’s no arrangement share and lyrics/composition split 50/50.

Where do arrangement royalties come from?

The arrangement share accrues when the actual recording carrying that arrangement is used as-is.

You get it:
• Streaming / downloads (Melon, YouTube Music, Spotify, Apple Music…)
• Broadcast of that recording
• In-store play (cafés, department stores…)
• Physical sales (CD / LP)

You usually don’t:
• Karaoke (the backing track is re-made)
• Live performance (played anew)
→ because the registered arrangement (the actual sound) isn’t used.

In short: if the original sound is used, the arranger is paid; if the backing/performance is re-created, generally not.

Royalty types (mechanical/performance/sync)

Mechanical (reproduction/streaming, on the composition), performance (broadcast/venues/in-store), and sync (licensing a song to film/ads, negotiated case by case). One song earns down several pipes.

Advance & recoupment

An advance is money paid upfront; recoupment is the label recovering it from your future royalties. It’s not a loan you repay — it’s deducted from what you earn.

What is ISWC?

ISWC identifies the musical work — the composition itself. One song = one ISWC, even across many recordings. (Recordings are identified by ISRC.)

What is ISRC? (vs ISWC)

ISRC identifies a specific recording. Each version (remix, live, etc.) gets its own ISRC, and it’s the key for streaming counts and payouts. Remember: work = ISWC, recording = ISRC.

What is an IPI number?

IPI (Interested Parties Information) uniquely identifies rights holders (songwriters, composers, publishers) worldwide. Managed by CISAC; societies like KOMCA use it to identify who holds the rights and who gets paid.

Two kinds:
• IPI Base Number — one per person; stays the same even if their name changes (e.g. I-123456789-1).
• IPI Name Number — an 11-digit number per name; the real name and each pseudonym each get their own (add a stage name → another Name Number).

Note: this is separate from a collection-society membership number.