How to release a soundtrack or cast album
English
To release a soundtrack, the production confirms it has the right to put each piece of music on a record, collects the credits and codes for every track, picks the release date around the premiere, and delivers the album through a distributor or a label partner. Score the production owns is usually ready to release; licensed songs need a separate soundtrack licence from their owners, because the licence for the film does not cover an album.
A soundtrack keeps working long after the premiere. Fans stream it for years, and every play pays the people on it.
Score album, soundtrack album, cast album
| Album | What is on it | Who usually owns it |
|---|---|---|
| Score album | The composer's original music for the picture | The production, or the composer under a licence |
| Soundtrack album | Songs heard in the film, often with some score | Each song's label and publishers |
| Cast album | A musical's songs recorded by its cast | The production or the label that funds the recording |
Many releases mix them. Know which kind each track is before you plan anything else.
Step 1: clear the rights to release
- Original score. Check the composer agreement. If the score was commissioned as a work made for hire, the production owns the recordings and can release them. If the composer licensed the music to the production, the album needs the composer's permission too. See film and TV composer agreements explained.
- Licensed songs. The sync and master licences for the film cover the film. Putting the same recording on an album needs a soundtrack licence from the label, and the publishers are paid mechanical royalties for the album like on any record. See how music clearance works.
- Musicians. Session players and orchestras recorded under union agreements can be owed a new-use payment when music recorded for a film is released on an album. Check the session contracts before you budget.
- Cast recordings. The writers of a musical license the cast recording separately from the stage rights, and the cast are paid under their recording contracts.
Step 2: get every credit and code right
Each track needs, before delivery:
| Field | Why |
|---|---|
| Title as on the cue sheet | So royalties from the film and the album match the same work |
| Composers, lyricists and shares | So every writer is paid from streams and sales |
| Publishers and societies | So mechanical and performance royalties find them |
| Performers, conductor, orchestra | For the credits people read and neighbouring rights |
| ISRC per recording | One per track, new ones for new mixes or edits |
| ISWC per work | Links the recording to the composition |
A score cue that played as three short cues in the film can be one longer track on the album. Give it its own ISRC and list which cues it combines. See how to get an ISRC.
Step 3: pick the date
- Score and soundtrack albums often come out the same day as the premiere, or one to two weeks before, so the music is ready when people search for it after watching.
- Singles from the soundtrack go out earlier, with the trailer, to build the audience.
- Series can release per episode, per season, or both.
- Cast albums often follow opening night, once the production has settled.
Work backwards from the date: distributors usually ask for the final audio, artwork and metadata several weeks ahead, and editorial pitching needs the release in the system before that. See how to make a release plan.
Step 4: deliver and keep paying
Deliver the album through a distributor or a label partner, register every work with the societies, and keep a record of who is owed what from it. A soundtrack earns from streams, sales, sync of the album tracks in other productions, and performance royalties for the film itself, and every writer on it should be able to see what their music earned.
Run the soundtrack in Aden
- Make an album for the soundtrack or cast recording, with its tracks, artwork, collaborators and release plan, so the premiere and the release dates sit on one calendar.
- Every track keeps its writers, roles, societies, IPI numbers and shares on its Collaborators tab, and its ISRC and ISWC in its details.
- Licensed songs keep their licences under Licensing, so you can see which ones cover an album.
- After release, a business can bring in sales files per period, calculate each writer's and artist's share, and publish a royalty statement they open in Aden.
See Aden for productions for how a film, series or stage production runs its music in Aden.
FAQ
How do you release a movie soundtrack?
Confirm the production can release each recording (score under the composer agreement, songs under a soundtrack licence), collect every credit, ISRC and ISWC, pick a date around the premiere, and deliver the album through a distributor or label partner.
Who owns the rights to a soundtrack album?
It depends on each track. Commissioned score is usually owned by the production; licensed songs stay owned by their labels and publishers, who license them for the album separately from the film.
When should a soundtrack be released?
Usually on the premiere day or one to two weeks before, with singles earlier alongside the trailer. A musical's cast album often follows opening night.
What is the difference between a score album and a soundtrack album?
A score album holds the composer's original music written for the picture. A soundtrack album holds the songs heard in the film, sometimes with a few score pieces.
Does a film licence cover the soundtrack album?
No. A sync and master use licence for the film covers the film. Releasing the same recording on an album needs a separate soundtrack licence from the label, and mechanical royalties are paid to the publishers.
Less admin. More music.
More guides
Work for hire, licence or package deal: who owns the score, who keeps the writer share of royalties, and what to check before a composer signs.
A cue sheet lists every piece of music in a film or episode with its timing, use, writers, publishers and shares. What goes on it, who files it, and when.
Clearing a song for a film or series takes two licences: sync from the publishers and master use from the label. Who to ask, what to send, what it costs.