Pirate's Cove

See, the screed writer got a bee in her bonnet, so, Everyone must comply

Why the Music Industry Must Remove the Racist Term ‘Master Recording’ From Its Vocabulary

During the spring and summer of 2020, as protests across the country illuminated the systematic injustices Black Americans have faced and continue to face, the music industry was one of many that was called out to take accountability and action for its treatment of a group of people that is largely responsible for its many decades of profitability. While the industry’s unfair treatment of Black Americans is longstanding and deep-seated, one seemingly simple course of action is to cease all usage of the term “master recording,” which may sound innocuous but, as detailed in Variety’s expansive August 2020 interview with Pharrell Williams, derives from the words “master and slave.”

For those not aware, the terms have long been used to distinguish between a source recording (the “master”) and the subsequent copies made (the “slaves”), which has led to a pervasive use of both terms in many industry contracts. Although these charged words have been normalized to indicate a dominant/ subservient relationship, it does not negate the weight that they carry, especially in context of the music industry.

LOL. The copies are not called slaves. These people. Making things raaaaacist where no racism lies

For as long as the music business has existed, Black performers often have been in a subordinate position to label executives, the majority of whom are white, even though their music is the vital resource upon which this industry is founded. Digging deeper, when you consider that most of these performers do not have control or ownership of the underlying copyrights to their music, parallels can easily be drawn to how slaves did not have autonomy over their lives since they themselves were the property. Many of these performers, most famously Prince and Kanye West, have outright said that their experiences in the music industry have felt like modern-day slavery.

This lady is a lawyer, and goes full on moonbat race baiter, rather white knighting for black people. Because the word bothers her, so, she makes massive leaps of logic

As soon as I realized the term’s origins, I implemented a policy in my firm to no longer use the term “master” in our contracts, and to implement this change into any agreements that we negotiate on behalf of our clients. Sony, Universal, Warner Music Groups and Sound Exchange have either removed or have vowed to remove this language from their form contracts and license requests moving forward; the American Association of Independent Music’s board voted unanimously to remove this language from their contracts prospectively as well. While this is a most critical step in the right direction for the industry at large, I am dismayed at the reticence of other attorneys to embrace this change.

Of course the music groups follow along. They’ll virtue signal. They also probably realize they can take advantage of this to make some money. But, boo hoo, other lawyers won’t embrace the SJW.

It is my hope that this sheds light on the issue — enough so that more can and will embrace this impactful change. Removal of such language is a simple yet meaningful step that can make our industry a more welcoming and inclusive space and allow us to reinforce the principle that music is for everyone — no matter one’s race, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or background.

Now do the certainly sexually explicit, violent, and demeaning to women music her clients are making.