Rights controller information in ERNs to Music Licensing Companies

DDEX recommends the use of the RDR standard to communicate rights claims to Music Licensing Companies.

In instances where record companies/sound recording copyright owners are communicating SoundRecording information to Music Licensing Companies using the ERN standard, it is required that the RightsController composite be used to communicate the rights they control.

The communication of rights information using the RightsController composite entails the inclusion of the complete context of rights claim and rights update (including the removal of rights) information. This therefore includes PartyName, RightsControllerRole, UseType (ERN 4.1 only), RightSharePercentage, TerritoryOfRegistration, StartDate and EndDate (if applicable). In ERN-4 the UseType, StartDate and EndDate as well as the TerritoryOfRegistration are collated into a DelegatedUsageRights composite.

The Deal section is not to be used for the purpose of communicating rights information. The Deal is solely intended for use for the signalling to a DSP what the DSP is permitted to do with the Release to which the Deal is linked. Record companies cannot expect Music Licensing Companies to reference the Deal section in any way, or to infer rights claims or rights update information from the Deal section. Similarly, take-downs are applicable only to the Deal section and are not to be used for communication to MLCs as a rights update. 

The RightsController composite should be used in all instances in which a record company wishes to communicate a rights claim or rights update to an RDR.

Please remember that DDEX recommends the use of the RDR standard – and not ERN – to communicate rights claims to Music Licensing Companies.