Touring Versus Studio Roles — Touring Versus Studio Roles

A musician's contributions to a track depend on whether they are credited as an author or performed under a work-for-hire agreement. For sound recordings, authorship belongs to the featured performers and the producers who captured or edited the audio.

However, if a musician is hired as an employee within the scope of employment, the employer is considered the author under work-made-for-hire rules. Examining these legal distinctions helps researchers accurately map an artist's studio roles and ownership stakes.