Entertainment Glossary
Music production, film production, distribution, artist management, and entertainment industry terminology
3
A
A&R (Artists and Repertoire)
The record label division responsible for discovering talent and overseeing artistic development.
Above the Line
Creative talent and costs that are negotiated before production begins.
Advance
Upfront payment from a label or publisher against future royalties, recouped from earnings before the artist receives additional payments.
Ancillary Rights
Secondary revenue sources beyond primary distribution including merchandise, gaming, and licensing opportunities.
Artist Manager
A professional who guides the career development and business affairs of musicians.
B
Back End
Profit participation payments made to talent after a production recoups its costs.
Beatmaker
A producer who specializes in creating instrumental beats and backing tracks for artists.
Below the Line
Technical and production costs that occur during the actual filmmaking process.
Booking Agent
A licensed professional who secures live performance opportunities for artists.
Bottle Episode
A TV episode produced cheaply using limited locations and existing sets.
Box Office
Revenue generated from theatrical ticket sales, a key measure of a film's commercial performance.
Buyout Fee
A flat payment structure for live performances that replaces percentage-based revenue sharing, providing guaranteed compensation regardless of ticket sales.
C
Call Sheet
The daily production document detailing shooting schedule, cast calls, crew calls, and logistics.
Catalog
The complete collection of recorded works owned or controlled by an artist, label, or publisher.
Chain of Title
Documentation proving legal ownership of intellectual property rights through all transactions.
Clearance
The legal process of obtaining permission to use copyrighted material like samples or compositions.
Collaborator Split
The agreed percentage of royalties each contributor receives from a song.
Color Grading
The process of altering and enhancing the color of motion picture footage.
Completion Bond
Insurance policy guaranteeing film delivery within budget and schedule, protecting investors from cost overruns.
Compressor
Audio processing device that reduces dynamic range by automatically lowering volume levels above a set threshold, creating more consistent audio levels.
Conforming
Process of matching final edited picture with original high-resolution source material for finishing.
Contingent Compensation
Payment owed to talent based on a project achieving specific performance milestones.
Coverage
The variety of camera angles and shots captured to provide editing options for a scene.
Cross Boarding
Shooting multiple projects simultaneously to maximize location, cast, and crew efficiency across productions.
Cross-Collateralization
Contractual arrangement where losses from one revenue stream offset profits from another, affecting how artists recoup advances across multiple income sources.
Cue Sheet
A document listing all music used in a film, TV show, or video production for royalty tracking.
D
DSP
Digital Service Provider—streaming platforms and download stores that deliver music to consumers.
Dailies
Raw footage from each day of filming, reviewed by key creatives to assess progress and quality.
Day And Date
Simultaneous release strategy launching content across multiple platforms on the same day.
Day Player
An actor hired for a single day or brief period, typically for small roles with few scenes.
Day Rate
A flat fee paid to musicians, crew, or producers for a single day of work.
Delivery Requirements
Technical and legal materials distributors require including master files, documentation, and marketing assets.
Demo
A rough recording of a song used to showcase material to labels, publishers, or collaborators.
Development Executive
Studio or production company employee responsible for identifying, acquiring, and guiding projects through development.
Development Hell
The extended, often troubled development phase where a project remains stuck without progressing to production.
Digital Service Provider Fee
Commission percentage taken by streaming platforms and digital retailers from gross revenue before distributing payments to rights holders.
Distribution Waterfall
The sequential order in which streaming and sales revenues are distributed among various stakeholders including platforms, distributors, labels, and artists.
Drop
The release of new music, often with strategic timing and promotion.
E
F
Feature
A guest appearance by another artist on a track, credited as "featuring" in the song title.
Final Cut
The contractual right to approve a film's ultimate creative decisions without studio override.
First Look Deal
An agreement giving a studio the first opportunity to develop or purchase a creator's projects.
Foreign Sales
International distribution rights licensing to generate revenue from global territories outside domestic markets.
Front of House
Audio mixing position and equipment located in the audience area, responsible for controlling the sound that audiences hear during live performances.
G
Green Light
Official studio approval for a project to move into production with committed financing.
Greenlight
The official approval to proceed with full production, committing budget and resources to a project.
Guarantee vs Door
Payment structures for live performances—fixed fee versus percentage of ticket sales.
H
I
K
Key Art
Primary visual marketing materials including posters, logos, and graphics used across promotional campaigns.
Key Man Clause
Contract provision that allows artists to terminate agreements if specific essential personnel leave the management company, label, or agency.
L
Label Services
A la carte record label functions offered to independent artists who retain ownership of their music.
Limited Series
A television show designed to tell a complete story within one season.
Listening Party
An exclusive event where fans and industry gather to hear new music before public release.
Load-In/Load-Out
The process of moving equipment into and out of a venue before and after a live performance, including setup and breakdown time requirements.
Location Fee
Payment to property owners for permission to film on their premises.
Locked Picture
Finalized edit approved for sound and color finishing, with no further picture changes permitted.
Logline
A one or two sentence summary that captures the essential premise and hook of a film.
M
Master Recording
The original, final recording of a song from which all copies are made.
Mastering
The final step of audio post-production that prepares a recording for distribution.
Mechanical Royalty
Payment to songwriters and publishers when their composition is reproduced on physical media or as a digital download.
Merch
Branded merchandise sold by artists as a revenue stream and fan engagement tool.
Metadata
Digital information tags attached to music files containing credits, rights, and identification data essential for streaming and royalty distribution.
Mix
The process of blending individual recorded tracks into a cohesive stereo or surround sound recording.
Mixing
The process of combining multiple audio tracks into a final stereo or multichannel sound.
Music Bed
Background instrumental music designed to support vocals, dialogue, or visual content.
Music Distributor
A company that delivers music to streaming platforms and digital stores.
Music Supervisor
Professional who selects and licenses music for film, TV, games, and advertising.
N
Negative Pickup
Distribution agreement where distributor commits to purchase completed film for predetermined price upon delivery.
Neighboring Rights
Performance royalties paid to recording artists and record labels when their recordings are played publicly, separate from songwriter performance royalties.
O
One-Line Schedule
A streamlined production schedule showing one line per scene with key logistics.
One-Sheet
A single-page promotional document summarizing an artist or release for industry professionals.
Option
Payment for exclusive rights to develop intellectual property into a film or show for a specified period.
P
P&A (Prints and Advertising)
The marketing and distribution budget for releasing a film to audiences.
PRO (Performance Rights Organization)
Organizations that collect and distribute performance royalties to songwriters and publishers.
Packaging
The practice of bundling multiple agency clients—writer, director, actors—into a single project.
Performance Royalty
Payment to songwriters and publishers when their composition is publicly performed or broadcast.
Phantom Power
Electrical power supplied through microphone cables to operate condenser microphones and active DI boxes during recording and live performance.
Pick-Up
Additional shooting done after principal photography to capture missing or improved footage.
Picture Lock
Final approval of edited footage sequence, preventing further changes and enabling sound design and color work.
Pitch Deck
A visual presentation used to sell a film or TV project to investors or studios.
Playlist Curator
Individual or algorithm responsible for selecting and organizing music for streaming platform playlists, significantly influencing artist exposure and streaming numbers.
Playlist Placement
Getting songs added to curated playlists on streaming platforms.
Pre-Production
The planning phase between green light and filming where all production elements are organized.
Pre-Save Campaign
A marketing initiative that lets fans save unreleased music to their streaming libraries.
Principal Photography
The main period when a film or TV show is being shot.
Publishing Rights
The legal rights to a musical composition, as distinct from the recording.
R
Recoupment
The process of recovering advances and costs from an artist's royalties before paying additional income.
Reshoot
Additional filming after principal photography ends, typically to address issues found in editing.
Residuals
Ongoing payments to performers and creatives when their work is reused, rerun, or distributed in new formats.
Rider
A list of requirements that must be provided for an artist at a performance.
Rough Cut
Initial edit assembly of footage with basic scene structure but unfinished pacing, effects, and audio mixing.
S
SAG-AFTRA
The labor union representing actors, announcers, and other media professionals.
SVOD
Subscription Video on Demand services like Netflix, Disney+, or HBO Max.
Sample Clearance
Legal process of obtaining permission and negotiating payment terms to use portions of existing recordings in new musical works.
Sampling
The practice of incorporating portions of existing recordings into new music.
Script Supervisor
The crew member responsible for tracking continuity and maintaining script records during filming.
Session File
Digital project files containing all audio tracks, edits, effects, and mixing settings for a recording, preserving the complete production for future access.
Showrunner
The creative leader responsible for day-to-day production of a television series.
Sidechain
Audio processing technique where one signal controls effects applied to another signal, commonly used for pumping effects and frequency management.
Sliding Scale
Performance-based compensation structure where payments increase based on project success metrics like box office or ratings.
Spec Script
A screenplay written without commission or assignment, created on speculation of future sale.
Spec Work
Creative work performed without guaranteed compensation, created to demonstrate abilities or secure future employment.
Splits
The agreed-upon division of songwriting credits and royalties among collaborators.
Stems
Individual audio tracks or grouped elements of a song that can be mixed independently for remixes, licensing, or live performance.
Streaming Royalties
Payments artists receive when their music is played on streaming platforms.
Streaming Window
The period during which content is exclusively available on a specific platform.
Studio Time
Hours booked at a professional recording facility for music creation and production.
Sync License
Permission to use music synchronized with visual media like film, TV, or ads.
Sync Pitch
Targeted submission of music to supervisors for specific media projects, including customized presentations highlighting relevant tracks for placement opportunities.
T
Talent Agent
A licensed professional who procures employment opportunities for performers.
Territory Rights
Geographic licensing divisions defining where content can be distributed and monetized by specific entities.
Theatrical Release
The distribution of a film through movie theaters.
Tour Routing
Strategic planning of tour dates and locations to maximize revenue while minimizing travel costs and logistical complications across multiple markets.
Tour Support
Financial assistance provided by record labels to offset touring losses during artist development, typically recoupable against future royalty earnings.
Turnaround
When a project is released by one studio, allowing it to be shopped to others.
U
V
W
Ready to Get Started?
From marketing to events to entertainment, our team delivers results that matter.