record master

This subtopic tells a music licensee how to account for fees owed under a license agreement with the owner/licensor of a record master or music copyright that grants the right to sell or distribute records or music for a stipulated fee. Its single rule: license fees that are not fixed in amount before the agreement expires must be estimated and accrued, license by license.

ASC 928-10 is the overview and scope subtopic for accounting by entities in the record and music industry. It flags the topics covered elsewhere in ASC 928 — licensing of music copyrights and record masters, artist compensation costs (including royalties paid to recording artists), costs of producing record masters, and licensees' accounting for fees and minimum guarantees. The guidance is incremental industry-specific guidance only; entities in scope must still follow all other applicable GAAP.