Whose Song Is It Anyway?

Why did Dolly Parton turn down a deal for Elvis to record a version of 'I Will Always Love You'? In this episode we learn from Dolly about how manage your rights, plus I cover what collecting societies to sign up to and ultimately, how to get paid, as well as how income from streaming subscriptions is divided up and how all this sits within a music industry that has a data problem.

IN THIS EPISODE:

00:35 Dolly Parton making copyright moves

04:30 The musical copyright and the sound recording

07:40 What kinds of royalties are there?

09:18 How do I actually get paid when my music is used?

09:45 What are collecting societies?

11:00 Where does the money go when we pay a streaming subscription?

17:45 What are the collecting societies in the UK and which ones do I join? PRS, PPL and MCPS

19:16 How much does it costs to join a collecting society?

22:12 Tips for making sure you get paid from your collecting society

22:52 What are the identifier codes and why do I need them?

25:47 ISWC, ISRC, IPI, IPN, ISNI

28:30 What do I do if I get stuck or there is a problem with my collecting society royalties?

29:25 It’s not just you, the music industry has a data problem.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• PRS: https://www.prsformusic.com/

• MCPS: https://www.prsformusic.com/what-we-do/mcps

• PPL: https://www.ppluk.com/

• UK industry agreement on music streaming metadata: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-industry-agreement-on-music-streaming-metadata

• Buy your copy of Copyright In The Music Industry (second edition, 2026) -⁠ https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/copyright-in-the-music-industry-9781035330386.html⁠

FIND DR HAYLEIGH BOSHER:

• Instagram: ⁠@hayleigh.bosher⁠

• Website: ⁠hayleighbosher.com⁠

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• Leave a 5⭐ review, it helps more people find the show

CREDITS

Whose Song Is It Anyway? is produced by Good Form

Funded by The British Academy

DISCLAIMER

Nothing in this podcast constitutes legal advice. It is legal education to help you learn more about your rights.

Would RAYE have won a Grammy and a record-breaking six BRIT Awards in a single night if she had stayed trapped in her record deal? In this first episode, we get to grips with some copyright basics, answering: what is copyright and what does it actually do? Who owns copyright and how can we use it as a tool? And importantly – why should we care about copyright? Hayleigh dives into why every musician needs to understand it before they write, record, or release anything. No legalese. Just the stuff that actually matters to your career. 

IN THIS EPISODE:

00:55 Intro 

11:11 Case study: RAYE and the Polydor deal 

07:15 What is copyright, and what does it actually do? 

11:55 Who owns copyright, and how can you use it as a tool? 

15:24 Why every creator should care

Note: Raye received the Harry Belafonte Humanitarian Award at the Grammys in recognition of her impact and contribution. This episode discusses the wider question of how artist- label relationships can shape career trajectories and opportunities.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Buy your copy of Copyright In The Music Industry (second edition, 2026) - https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/copyright-in-the-music-industry-9781035330386.html

FIND DR HAYLEIGH BOSHER:

• Instagram: @hayleigh.bosher

• Website: hayleighbosher.com

LOVE THIS EPISODE?

• Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts

• Leave a 5⭐ review, it helps more people find the show

CREDITS

Whose Song Is It Anyway? is produced by Good Form

To bring your podcast idea to life head to ongoodform.com/podcast-production 

Funded by The British Academy

Season 4 of the Whose Song is it Anyway? podcast, hosted by Dr Hayleigh Bosher, is coming 23rd July 2026! Watch on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.The podcast that acts as your guide to understanding the big legal questions shaping the music and creative industries right now. Each bitesized episode dives into real, current case studies – from viral sampling disputes and interpolation to AI-generated tracks – and your host Dr. Hayleigh Bosher will unpack everything into clear, jargon-free insights. Hosted by a razor sharp legal expert with impeccable style and winning charm, the show blends authority with wit, turning complex copyright law into something you never knew could be so riveting. She knows her stuff, tells it straight, and makes you feel like you’re getting the insider knowledge you never knew you needed on the latest in music IP that has you locked in.

Hosted by: Dr Hayleigh Bosher https://www.hayleighbosher.com/

Produced by: Good Form https://www.ongoodform.com/

Funded by: The British Academy https://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/brunel-public-policy/news-and-events/news/British-Academy-Research-led-Innovation-Fellowships-2023-24-%E2%80%93-Dr-Hayleigh-Bosher

Disclaimer: Nothing in this podcast constitutes legal advice. It is legal education to help you learn more about your rights.

Eve Horne - singer, songwriter, producer, executive director of the Music Producers Guild, founder of the Unheard Academy where she teaches female and non-binary people music production, and the host of the We Are The Unheard Podcast, amongst other things! 

In this episode we talk about Eve’s journey from BRIT School, being signed, touring with a girl group, to leaving the music industry and then returning with a massive come back and now doing all. the. things! Eve also talks about her recent ADHD and autism diagnosis. 

https://wearetheunheard.com/

https://www.instagram.com/eve_horne/?hl=en-gb

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/we-are-the-unheard/id1599492855

Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://shorturl.at/ezLX4

This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/

Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania

*trigger warning* mentions reports of sexism and misogyny from Musicians' Union members, including sexual harassment and sexual assault.

Naomi Pohl is the General Secretary of the Musicians' Union, a trade union for professional musicians in the UK. Naomi is the first women to hold this position in the MU. We talk about her experience of being the first and being a woman in a position of leadership, the specific pressures and challenges faced by women in leadership as well as generally by the MU membership. Naomi highlights actions that can be taken to improve inclusion and safety in the music industry from changing the law to changes within the industry.

https://musiciansunion.org.uk/

https://musiciansunion.org.uk/news/naomi-pohl-first-female-general-secretary

https://committees.parliament.uk/work/6736/misogyny-in-music/ 

https://www.helpmusicians.org.uk/get-support/bullying-harasment 

https://musiciansunion.org.uk/safespace

Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://shorturl.at/ezLX4

This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/

Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania

Michelle Escoffery is an award winning singer-songwriter, has taught as a lecturer at various institutions, is President of the PRS Members’ Council and on Ivor’s Academy Trustee Board.

We talk about Michelle’s experience of coming into the music industry as part of a musical family from a young age. I ask Michelle what has been the enablers and challenges that she has faced and overcome to succeed in the music industry. She highlights the power of mentorship, shares advice for overcoming imposter syndrome, being comfortable taking up space, focusing on what you bring to the table and capabilities. Pushing back against being pigeon holed and breaking out of boxes. Being on the journey of self-compassion. Have a network, to bounce ideas, share tips and experiences. Michelle shares about the PRS affinity groups which creates safe spaces for particular groups, providing support in a way that is solution based, rather than an echo chamber.

Michelle is also a qualified wellness consultant, and has developed an initiative called Pause, which creates a safe space for women of colour in the creative industries, focused on networking, support and wellness. Michelle shares some insights into her approach to embracing joy and maintaining boundaries. 

https://www.prsformusic.com/about-us/governance/president-of-the-prs-members-council  

https://www.michelleescoffery.com/

https://www.instagram.com/pause.theinnercircle/ 

Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://shorturl.at/ezLX4

This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/

Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania

Dyvr is a musician, creative and activist working in the queer community and the founder of live music safe space, Sounds Queer. Dyvr talks about their experience of being in music, highlighting the challenges faced by non-binary and trans artists in the industry, sharing why they founded Sounds Queer and how that is creating a safe space for queer artists to grow.

https://www.instagram.com/dyvrofficial/

https://www.instagram.com/soundsqueersounds/?hl=en-gb

Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://shorturl.at/ezLX4

This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/

Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania

Vick Bain is the founder of the The F List and is currently completing her PhD at Queen Mary University of London in the Centre for Research in Equality and Diversity looking at the experience of women in music. She was previously the Past President Independent Society of Musicians (ISM), the former CEO of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (the Ivor's Academy), and has been inducted into the Music Week Women in Music Awards Roll Of Honour and the BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour Music Powerlist.

In this episode Vick shares with us some initial insights from her PhD research and generally drawing from her wealth of experience in the music industry. We discuss the data, the pay gap and gender roles, and talk about both the challenges and the enablers for women and gender expansive people in the music industry.

https://thef-listmusic.uk/

https://vbain.co.uk/

Here's a playlist of guest's answer to the last question: https://shorturl.at/ezLX4

This season is produced and hosted by Hayleigh Bosher www.instagram.com/hayleigh.bosher/

Edited by Eliza Kania twitter.com/elizakania