Master tapes: The most important records you’ll never hear

An artist's fully realized vision, preserved for all time. By the mid-1990s, Prince was done maintaining his superstardom. “I’m not on that road anymore,” he told comedian Chris Rock in [an interview on VH1](. He had identified a problem that would occupy him for the next 20 years: he wanted ownership of his master tapes, which belonged to his record label, Warner Bros. Prince and Warner eventually [made a deal in 2014](, and he died two years later with the masters finally in his famous vault. These irreplaceable original recordings are often financed and owned by labels—although artists are [increasingly taking control](—and copied [onto vinyl](, [cassettes](, CDs, and [digital platforms]( for distribution. They used to be large reel-to-reel tapes; now they’re usually files on a computer. Music copyright is split between recording rights, the version of the song you hear, and publishing rights, which signify ownership of the song itself. Both have a fraught history; in 2017, Paul McCartney eventually reached a [confidential settlement over the Beatles catalog](, more than 30 years after Michael Jackson audaciously bought the band’s publishing rights. But master tapes are the direct result of all those hard days, weeks, and months in the studio. They’re the fully realized artistic vision, not just notes on a page, and their mismanagement can have enormous financial consequences. Ask [Anita Baker](. Ask [Taylor Swift](. They really matter. The mic is on, the band is ready… 🐦 [Tweet this!]( 🌐 [View this email on the web]( [Quartz Weekly Obsession] Master tapes March 31, 2021 Masters matter --------------------------------------------------------------- By the mid-1990s, Prince was done maintaining his superstardom. “I’m not on that road anymore,” he told comedian Chris Rock in [an interview on VH1](. He had identified a problem that would occupy him for the next 20 years: he wanted ownership of his master tapes, which belonged to his record label, Warner Bros. Prince and Warner eventually [made a deal in 2014](, and he died two years later with the masters finally in his famous vault. These irreplaceable original recordings are often financed and owned by labels—although artists are [increasingly taking control](—and copied [onto vinyl](, [cassettes](, CDs, and [digital platforms]( for distribution. They used to be large reel-to-reel tapes; now they’re usually files on a computer. Music copyright is split between recording rights, the version of the song you hear, and publishing rights, which signify ownership of the song itself. Both have a fraught history; in 2017, Paul McCartney eventually reached a [confidential settlement over the Beatles catalog](, more than 30 years after Michael Jackson audaciously bought the band’s publishing rights. But master tapes are the direct result of all those hard days, weeks, and months in the studio. They’re the fully realized artistic vision, not just notes on a page, and their mismanagement can have enormous financial consequences. Ask [Anita Baker](. Ask [Taylor Swift](. They really matter. The mic is on, the band is ready… 🐦 [Tweet this!]( 🌐 [View this email on the web]( Reuters/Fred Prouser Ashes to ashes Burning down the house --------------------------------------------------------------- Who are the most important music artists of all time? Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry, John Coltrane? Of course. Elton John, Joni Mitchell, REM? Absolutely. Now imagine their master tapes burning to ashes in an inferno. That’s what may have happened in 2008, when part of Hollywood’s Universal Studios was [engulfed in a 24-hour blaze](. Tucked away in one corner were thousands of master tapes. We don’t know the true scale of the disaster. Universal has always denied that the losses were catastrophic. But, as the New York Times magazine reported a decade later, “among the incinerated Decca masters were recordings by titanic figures in American music: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Al Jolson, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland.” Copies are never as good as the originals; fidelity is lost in the transition. When played on the right equipment, a master recording sounds extraordinary; there is no substitute for its clarity and power. Master tapes ought to be treated with the same reverence as a Jackson Pollock painting or a bronze age artifact. But the music industry has consolidated to three giant companies, and storage is mostly outsourced. If an obscure tape goes missing, who will know or care until it’s too late? Quotable “If you don’t own your masters, your master owns you” —[Prince]( Pop quiz Which of these artists does not own their master tapes? MadonnaStevie WonderU2LL Cool J Correct. Incorrect. If your inbox doesn’t support this quiz, find the solution at bottom of email. Brief history [1928:]( German engineer Fritz Pfleumer invents the magnetic tape. Before this, music was recorded direct to disk, with a cutting machine attached to the singer or musician’s microphone. [1935:]( The first tape recorder, the Magnetophon K1, goes on sale in Germany. [1958:]( “The Chipmunk Song” wins best engineered recording (non-classical) at the first Grammy awards. [1963:]( Dutch company Royal Philips introduces the compact cassette, the first domestic version of Pfleumer’s magnetic tape. [1977:]( After decades of tape supremacy, the Soundstream is the first commercial digital audio workstation, made by scientist Thomas Stockham in the US. [1979:]( Sony releases the first Walkman. YouTube Watch this! Don’t give up the fight --------------------------------------------------------------- In 2004, a decade after Prince began his battle with Warner Bros., he still didn’t own his tapes. On a Canadian music show that year, he spoke eloquently about the creative process and what it means for an artist to have control of their work. He also tore up the stage, of course. AP Photo/Brad Barket/Invision PLAYLIST What do each of these artists have in common? They all own their master recordings. [Listen]( take me down this 🐰 hole! How do you make your own master tape? --------------------------------------------------------------- You shouldn’t, unless you know what you’re doing. Anyone can record music, but it takes a trained, experienced mastering engineer to make a professional recording that works well in any playback situation, from a phone speaker to a club sound system. Here are the professional skills and equipment you need, according to the [Berklee College of Music]( in Boston: - Audio mastering, mixing, and production - Audio mastering software - Sound systems - Superb ears for detail and nuance - Collaboration - Networking There is no set career path, and you don’t need a college degree. When he started out, mastering engineer Don Grossinger was “picking up garbage, vacuuming the rooms, and getting instruction in mastering,” he told the [Careers in Music website](. AP Photo/Jacob Harris Poll Whose master tapes would you purchase if given the chance? [Click here to vote]( Frank Sinatra - I’d croon a marble statue of myself as the revenue rolled inPrince - I’d rake in the green and criss-cross genres with the MPLS geniusThe Beatles - I’d have my own fleet of yellow submarines in no time REUTERS/Olivia Harris Membership For more on the changing ways in which stars are built and paid, check out our field guide on Tik Tok’s [effect on the music industry](. Technology has changed how masters are stored, and it’s also changed how fans—and stans—[show their love online](. You’ll need a Quartz membership to read the above stories, but if you click the link below, you can try one out for free. [More deep cuts, please!]( 💬 let's talk! In last week’s poll about [Holi](, 49% of you were content to spend the celebration watching videos from 2019 celebrations online. With another year off for most celebrants worldwide, Holi 2022 could be more exuberant and colorful than ever. 🤔 [What did you think of today’s email?]( 💡 [What should we obsess over next?]( 🎲 [Show me a random Obsession]( Today’s email was written by [Hasit Shah](, edited by [Jordan Lebeau](, and produced by [Jordan Weinstock](. [facebook]([twitter]([external-link]( The correct answer to the quiz is Madonna. Enjoying the Quartz Weekly Obsession? [Send this link]( to a friend! Want to advertise in the Quartz Weekly Obsession? Send us an email at ads@qz.com. Not enjoying it? No worries. [Click here]( to unsubscribe. Quartz | 675 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Fl | New York, NY 10011 | United States