Definitions
Upfront payment Such and such studio or production company can pay you upfront a set amount of money for either the master licensing fee and/ or the synch licensing fee. You could be paid upfront a set amount for only one of these, or both sets of rights for use in that particular show. Whether or not these are exclusive is also different.
Backend Licensing Fees - this is what is paid to you by your PRO. That means ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC in the USA. Other PROs operate in other parts of the world. Each PRO has a different payment scheme, so you should check their website and enquire as to how they pay for synch licensing.
Your rights
Their are 2 rights you need:
The composition or song right. you write the song, you own it.
The Master Sound Recording, you record the song, you own this.
If you sign a contract with a record company, or a publishing company, either of these rights can change, and depending on the contract, you could sign away all of the rights to your music, both as a composer and as the owner of the sound recording.
