Acoustic.
A musical instrument whose sound is not electronically modified

Acoustics.
The characteristics, such as how sound is reflected and absorbed, that give a space such as a living room, concert hall, or cinema an identifiable sonic "signature."

ADAT.
An 8-track digital tape, identical in appearance to a VHS cassette. ADAT is the most popular digital tape-based recording format and contains up to 44 minutes of 8-track audio per tape.

Administration.
The supervision of all financial, copyright and contractual aspects of either an entire catalog or a particular song.

Advance.
Money paid before the recording or release of a song, to be deducted against future royalties of that song.

Airplay.
The playing of a musical recording on the air by a radio station

Amplifier.
An electronic device (as in a stereo system) for amplifying voltage, current, or power

Arrangement.
The adaptation of a composition for performance by other instruments and voices than originally intended.

Arranger.
One who adapts a musical work to particular instruments or voices.

Artist.
An individual or group under recording contract.

Assignment.
The transfer of rights to a song or catalog from one copy-right proprietor to another.

Audition.
A formally arranged session for musician

Backgrounds.
A term for backup vocals on a song.

Biography.
A concise account of an artist or group's industry related experience or background.

Booker.
An agency employee who sets appointments for talent/models.

Booking.
A confirmed date for a live performance or studio session.

Boot Legging.
The unauthorized recording and selling of a performance of a song.

Bullet.
Designation of a record listed on the charts, referring to increased record sales.

Cans.
Studio term meaning headphones.

Catalog.
All the songs owned by a music publisher considered as one collection.

Charts.
Lists published in the trade magazines of the best-selling records.

Chord.
Three or more notes sounded simultaneously that imply a harmonic function.

Chorus.
A section of the song that repeats itself at certain intervals.

Collaborator.
One of two or more partners in the writing of songs.

Commercial.
The potential to sell, or that which has mass appeal.

Composition.
A musical work; the art of writing music.

Console.
The audio board or control panel that allows the engineer to direct the audio signal to the recorders, and to combine the various audio components into the final mix.

Control Room.
The room from which producers direct musicians and engineers operate recording equipment during a session.

Cover Record.
Another artist's version of a song already recorded.

Crossover.
A song which receives airplay in more than one market.

Cue
An audible or visual sign that tells you when to begin reading.

Cut.
To record; a recorded selection.

Demo.
A recording that demonstrates the talent and music of an artist to potentially interested parties, such as booking agents or A&R representatives.

Discography.
A descriptive list of recordings by category, composer, performer, or date of release

Distributor.
Company that handles the sales and shipment of a record company's product to retail outlets and one-stops for a certain territory.

Dub.
An audio copy.

Dynamic Range.
The range between the loudest and softest sounds a soundtrack and/or sound system can reproduce properly.

Engineer.
Individual who operates studio equipment during the recording of a song.

EQ.
An abbreviation for Equalization. Electronically boosting or dampening the level in certain frequency ranges relative to other frequencies from the same source. Equalizers are processing units that adjust the strength of specific frequencies.

Feedback.
A rumbling, whining, or whistling sound resulting from an amplified or broadcast signal (as music or speech) that has been returned as input and retransmitted

Filter.
An electronic network that allows certain frequencies to pass while blocking others.

Groove.
Rhythm or tempo that helps create the "feel" of the song.

Harmony.
The combination of musical notes to form chords that serve to enhance the melody line; the art of combining notes into chords..

Hook.
A phrase or melody line that repeats itself in a song; the catchy part to a song.

Hot Mike.
A microphone that is turned on.

Ink.
To sign a contract.

Insert.
A mix engineering term referring to an external EQ or processor that is being "inserted" on an individual track.

Jingle.
A short phrase of music usually accompanied by lyrics used to convey a commercial message.

Label.
A record company.

Lead Sheet.
A musical notation of a song's melody along with the chord symbols, words and other pertinent information.

Lick.
A brief, improvised musical interpolation.

Liner Notes.
Musician, songwriting and production credits printed on the packaging of a recording.

Lyrics.
The words to a song.

Lyric Sheet.
A copy of the lyrics to a song.

Lyricist.
The writer of the words to a song.

Manager.
The person or organization responsible for developing an artist's career.

Market.
Selling place; medium where only one type of record is played (i.e., pop, R&B, E&W, Rap, etc.)

Marketing.
The process of increasing product sales by generating public interest in an artist's music through various promotional means, including exposure in print, television, radio, and the Internet.

Master.
The original recording.

Mix.
The final audio product combining all the elements into one composite soundtrack.

Mixer.
A control panel that allows the engineer to combine the input signals from several channels (each channel could be a different input device -- guitar, synthesizer, microphone, etc.) into one or more output channels.

Monitor.
A speaker for use in recording studios.

Pan.
A very bad review from a critic.

Pirating.
The unauthorized reproduction and selling of sound recordings (i.e., records, tapes, CDs).

Platinum Album.
Certification by the Recording Industry Association of America that an album has sold a minimum of one million units.

Platinum Single.
Certification by the Recording Industry Association of America that a single has sold a minimum of one million units.

Public Domain.
Unprotected by copyright due to an expired copyright or caused by an invalid copyright notice.

Queued Up.
Previewing a tape and having it set to start playing at the beginning of a song.

Rave.
An extremely good review from a critic.

Recording Contracts.
Legal documents detailing an agreement between a record label and recording artist.

Reverb.
an electronically produced echo effect in recorded music

Road Manager.
Traveling supervisor hired by artist to coordinate details of concert tours on behalf of the artist.

Sheet Music.
The pages containing the music and lyrics to a single song, as opposed to a score containing all the music for a show.

Showcase
A presentation of new songs and/or talent.

Stereo.
The separation of recorded sound onto two distinct channels.

Subwoofer.
A loudspeaker responsive only to the lowest acoustic frequencies

Voice Over.
The voice of an unseen narrator speaking (as in a motion picture or television commercial) or the voice of a visible character (as in a motion picture) expressing unspoken thoughts