I'm doing a video production for a vocalist who says he has "Master Rights" for his CD and wants a promo video with him pitching himself and clips of him performing. I've read what I can find on Master Rights (nice section in the google preview of "Drafting License Agreements By Michael A. Epstein, Frank L. Politano"). I understand Master Rights pertain to the Master recording and are not "Master" in the sense of trumping all other rights but I'm not sure what if anything Master Rights do for me in the case of using the music, recording a non-dramatic performance and distributing on web and DVD.

With Master Rights:
1) Do I need a Synchronization license to make a video recording of him performing?
2) Do I need a Mechanical license to post the video production on the artist's website?
3) Do I need any licenses to make DVDs of the video production for the artist use to promote himself?
4) Does it matter if the artist performs with a live band instead of the CD track for the video recording?

TIA

IANAL, perhaps one can comment, but meanwhile (AFAIK) ...

Remember the copyright for a song (words and music) is separate from the copyright to a recording of the song. "Master Rights" refer to the rights to reproduce a specific master recording. Your client may well own the master rights to a recording he made but that does not mean he has the rights to the music unless he also is the composer/publisher of the work. Sync licenses come from the owner of the copyright to the music, then master rights allow you to use a specific, pre-existing, recording of the music. If you're using an existing recording you need both. If you're recording your own from scratch you only need the sync rights.

With Master Rights:
1) Do I need a Synchronization license to make a video recording of him performing
Yes
2) Do I need a Mechanical license to post the video production on the artist's website? No - mechanical is for "phonorecordings"
3) Do I need any licenses to make DVDs of the video production for the artist use to promote himself? absolutely, same as if you're selling them.
4) Does it matter if the artist performs with a live band instead of the CD track for the video recording? No need for the master license to the CD but you still need sync licenses from the music publisher.