Music copyrights

Music Copyrights are automatically secured the moment a work,song... is created, and a work is “created when it's recorded for the first time, at your home on your home computer, or your home recording studio.

Every time your music is published ( or submitted to publishers with your package), it will be under your name, and you will do it like this: The year the work is created and your name, the same way as you see in an example below.

This is the statement normally will do to protect your work.

In most cases, a song publisher,music publisher, and the songwriter.. are the co-owners of the copyrights. So, the rights on the music, and songs make it possible that the songwriter receives royalties (money) for the work that he have done.

If a songwriter gets a publishing deal, then this means a 50/50 split of the royalties.

But because of the 50/50 deal, many songwriters are now starting a music publishing company himself, this to own the full 100% royalty income. So, if a songwriter has his own publishing company, he's getting 100% of the royalties.

Infringing copyrights

Copyrights not only is about money, but also about protecting your work against theft. If you own the music copyrights, this also means that you are the creator of the work, and everyone who wish to use your songs has to ask permission, to you or to the music publisher who will negotiate a deal.

• To reproduce the work in copies

• To prepare derivative works based upon the work

• To distribute copies of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending.

• To perform the work in public : Performing rights

Not everyone is trustworthy.Not only in the real world there is scam, but also on the world wid web. For instants, if you put your songs on a YouTube video, then you need to state that your music is copyrighted, and no copy is allowed. Especially with new, and original material, this can give troubles.

How easy it is to re-do or re-make a song, and let it sound different. This can happen to everybody. Suddenly you hear your music coming from out of the radio. If that song was not protected by copyright, then there's little that you can do about it. Could it be just a coinsidence that someone had made the same music as you have done?

How to protect your rights even better?

Here a few tips to protect the music copyrights to your work even better. Tips to proof that the songs are yours (when it comes to court).

1. Assign your songs to a solicitor(attorney, lawyer) or a bank manager ensuring that they date and seal the item in your presence. Of course, they must be willing to cooperate.

2. Enclose the recorded song (on a CD, or any other form recorded), in an official registered envelope and post it too yourself. Leaf it un-opened, and when it comes to a possible despute, it can be opened in court.

3. In the US, it is normal to use the service provided by the library of congress.

Return to "Music Industry" page.

Thanks for your visit.Feel free to re-visit to follow our site's updates.

The webmaster From "Music copyrights" back to "Music business" home page