Should
You Be Concerned About Music
Copyright
Laws ?
How Do
Copyright Laws For Music Affect
You?
Let's face
it ... Who doesn't want to get
their music played on the radio,
or maybe even satellite? And who
doesn't want to win a Grammy
award someday for best original
song, or best album, or best new
artist for that matter?
Hold On
-- Better Learn About The Music
Copyright Law
First
But for
those of us brand-new in this
business, there is much to learn
about music copyright law. Now
that I'm trying to write my own
songs, I guess there's no better
time to get an education about
the ins and out of this rather
nebulous arena.
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How
Do Music Copyright Laws
Affect You As A Singer
Or Musician?
Learning
when and where copyright
laws for songs goes into
effect is the place to
start.
It's
not enough just to find
a song you like, record
it, and forget it.
Someone else might still
own it!!
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You Can
Use Happy Birthday With No
Problem
Since the
first writing I did was just
penning new tunes to two- and
three-hundred year old hymns at
church, I didn't really have much
to worry about. I was using
lyrics that were public domain
(sort of like "Happy Birthday" --
when it's public domain, you can
sing someone else's tunes or
lyrics without winding up in
jail), so I didn't have to worry
about protected rights.
One
Answer Is To Rummage Through The
Public Domain
Using these
types of songs and lyrics is the
way to go for beginners, but I've
advanced beyond that point now.
I'm trying to write my own stuff,
and I don't want someone else
getting credit for it, which is
why I needed to find out how the
copyright law for music
works.
Why Have
Music Copyright
Laws?
These laws
protect composers, publishers,
and arrangers from having their
work stolen or tampered with in
any way.
How Long
Do They Last?
In essence,
United States music copyright law
guarantees that the creator/owner
of the original material has the
exclusive rights to that material
as long as they're alive, plus 50
years!
For songs
written before 1978, the time
frame is 75 years. That way, the
creative folks that penned their
own songs and lyrics get all the
credit for them, as well as any
monetary gain from their sale or
broadcast. It's a really good
system, if you ask me.
The
Other Side Is That Your Songs Are
Protected Under The Music
Copyright Laws
Too!
The best
way to protect what you've
written, what some call your
"intellectual property," is to
register what your songs or
lyrics with the appropriate
government agency.
Get
Legal Advice
A good
attorney is really worth your
time in this regard, even if it's
just in the capacity of advising
you on how and where to start.
The Internet is full of resources
and references for music
copyright laws, including some
well-known sites that can give
you step-by-step information on
safeguarding your work, all of
which can be done online. And you
can find attorneys who specialize
in our business (that's where I
found my lawyer).
Now,
Take Pen In Hand And Protect What
You've Written
So I'm glad
that I did a little bit of
homework, and I'm hoping that
when Steven Spielberg decides to
use what I've written as the
soundtrack for his next summer
blockbuster, I'll be ready to sit
back, relax, and watch those
lovely royalty checks flow right
into my mailbox! Written your
first song yet?
More
Music Resources:
Play
Piano Like A Pro Online
Multimedia
Rocket
Piano Learn Piano
Today
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More
Singing
Advice
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Develop
A New Singing
Style
- Aren't you tired of
having to copy other
singers when you know
you have a unique sound
right inside of you?
Here is a singing lesson
to help bring it to the
surface.
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Choosing
A Vocal
Teacher
- This section takes you
through all the steps in
finding the right voice
instructor and will give
you a definite edge when
learning to sing.
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