Music Industry Discussion

Ok, I have my songs and want to make them known. I go to all these sites to post the material to be streamed or downloaded (free or with charge) but they all have huge agreements that sound Greek to me with terms as "perpetual rights", etc. Are those safe or make sense to post copyrighted material, or by signing up I give up too much rights (or might lose money)?

Thanks

Sorry to insist but I really want to promote my songs, but after reading the agreements they give me chills with clauses such as:

"...world-wide, royalty free, irrevocable, perpetual license, alone or together or as part of other information, Content and/or material of any kind or nature, to use, copy, modify, publish, edit, translate, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, and otherwise exploit such Content (specifically including through streaming, podcasting, online/broadcast and satellite radio, suggested playlists and User playlists, but specifically excluding through phonograph records), to publish and promote such Content in connection with the particular Products and Services (including, without limitation, for advertising and promotional purposes), to publish and promote such Content elsewhere..."

What a H.. does this mean for a new artist? I am giving away my work?


Any clarification would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

I think I just answered one of your post elsewhere. But yes, be aware. And no, most people have proof of your copyright without even knowing.

If you are a computer geek as I, upload it somewhere. It will be dated. If not a computer geek, print it out, date it and mail it to your self, (do not open). USPS is a good witness in court.

Then go to a place like "CD Baby" to post it and have it copyrighted. If still worried, buy the first copy and never open it, again the USPS is on your side. Proof of the time you made it!

Now I am in business to do that stuff, so I will not tell you the easy way. Oops, I already did.

Do me a favor, watch me and my site, when I open for business, keep me in mind!

Best of luck, Ron.

Ron,

Thanks. In fact I have the songs copyrighted already with the Library of congress or something like that (have the paper certificate, etc). but with all those clauses, what they mean? Can these websites exploit the songs without giving me a dime?


Putting in a different way, what's the point of the world knowing that you created the song if you agree that someone else distribute, perform, edit, etc your song without having to pay you royalties?

(or am I missing the point here?)

Let us know of your site when you have it up

Those terms are the sites' way of covering their ass. If your uploading music to their site, they want no responsibility for what anyone else does with it, having gotten it from their site. Not to mention, if your song becomes the next big thing, as a result of being on their site, they will want to use it's likeness in advertising, promoting, and marketing for their site. They can use and modify it for their benefit, but regardless, cannot sell it outright without your consent if you own the copyright... They can probably put it on a mixtape though, but unless you anticipate national attention for your track, you could probably benefit from the exposure those sites may provide... If you are in the position to make your song a billboard smash, then you would have other options in promoting your music anyways.

www.greatproductions.net if you need additional professional assistance.

Someone said, ". . . print it out, date it and mail it to your self, (do not open). USPS is a good witness in court."
.
This is a common misconception.
.
The USPS is a terrible 'witness' in court. Anyone can steam open an envelope and replace the contents . . .
Daniel did it right by copyrighting his songs with the Library of Congress.

I quite agree with RM.

Sites that use your music, or sell your music, do need to cover their own butts, if your tune has infringed someone else's rights, too. There's a lot of legalese to swim through on the good ones or the bad.

THere are plenty of sites out there that explicitly state in their terms of use (of their site) that any songs that you upload (if you are the copyright owner) can become public domain (on their site), and/or can be used by the web site or it's users for a variety of purposes, including redistribution for profit.

Basically, just by signing up and uploading your song(s), you sign away all of your rights of ownership of your songs. best approach is that if you're not sure, don't do it.