Things you really need to know about the music copyright
Sometimes you get caught in a problem that you have no idea about. For musicians, this is a reality as they have to face copyright issues which leave them quite drained out. Ignorance in this matter can be really dangerous however; half of the artists have no idea of what a copyright is. Here are five things you must know about music copyright.
1. What does copyright law protect?
Copyright protects your music at least those parts of it which are fixed in a tangible form. However, if you try and understand it fully then there are two parts which are actually most importantly covered and that are musical works and sound recordings. Musical works involve both the music and the lyrics. So if you write a song you get a copyright on its lyrics and if you record the song on that also.
2. The validity of your copyright?
In the USA, copyright protection lasts till 70 years after the death of the last surviving author. This means that if you have written the song with a couple of other artists you have the copyright till 70 years after death of all of them.
3. The rights you get in return?
As the owner you can now reproduce the song, prepare derivative works out of it, perform the copyrighted work and even distribute sample copies of the same to the listeners. Basically, you get whole ownership on the song and you can modify, recreate and do whatever you want to do.
4. How to enforce rights?
You would have signed a Legal Music Agreement when you had first created your album. If things do not work your way and someone has stolen your music then you must see that you file a case against the person. You would be given damages if the copyright registration has been done in your name and you can prove it.
5. Performing cover songs
In case you want to perform on someone else’s songs then you would need a mechanical license to give you permission for the same. You may also have to take permission before getting this license issued and then also you may not be fully protected.
Protecting your copyrighted work is tough however Beatrising Distribution makes things easy for you. Apart from being a reputed digital music distribution firm they also provide Anti Piracy service which ensures that every time your track gets misused you get to know of it. Trust them and let your music get global recognition without any fears.
