Copyright Basics for Music – What Every Artist Needs to Know
As an author of a brand new song, you know how it feels to pour your heart and soul into something beautiful that the world can then enjoy. The only thing is – before you send your new creation off to stardom, you need to ensure that it is well protected by copyright laws. Otherwise the product of your hard work will be vulnerable to piracy, and you may end up losing the rights to its ownership.
Copyrighting is a legal form of protection offered to authors of various intellectual property. When it comes to music, there are a few basics that will help you better understand the process of copyrighting your original works – such as songs and music.
The law is structured so that once you have your song or musical notes down on paper, or recorded on a CD, it actually creates a copyright – as long as you have it in a “tangible” format. The problem arises when someone else has the same song on paper – then you would actually have to prove that you had your copy first! To solve this problem, original works need to be registered with the Library of Congress www.loc.gov, and even then you are not fully protected against claims of authorship for your music.
That’s why there are so many intellectual property lawyers who like to take on complicated copyright cases and argue them in court…Fees for unlawful use of copyrighted music can run in the tens of thousands of dollars, so it’s no small laughing matter. Music industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, and there are heavy penalties in place to prevent people from stealing others’ intellectual property.
Once you have copyrighted your song or music, you will hold the exclusive rights to do the following:
Make copies of your work
To make other works which are a derivative of the original
Sell your work (often by licensing, leasing or lending)
Perform your work in public (includes its use in movies)
Display your work in public (audio-visual types of work, graphics, etc.)
Artists often go through a music publishing company, whereby they enter into a contract for the publisher to promote, distribute, and sell your music on your behalf. In this case, you basically assign the copyright to the publisher, and they in turn take their cut of the profits. Because of this, it is in their best interest to sell as many licensed copies of your music as possible – the more they sell, the bigger their profit margin is.
Another interesting copyright emerged in the early 70′s – which is called a “master recording copyright.” It copyrights the way your song is originally recorded. If someone wants to use your music in their public work (like a motion picture), you can request that they pay two separate copyright fees – one for the music, and one for the master recording.
If you record your new song with a major record label, then that company will be able to hold a master recording copyright and collect any future royalties from the use of your song and music in any public work – advertisements, movies, and so on.
Find out more about the copyright process by visiting the U.S. Copyright Office’s website: www.copyright.gov .
Abet Disc Introducing Artist Edwin Rivera
Edwin Rivera
In the world of dance and music Edwin Rivera has become a name to remember. This inspirational young man is a role model for young people about overcoming adversity, remembering your roots, and escaping the chains of where you were born. Using his life as an example he is showing the world how strength, hard work, and determination can lead you to your dreams.
Edwin Rivera Overseas release of Edwin Rivera’s Album “Soul Of A Dancer”
Edwin Rivera grew up in the Bronx, New York. He grew up in a house in love with salsa music. Rivera is of Puerto Rican descent and was well schooled by his parents in their culture, food, dance and music. As he aged he tried to get away from his Puerto Rican roots and fell into the wrong crowd. As his mother saw the path he was headed down she forced him into a salsa dancing class in order to get him to change his ways. His mother made the right decision.
Dance was a way for Rivera to express himself and rise above the drugs and gangs that he had become a part of as a young man. It was in the dance studio that Rivera met his dance instructor and future mentor and inspiration, David Melendez. Rivera used dance to come back into touch with his roots. He learned to love salsa music again after discovering a new band and then looking for groups with a similar sound.
Rivera ended up using the music and dance to inspire himself to become one of the top Latino choreographers and performers of today. He has achieved great success, traveling and performing all around the world. Through all of this time he was still collecting music but lost all of it when one day his laptop was stolen at an event. It was at this time that he decided to turn to making his own music.
As his musical talent developed, he kept producing more and more music and eventually was able to finish and publish an album that was released in 2009 by Abet Publishing. This independent Latin artist’s instrumental album is an amazing compilation of music that will make you want to get up and dance.
Edwin Rivera’s album ‘Soul of a Dancer’ is just one of his amazing accomplishments. He has danced and performed all over the world, has performed on television, in movies, and in a music videos. Rivera is an inspiration for young people, especially young Latino performers.
Visit : Edwin Rivera Music .com for more info.
Abet Disc Introducing : Ronaldo
Ronaldo
Ronaldo’s musical journey began in the jungles of northern Guatemala where he bought his first guitar, a flamenco guitar for $5.00. That first guitar had steel strings, but it did not discourage him from spending 8 hours daily teaching himself to play his favorite instrument.
In the summer of 1972 the Government of Guatemala in cooperation with the Institute of Hispanic Culture awarded Ronaldo a grant to study with Maestro Regino Sainz de la Maza at the Escuela de Estudios Arabes in Granada, Spain. Upon his return, the Institute of Hispanic Culture sponsored his first concert tour of the United States and Canada.
Ronaldo has numerous other recordings on the Maya Records label. This new CD shows the various influences on his unique style, including, Mayan, Spanish, Latin and classical music.
A special loving thanks to my wife Angela for assisting me in selecting and arranging the wonderful music of Rachmaninoff.
Sergie Rachmaninoff April 1, 1873 March 28, 1943, was a Russian-born composer who later in life became an American citizen. As a pianist with powerful artistic presence, he is remembered for creating some of the world’s most extraordinary piano works.
He was one of the greatest pianists of his generation, having legendary technical facilities and rhythmic drive, and his large hands were able to easily cover an interval of twelve on the piano. His piano concertos are among the most demanding ever composed, as he sought to challenge both himself and other pianists to greater heights.
At his home in Beverly Hills Rachmaninoff had two Steinway pianos which he played with Vladimir Horowitz and other pianists. His love for fast cars was second to music, and led him to occasional fines for exceeding the speed limit.
He gave numerous charitable performances, and donated large sums of money to the Allies fighting the Nazis. He became a US citizen in 1943, a few days before his death. In his last concert he played Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 2 featuring the famous Funeral March. He died on March 28, 1943, in Beverly Hills and was laid to rest in Kensico Cemetary, New York.
Introducing Independent Artist Eileen Carey
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Eileen Carey
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