Music Copyright 101: How to copyright your music and compositions as an artist, songwriter, or producer As an independent musician, you own your songs and recordings. It’s YOUR intellectual property. … Continue reading
copyright
8 Crucial Things to Know Before You Release Music
What many new artist don’t know about releasing music. I have a neighbor who’s a clever and hilarious songwriter. Though he plays local gigs, he has a career outside music … Continue reading
5 Steps to Protect Your Music (At All Stages of the Creative Process)
From the moment you create your content, it belongs to you. But is it protected? Whether you’re creating music, videos, documents, imagery, or other content, things can get hairy when … Continue reading
The CASE Act is Leveling the Playing Field for All Creators
Understanding the CASE Act Last summer, a major artist sampled one of our artist’s songs, even after the artist rejected the original sample request. The major artist sampled the song … Continue reading
The Easiest Way to Register Your Music Copyright
Establishing your ownership and registering with the U.S. Copyright Office are the only real steps you can take to protect yourself (and when things go wrong, it could pay off … Continue reading
How to Legally Clear Samples to Copyrighted Music
Can I sample copyrighted music without permission if it’s less than 6 seconds of audio? [Disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer. Just sayin’… ] Is sampling legal? Let’s be honest: Sampling … Continue reading
Music trademarks: Choosing your unique artist name
Trademark Woes: When two bands have the same name!!!!! [This article was written by Katelyn Kindberg. It should not be taken as legal advice. For help with your trademark concerns, … Continue reading
How old do you have to be to copyright your music?
The age limit for copyright. Is there an age requirement to copyright something in the USA? No, there is no age requirement. But, there is a classic American Dilemma here: … Continue reading
The Music Modernization Act aims to boost songwriter revenues from interactive streaming
CD Baby supports efforts to improve the way mechanical and performance royalties are calculated. The music industry is a completely different beast than it was when the copyright laws currently … Continue reading
A publishing split sheet for co-songwriters
Get it in writing and protect your publishing rights. You’ve just co-written a killer song. You’re psyched. But before you leave, before you celebrate, before you tweet about it, before … Continue reading