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How to Prepare your Music for LANDR Mastering | LANDR Blog

Learn how to prepare your tracks for the best possible LANDR mastering. Read on, take notes then get back to making music.

Mastering w/ LANDR is now available on your Musicpage profile!

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Copyright: What You Need to Know

By Erik Jarvis with David Amidon

Many artists I speak with at Musicpage do not fully understand copyright law, let alone the means to attain a copyright for their music. The subject usually comes up in regards to licensing music for use in some kind of advertisement or film.

Does an artist have to copyright their material before submitting a song for licensing? The short answer is no, but there are countless variables to consider when thinking about copyright. This article aims to cover some of the basic concepts to keep in mind.

Do Your Research

The following text is lifted directly from the U.S. Copyright Office’s website to make sure we have an accurate definition.

What is copyright? Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works.

What does copyright protect? Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section "What Works Are Protected."

http://copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html#automatic

What Can I Copyright?  

Copyright law distinguishes between the sound recording and the composition of the song. For example, Bob Dylan composed “Wagon Wheel,” but Old Crow Medicine Show has the most popular recording of the song.

Dylan has the copyright for the composition, and O.C.M.S. has the copyright for the sound recording. Many independent artists write and record their own music, in which case they have a copyright for both.

A recent lawsuit saw Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke guilty of copyright infringement against the Marvin Gaye estate for their song “Blurred Lines.”

The artists were accused of keeping their song a little too close to its inspiration, Gaye’s hit “Got to Give it Up,” citing elements such as “keyboard-bass interplay" and other general elements of the two songs.

A slightly more obvious example - as well as more infamous and less controversial - was Vanilla Ice sampling the bassline from Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure.” Vanilla Ice initially argued that his bassline was slightly different, but later admitted that it’s a direct sample.

Queen and Bowie are now credited as songwriters for “Ice Ice Baby.”

You cannot copyright a chord progression. Elements such as basslines are a little murkier. In the Vanilla Ice example, the bassline in question is a very essential part of the composition. Typically, however, copyright for songwriting deals with lyrics and melody.

How Do I Achieve Copyright?

Technically, as soon as your work is in “fixed form,” you have the copyright for it. There is a popular notion that you can mail yourself a lyrics sheet or recording to prove your copyright.

This is true, but it is always a good idea to register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office linked above in order to further protect your rights to the work.

Registering within three months of the work's release - or prior to an infringement - can save countless time, energy and money. In most cases you can use one form for multiple works, rather than paying $55 / song, so if you have a full album or EP to copyright it is recommended to do it all at once.

You can find the form on the website linked above and below.

How Long Will My Copyright Last?

This is a bit variable depending on the authorship of the work, but generally speaking once you have made a tangible product you own the copyright for life plus 70 years after your death. That's quite a long time! But it's important to note that this is not a global policy, though it is fairly common.

Some countries prefer 50 years post-death, while others prefer to make things very complicated. In the end the most important thing you can do to protect your work is to put the effort in, do the research, and make sure that you have a copy of it.

You may have the best song in ten years in your head, but if you only ever play it live without writing down the sheet music, lyrics, or making a recording of it, that song is free to be taken by anyone in the audience and then they will own you.

That sounds awful, I know, but if you've read this article it likely will never happen to you, and who knows, one day you could be suing Robin Thicke's kid for millions of dollars.

Citations

http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2012/aug/14/does-copyright-matter/

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ56a.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright

http://www.gcglaw.com/resources/entertainment/music-copyright.html

http://copyright.gov/docs/musiclicensingstudy/

http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2015/03/copyright-essentials-5-things-every-musician-should-know.html

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/tips-songwriters-credits-copyrights-coauthors-29833.html

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Andy Reyerson: Audio Technica Stompbox Winner

By Erik Jarvis

Each month Musicpage.com gives away new products or gear to one of its members. Once the winner receives their prize, we contact them to touch base regarding their new loot and what’s going on in their career.

A few months ago, Musicpage partnered with Audio-Technica to give away their System 10 Stompbox. Andy Reyerson, vocalist, guitarist, and producer for Arson River, was our lucky winner.

Reyerson has been a music industry powerhouse in his efforts across several markets. From playing countless sold out shows supporting numerous national acts, engineering and producing various groups with mass radio exposure to single-handedly recording his own rock and acoustic albums, Andy really is the total package of what it takes to succeed in this business.

Since winning the Stompbox, Andy and Arson River have been very busy. “We're starting to play a lot more gigs, and getting the marketing side of things rolling now as well,” Andy explained. “Also, we are always recording. It's what I went to school for, and if I'm not in the studio, I’m not at home.” Their debut album, Any Given Day, dropped last October and they have already begun work on the next one.

Andy has been able to use his new digital and wireless Stompbox when performing shows. “Thanks to Musicpage, I no longer have a leash on stage! Thanks for the wireless system!” he exclaimed. Arson River have developed a reputation as a straight-ahead rock band with very driving rhythms that border on swing and R&B at times; the freedom to rock out is an important aspect of their shows.

We asked Andy if he has any advice or tips from his experience as an producer and an artist: “Keep working hard, but remember, no matter how good your stuff is, if it never leaves your basement, or even your town, nothing will ever come of it besides your own satisfaction.”

For more information on Andy Reyerson and his band, Arson River, including music, photos, biography, press, tour dates, and links to their websites and social media sites, Click here to view their Musicpage profile.

To view upcoming contests (contests are always free) and other music industry opportunities, check out the Music Ops Board at www.musicpage.com/mob

Check out the System 10 Stompbox and other products from Audio Technica here

You can read a product review from myself on our News page here: http://news.musicpage.com