This week, I'm taking your questions. Let me know what you want to be answered in a future video and leave it in a comment below!

I keep others out of my music, I play guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and do all the vocals so the trainwreck will be all mine.

Most artists are into signing onto a label not knowing they're possibly signing their life away. I don't get caught up in the hoopla. I'm more concerned with owning all my rights specially when I started learning how the industry works. 💯

I write, record and produce all of my music. How can I get it totally protected before I release any songs?

I noticed you mentioned the two different types of copyrights , you mentioned the form SR for securing the physical product, However I didn’t hear you mention the type form for securing the songwriting or performance rights. I believe that form is referred to as form PA. You might want to review that portion of your video for that omission! Otherwise it was spot on! 😎

Thank you so much Ryan , you have no idea how knowledgeable this video

I signed with the world's biggest Indie publisher in 1986 (yes that's not a typo!) and recorded for 6 months in their Tin Pan Alley, London, studio, creating 12 songs, some co-written with the legendary Kim Fowley. The deal was they took 100% of mechanical because they paid for the studio time, engineer, and producer. Publishing rights were 70/30 in our favour. For the record, the publisher was Peer Southern. I am not judging. These are simple facts. Listen to Ryan, guys, he knows what he is talking about and is on your side.

Just watched your how to register with BMI video and found it really clear and helpful. Thanks!

Thank you !

SUPER HELPFUL!!! Thanks!!!!

Hi! Love your videos! They’re chock full of very useful nuggets of information, and delivered so eloquently! I’m wondering how writers in bands do it when their band releases their song (first). Does a writer usually own the publishing rights while his/her band (as an entity) owns the sound recording? If so, does this mean that the band pays the writer (who is also in the band) for the right to “cover” the song?

I’m not too sure about labels taking full exclusive rights to their artists tracks. I think it all depends on the type of label it is and what music genres they work with. I think labels working within mainstream popular types of music would probably take all rights, but I don’t think that is the case with underground music that gets less exposure. I’m sure some labels state in their contracts that they get exclusive publishing rights for a certain period of time, say 2 years or so, what are your thoughts on this? Love your videos by the way, very informative

Great piece of advice 👍

What if you record and write for an artist that's a friend on a label but do not sign anything and the song becomes streamed often. Is there a way to give away rights verbally?

Great info...I'd need one too

Record label being part of your Songwriting because of publishing. I got lost on that. I get the master part, but what has to do Songwriting with publishing?

I have a friend she sings and I made a beat for her and we made a song how does that work with the copyright are they separate copyrights or is it 50-50

Great content bro.

What are the flaws of Distrokid? Do I have complete ownership for master tracks that I upload?

I need help registering my music and understanding how to do everything correctly without getting taken advantage of. Please respond asap.

What is the process to recover rights to songs that were copywritten by Milene/Sony music in 1981 before Sony purchased Acuff Rose Publishing? Thank you!

Intro soo good and obvs the content as well. Awesome video ✨

Lets say i put a song out and i make they money back plus more, am i able to by my rights back to that song after with out messing up my contract

Can you submit an audio recording when copyrighting a music composition or does it have to be transcribed into sheet music? (Note: I'm not talking about copyrighting a sound recording, I want to copyright the underlying musical composition. I would like to own the copyright for both the music composition and the sound recording, me being the author of both, but if I were to only copyright the music composition, are you allowed to use a sound recording to do that, or does it have to be transcribed into sheet music?)

Do these copyrights apply to other countries ? We have different laws in Australia

my brother makes music, ill just work with him next time i see him

If artist have Songwriting copyright and label owns the Master, what happens when someone else want to use the song in a movie or commercial? Do they need permission from an artist or a label?

Some artists want to share and some artists want everything for themselves.

Thank you for the info I was wondering how do I copyright my music and song writing.

Yes i give thanks Josh i more Life music

Hi Ryan, can u send me the link for the online course

Someone wants to buy the masters to my songs for a measly amount just so they're able to shop the EP to labels etc. Am i obliged to sell it to them or can i say no? Is it possible to co-own the masters with them instead?

When registering in bmi if I own it entirely and I have exclusive rights from the producers , I can fill form and do it alone right?

What ownership do you get if you copyright music through the US copyright system?

Can you still own the rights of your music if you don't put it online? but you share with a close friends who shares with their friends, and they put it online whether it be an online forum, youtube, etc. You do still have rights that you still own that music even if its offline, or does that start getting into a grey area?

What’s your advice on dealing with another publisher for film and television music? Should not sale any publishing, half or etc???

How’s it man I am trying to download the things that you keep referring to in your videos but everytime I do you ask for my email and when I enter it I don’t get that thing you talk about i get other things/information which are not relevant to what you were linking me to could I get a link that direct me exactly to what you are speaking to in the video and not to a general thing that you want me to subscribe to

I couldn't get a track released becuase I Co produced it and lost contact with him It took me ten years to track him down he would of been cool with me releasing it but it was such a legal nightmare that the label didn't want to touch the track when they realised I was no longer in contact with him

Can you let others people own a piece of your song without letting them have any control of how the song is used? Like they'll get paid but have no control over what you do with the song?

Is there any danger in uploading your brand new written music to social media, while you're still writing? Like a promo coming soon video, or other promo stuff. If you haven't released it yet officially, could someone steal your music?

I just found your video ...I need some advice ...I'm a songwriter/ singer...I would like to get advice on what steps a songwriter such as myself starting out needs to do to begin a career in song writing and getting them heard ..I've wrote 11 songs most of them are between 2:70 to 3:30 minutes long..I have no clue were to begin...I know they have potential with instrument music added to it in studio but if I spend 2,000 dollars for 3 songs to be produced where do I get them heard...who should I reach out to or do I have to spend money at all...do I send video clips of the songs...cd's...thumb drives...to specific studios ...how do I do this...all I need is good advice ...for doing what love from scratch and eventually get paid for it if it gets on the radio..I've tried you tube but my tags aren't good enough ...Facebook is a joke...I'm not getting exposure....only family likes...so I want to know how to do this from scratch....if you can point me in the right direction ..I would greatly appreciate it...also doing a video about what I said would help me alot.....

So if i'm working with an producer and he makes the beat, mix and masters..etc and i 100% songwriter but have no upfront capital..does he own the masters and i keep 100% songwriting?? My question is how does he get paid??

Beat leasing websites? Any examples?

Hey Ryan can a songwriter/composer also be the publisher for a song?

New Sub bro

Great video? I have someone offering to record my next album for free. I found you here searching, "can your recording engineer claim authorship to your songs?" I'm hoping he won't say he owns the masters when we're finished. Any further advice is greatly appreciated!

Thank you for the helpful videos on the channel. I'm already subscribed to the mailing list of your site, but now I'm trying to download the "Hire Agreement" through the link and it doesn't send me any mail. Do I have to put another new email to subscribe and receive it? P.S. Already checked the spam and waited about 30 mins and tried 2 times

I really luv your videos my man can you do a KZfaq video as the producer that’s makes the beat and want back in pay so say I sell the beat for 200 dollars but wants too still get half off the backend is that Publisher 100% or is that songwriter/Composer I need help on this and a whole different question say I ghost write for someone how do I get backend pay in the future

It says it cost 17$ for the agreement?

This link does not seem to work for me :(

The Taylor Swift issue sounds like the same issue Ashanti had with Irv Gotti of Murder Inc. Is it? Isn't this why she went back and re-recorded her music?

I just subscribe to this dood because he was different from every body and I didn’t like how distro kid did him and his music cause that’s who I wanted to go to but now I really don’t

I think I might have given away the rights to a number of my tracks by mistake....A lot of crazy things have been happening recently...

Your links don't work man. Thanks for the info anyways

I subscribed to your channel and your content is terrific! I watched this video and now you have this very annoying background music and it takes away from you content. I really wish you would drop that background music. It is very distracting.

Try being a real musician maybe?