Should You Copyright Your Music? // A Small Studio Owner's Perspective

Рет қаралды 10,868

Күн бұрын

Today, I'm sharing my thoughts on whether or not you should copyright your music if you are a new or small artist!
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Пікірлер: 103

@curiositeatv Жыл бұрын

People are claiming music from unknown, obscure channels on YT everyday. Some are even targeting unknowns. Go ahead and spend the money because once someone claims your music, proving it’s yours is messy. If it never happens, your music is still copyrighted, no harm no foul.

@Amber-rq7kf 2 жыл бұрын

I was pressured into copy writing my song because it’s unique but a song where a huge group of people could relate. I don’t think anyone would steal this particular song but my non music friends as well as family told me I better do it 😂 so I did! Lol But it also feels nice that I created something that I can really be proud of. 🤷🏽‍♀️

@jephbennett 5 ай бұрын

Finally, someone speaks the common sense truth, instead of just applying advancing artist strategy onto us little guys. THANK YOU.

@tjantics 3 жыл бұрын

Him talking about digging up 100 to 1,000 views and I’m sitting here with 4. Let’s go baby! Thanks Dean for the video!

@thesongwritingstudio5783 3 жыл бұрын

haha get it!

@THEYGONE7 Жыл бұрын

I love you man you talk so clean and ım not getting bored as an ADHD, thanks.

@pickenchews Жыл бұрын

Question: Without registering copyright, could some jerk of a person/company claim your music as their own and then sue YOU ?

@v.chioma 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you Dean, for bringing things into perspective🙏🏻

@NeoComicus 3 жыл бұрын

From what I understand - also not a lawyer - your "timestamp" concept, just like mailing yourself a copy of your recorded song and not opening the envelope, will not offer you protection in any court. Like someone else said, when you create the work, you automatically own the copyright. When you register your song, you get legal protection that stands up in court. So, should you register your copyright, even if you're not a known artist? Up to you, but if you have any plans to "put it out there" it's probably not a bad idea to register.

@jamesmcdunn 3 жыл бұрын

Ken is right. All that “mail it to yourself” stuff MIGHT work but a sharp lawyer would get it 5 thrown out.

@cassiewang4190 2 жыл бұрын

Lol hi, Dean, when you talk about someone who was worry about their music will be stolen by others. I thought that's because they already made some really impressive music. I am just a beginning for produce music, and your video helped me a lot. thank you so much.

@GaryHubbs 3 жыл бұрын

Yup, that was a well-reasoned perspective. Good advice.

@thengwritingstudio3731 2 жыл бұрын

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@kimberlyramirez151 Жыл бұрын

Dean thank you so much for your content, you make it simple and easy to understand . Continue to create more amazing videos. Thanks

@avillageofvigils3749 25 күн бұрын

Thanks for helping me save time and money, Dean. I will rely on my KZfaq timestamps for the interim

@scottschmittmusic 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for all you do..God Bless you in your endeavors

@xr_nyc_og2005 3 жыл бұрын

I have like 100 listeners in my song so I don’t have to even think about copyright. Thanks man🙏🏾

@khemsophy26 3 жыл бұрын

Real 😍

@JesusChrist_IsTruth-LoveForALL Жыл бұрын

A song can blow up overnight. 100 can turn into 100,000

@borntosoar-music 2 жыл бұрын

Just want to thank you for your time at KMA last night. Totally changed everything for me! I will be joining you on this journey. I am at the beginning but you have encouraged me so much! Thanks Dean

@thesongwritingstudio5783 2 жыл бұрын

So glad it was helpful and glad to have you on the journey!!

@borntosoar-music 2 жыл бұрын

@@thesongwritingstudio5783 Thanks Dean

@atenen-buhayaustraliavlogs 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing, i started singwriting and familiarising garageband , tahnks for your vlog, bery helpful to me.

@taviabrissett8057 2 жыл бұрын

2:54 the way you smiled when you said that lol, great video by the way keep up the Good work. may God bless!

@kalaniazabache613 3 жыл бұрын

Hope all is well, Dean! To this day, I am still making music because of you!

@thengwritingstudio3731 2 жыл бұрын

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@RTXtonymeech Жыл бұрын

I started making recording with my phone and really liked how it sounded so I saved up and built my own lil studio setup. Making it happen step by step

@uncool974 2 жыл бұрын

Hello! I had a question. I am trying to copyright some original songs and I was wondering what website you would recommend to register the songs. I also wanted to know if I can copyright music and lyrics together or if Im supposed to copyright lyrics and music separately?

@DIGITVLSVNSET 2 ай бұрын

From my understanding, in the court of law. When you upload a song to a platform such as SoundCloud KZfaq etc. it’s time stamped. And that holds up REALLY high, if it comes to it. ALSO, if for whatever reason that doesn’t work. If you have the raw recorded file, that’s extremely valid too.

@DIGITVLSVNSET 2 ай бұрын

Sorry, I legitimately typed that out and then you said it in the video lol

@kojomay374 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the insight....

@VilifiedFreedom Жыл бұрын

What if you was going to sell on Amazon? Does it need a copyright?

@QCaid 11 ай бұрын

this very much eased my mind lol thank you so much

@beansrgd 4 ай бұрын

Agreed 👍🏼 .

@mojoefelix 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Dean. This is an issue that has completely stopped me from recording and releasing any of my songs, so I really appreciate your take on it. I need to mention that the xylophone background music 3/4 of the way through the video sounded so much like a cell phone ringer, that it was just a complete distraction to trying to listen to what you were saying, like, hey, are you going to answer your phone or shut it off please so I can listen to you?

@thengwritingstudio3731 2 жыл бұрын

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@patriciagallop2551 Жыл бұрын

It want let me add a photo but on my iPhone garage band, where you music is recorded in a long line, mine is In square boxes. How do I change it? Thank you

@therealdibbs 7 күн бұрын

Here is my take. Using leased beats. All it takes is one artist getting copy rights and all of a sudden every other artist using that same leased beat gets a copyright claim on KZfaq.

@MattMendians 10 ай бұрын

Hey Dean just came across your video and very helpful! I have two albums and I recorded them myself basically and they have been done for years!! I’m new to just figuring out how to release on DistroKid but I’m thinking about trying a song at a time. Problem is one album is my solo album and the second is me and another person and a separate band name. Do you think I need to use the second plan for two artists or just the first and release with two names? I don’t even think that makes sense so sorry! Any ideas?

@JayGallie 2 жыл бұрын

✨Thank you✨

@teunrabenberg7019 3 жыл бұрын

hii i have a question, you can make frequency changes in your sound and you can change the voice using the voice transformer to change the formant, how does one internally record these changes, so e.g. to record a mid frequency change from high to a bit lower which gives off a great effect, is there a plugin for this? like i now have to record those changes in shit quality and mix it in to make it sort of work, but these voice transformer/frequency changes could be high end youknow, any ideas?

@thesongwritingstudio5783 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Teun! Are you asking how to make those changes in real time so that when you are recoding you can hear yourself in the monitor with the transformer/frequency changes? If so, I would recommend recording a practice take, then adding the desired effects to it, then deleting that take and re recording with headphones on and the monitor on so that the processing is happening in real time. You might get a bit of latency (a slight delay) but you can simply take off one headphone so that you hear your processed voice in one ear and your real voice in real time in the other ear. Hope that helps! -Dean

@thengwritingstudio3731 2 жыл бұрын

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@Zeak73 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Dean, just wanted to check on you to see how you and your wife were. Hope all is well, be blessed.

@thesongwritingstudio5783 3 жыл бұрын

Ha hey Leo! Doing well :) We decided that me taking the summer+ off from the studio would be best with everything going on right now (and having the kids home for the summer)... but I'm still alive :P thanks for asking! -Dean

@Zeak73 3 жыл бұрын

@@thesongwritingstudio5783 Oh ok glad you’re doing good! praise God for life 😀. Be blessed

@thengwritingstudio3731 2 жыл бұрын

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@ikreate4u 3 жыл бұрын

What about the scenario of a songwriter who wants to shop their songs for artists and/or publishers to record and perform. Is copyrighting before sending out demos advised in that situation? Also, is it taboo to put them out on Distrokid or SoundCloud, Spotify, etc if I hope an “true artist” will pick it up to record it?

@thesongwritingstudio5783 3 жыл бұрын

Hey there! Great questions. To the first, I think the scenario is about the same (again, not legal advice, just my perspective from the last few years), if you already have some traction with artists/producers (or have a following) then I would look into it but if you have never submitted your songs to anyone and you don't have any connections or direct relationships with artist/producers then it can be tough to get your songs into the hands of people who can make a profit from them! As the for the 2nd question, I don't actually know the answer to that but I do know that smaller artists (especially in the worship realm) commonly have larger artists do their already released songs. It seems that the bigger/better the song does from the small artist gives it a chance to be heard/noticed by larger artists who might then go "hey, that's a great song, we should get it out to more people". So again, I have no personal experience with this but just from observation over the last few years, it seems like there would be no problem releasing it and in fact it might actually be more helpful if you can get the song to get traction which proves to the artists/labels out there that the song has potential. Hope that helps! -Dean

@thengwritingstudio3731 2 жыл бұрын

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@briannaclark5479 10 ай бұрын

This is a great video!! Quick question: Jane I publish a video of me singing my original song online, isn’t there some licensing that just comes with the idea/the video you put on social media? Plz LMK :)

@NickyP1 Жыл бұрын

Yo, what's that beat playing in the first couple minutes?!

@nickpritchard7130 3 жыл бұрын

Great vid. Thanks..

@thesongwritingstudio5783 3 жыл бұрын

no problem Nick!

@thengwritingstudio3731 2 жыл бұрын

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@joelenewoodson609 2 жыл бұрын

Amazing video! Yes copyright you good music One of my first couple songs that I made I wanted a second opinion to see how I did I ask a DJ for his opinion he was doing a live , he called me sectioned out my vocals modified replace my drums etc He did this in a matter of minutes he was trying to convince me to let him take over the track without a contract….

@caseybachmeyer 2 жыл бұрын

the world is full of ugly and bad people...99% i would guess...but if i have a proof that this is my song? For example i load my voice with that melody up..on yt and the e-mail conversation with the thief

@la-tronholston3847 6 күн бұрын

I just want to know why registration for copyright exists if it's not important. Because from what I read, if you dont register the works, then you can't sue the person who stole your music/beat and have that party pay for court and attorney fees. This confusing 😕 😐

@babyzeno3117 3 жыл бұрын

Whenever I export my projects to my phone it’s not as clear and has lower quality. I turned off auto normalization, and i fixed the compression and everything. it’s only doing this when I transfer it to my phone when I upload it to SoundCloud through my macbook the quality is good but when I listen to it on my phone through SoundCloud the quality is less clear

@babyzeno3117 3 жыл бұрын

Can you help?

@thesongwritingstudio5783 3 жыл бұрын

Hey there! Could it be that it's just sounds lower quality when you listen to it on your phone speakers as opposed to your computer speakers? Have you tried plugging in headphones into your phone and playing it and then into your MacBook to listen to compare and see if they sound the same? -Dean

@babyzeno3117 3 жыл бұрын

@@thesongwritingstudio5783 Hey Dean I listened to it on my AirPods and my headphones and the quality still sounded bad on my phone

@jessica170692 3 жыл бұрын

Well, sorry because I’m not an native not even well in english, so maybe I’ve skip some part. But here, in Southern Pacific (exactly in New Caledonia) I was register 6 original songs, and it cost me just $8 as author, then all the songs are free copyrighted. If I put my songs on radio, I’ll get my royalty, the same if I do play it on café, or any place in live, so I’ll get my passive income then. I don’t know it’ll cost really per song for you, or some of songwriters somewhere

@jamesmcdunn 3 жыл бұрын

I agree with all of your points, except what you were talking about is not "copyrighting" your song, you were referring to "Registering your copyright". The moment your song was placed in a tangible form (written down, recorded) it became copyrighted. The biggest reason people register their copyright is if you wrote a song called "I love my dog" and someone knew that song existed and wanted to license it from you, they could go to the the copyright office and inquire who the artist was. These days, with the Internet, we have dozens of ways to do that, making registering your copyright that much less meaningless.

@thengwritingstudio3731 2 жыл бұрын

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@cruzincondo3395 Жыл бұрын

As long as you put your song on a digital disc, the music will have the meta data time & date stamp on it. Legally correct but Govt copyright is stronger.

@purpleheart69420 3 жыл бұрын

Hey bro, I have a request... if you can please make a tutorial showing hoe to set up a midi Keyboard/drumPad, on garageband, Like an Akai Mini ya know what I mean? like how can I put my own drum kits in it ya know what I mean?

@thesongwritingstudio5783 3 жыл бұрын

Hey PurpleHeart! I don't know that I will do a tutorial on that as I don't have much experience with it but for me I just plug my midi controller/drum pad straight in via USB and use the sounds GB gives me! To use the sounds that your keyboard/drum pad have you would need to either plug it in via an instrument cable (1/4") into an audio interface or by using a MIDI cable... hope that helps!

@purpleheart69420 3 жыл бұрын

@@thesongwritingstudio5783 yeah bro Ive been researching a lot and I think the real problem is that garageband doesnt offer a "Drum Machine Designer" :( which is really sad... I think that means I cant really use Custom Drumkits unless I use it on "AU Sampler" right? my last question is do you know if theres a way to sample the sounds without it stretching the sound automatically if I play the sample in a different KEY?

@thesongwritingstudio5783 3 жыл бұрын

@@purpleheart69420 Yes, that's correct. And yes, you can use the AU Sample (I forgot about that). And NO I don't know of a way for it not to stretch the sounds! That bugs me too ha

@thengwritingstudio3731 2 жыл бұрын

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@khemsophy26 3 жыл бұрын

Nice video

@thengwritingstudio3731 2 жыл бұрын

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@LA610 3 жыл бұрын

You're brutal but true!

@thengwritingstudio3731 2 жыл бұрын

㈩➊➒➊➐➐➌➐➎➒➊➎ Thanks~for watching and commenting don't forget to hit the subscribe button for more WhatsApp..

@Prajwal____ 2 жыл бұрын

1:24 but what, in that 50 following i have, one guy followed me to just steal my music, because he has a good understanding of music and knows my music is good, then...

@HollyMaxam 2 жыл бұрын

I barely have any listeners and some girl stole my song once omg it was the most infuriating thing like wtf bro 💀 what is wrong with people

@dumplingsoverloaded9643 Жыл бұрын

Thank you dude it seems I don't have to worry about my work 😂 coz they probably sound shit.

@TonySeagle Жыл бұрын

All great advice except for pillar #1. If a songwriter is questioning copyrighting a song, they already think it's good. Plus that's a massively negative statement to start with and probably turns a lot of writers off from the get-go. I know you're trying to be honest, but put yourself in the position of a new songwriter who is asking this very question. They typed in "Should I copyright my songs" and your first advice is, not unless it's really good. Your production value on this video is perfect, however if you re-edit it without the unnecessary pillar #1 I have a feeling you'll quadruple your "likes" and "subscribes".

@iy-239 6 ай бұрын

Computers can breakdown, lost or stolen (staff at big corporations can go corrupt) and since nobody is perfect, save yourselves by copyrighting your stuff first (that's for anything) not limited to books or lyrics. Self posting is worthless, what if the tune/works blow-up later and lawyers have more money to fight against family when you're in your coffin?

@jephbennett 5 ай бұрын

1. You're advising paying for insurance against a hypothetical case that's literally one in 10 million chance of occurring for 99.999% of all unsigned musicians. 2. Emailing your song thru a large email service (like Gmail) and posting it privately on your KZfaq channel is a pretty good free insurance policy for most struggling artists' budget. Those companies aren't dying in your career's lifespan, and nobody at either company has the time or interest to sift thru billions of emails and videos to steal some unknown song that less than 1000 people care about. 3. Current registration fees for one song (recording and song authorship) is $65! If one of your crap songs (yes, 95% of all songs written are not worth listening to much less stealing) happens to start "blowing up", you'll see the views/streams rising and you can then pay $65 to protect that ONE song. Instead of spending hundreds every year legally documenting your ownership of tunes nobody but your mom cares about. I am not a prolific songwriter, but I do create about 20 songs each year. That would cost me an average of $1300 per year to copyright. That would be $13k over the last decade. And then multiply that times , say, about 10M songwriters/composers/artists in the US alone....you're suggesting we collectively give $130 BILLION to a copyright office every decade to protect against something that happens less frequently than getting struck by lightening. LMAO. No thanks.

@iy-239 5 ай бұрын

I write more than more than 40 songs a year (with beats/lyrics etc) but I know that not every song has a potential so, you'll deceive yourself to register everything. You can bulk register 50 songs for less than $65 amount. But there're many ways to copyright so its to you.. @@jephbennett

@stuartwrigglesworth9339 4 ай бұрын

Yes i do copyright all the time

@nazeeh7872 3 жыл бұрын

Joe Bob...... Ha ha ha ha!

@thesongwritingstudio5783 3 жыл бұрын

:P watch out for that guy!

@klaytonvonkluge4905 3 жыл бұрын

It wouldn't put it past a mid level producer / artist to grab some newbs ideas; it's kinda like the opposite mentality , they would know the repercussions would be slighter from a Hobbyist musician, if any at all..... not to mention, ideas / songs don't grow on trees, I'm 💯 sure some higher ups at the very least grab an idea , if not note -for- note plagiarism , from many "not as refined " or out right noobs to the musical composition "game", as it were..... Ah! the lovely consequences and predicaments capitalism and the monetary system embellish us with, aye?? ... Smh 😑

@LastREalone Жыл бұрын

right its youtube channel called no jumper where they listen to people music, im like yeah they just going to steal your shit..or get idea or sound..

@Fnelrbnef 10 ай бұрын

But if you invent the sweet child o' mine riff and some dude hears it, realise you're a nobody, takes it and runs. That's pretty bad.

@JesusChrist_IsTruth-LoveForALL Жыл бұрын

Bad advice. Any song can be stolen, no matter how big or how locally unknown you are. Your music has to be really good? Really good is subjective and a basic idea can turn into REALLY good. If you don't mind that your song can get stolen at anytime by anyone, don't copyright. If you have a batch of songs, copyright them all at once for the one lump sum fee. Why wouldn't you?

@lawnmowerman7 2 жыл бұрын

from what i've heard, the poor man's copyright, timestamp thing isn't gonna work in court

@lawnmowerman7 Жыл бұрын

@Johnathan Stone yes, I've read that. they say even if you write the lyrics of a song on a napkin, it's a copyright. but what if 2 people both walk into court, each holding napkins? there has to be proof as to who created it first

@lawnmowerman7 Жыл бұрын

@Johnathan Stone no. I was responding to your comment. How does your quote about what defines a copyright help explain what will and won't prove copyright ownership?

@alexisacevedo8628 3 жыл бұрын

Ha I make black metal music people will never steal my songs IM IMMUSE AHHAHAHAHHAHA

@thengwritingstudio3731 2 жыл бұрын

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@JacksonPierce 3 жыл бұрын

DistroKid is pretty good..so I thought. Until they drop you for no reason and no offer of explanation. Pin this comment. Smh.

@thesongwritingstudio5783 3 жыл бұрын

Hey Jackson! I have heard of a few stories of issues related to DistroKid but my personal experience (for myself and the several artists I have published through DK over the last 4 years) is that we have always had great experiences and would recommend the service to others. I also know that no company is perfect, DK included, so I'm definitely not claming perfection but I do know that if you were to go to CD Baby or TuneCore or any of the other major distributors you would likely also find problems :). For me, DK seems to offer the best price and service across the board in my small opinion & experience so that's why I use with them and recommend them. Hope that helps gives you some perspective on me recommending the DK service. -Dean

@JacksonPierce 3 жыл бұрын

@@thesongwritingstudio5783 I can definitely appreciate speaking from personal experience. I'm also an influencer/reactor on the platform in addition to being an artist. But when you have distributed with a company over a length of time, and out of nowhere you get an email saying you can't any longer, with no explanation, simply saying it is due to the platforms not allowing it, and then I go to other distributors that cost me more money, and have no issues with them or the platforms. At the very least, they should have enough decency and customer service ethic and effort to inform an artist as to why.

@thesongwritingstudio5783 3 жыл бұрын

@@JacksonPierce Hey Jackson, agreed man, that would be super frustrating. Just curious, are you inside the US?

@thengwritingstudio3731 2 жыл бұрын

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@meowchat6175 Жыл бұрын

I'm sorry but you're giving bad advice. Even if you're unknown and your music isn't popular that doesn't mean that it won't get stolen. Anyone with a brain knows that they have to copyright their work even if it stinks because God damn criminals will steal anything!