mp3.com

  • Thread starter Thread starter Whyte Ice
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Whyte Ice

The Next Vanilla Ice
I want to get my music out but the thought of people stealing my music and putting their name on it is the one thing that is stopping me from spreading my music around. I want people to hear my music and see what I'm able to do. My opinion of one of my tunes is always first but a second opinion wouldn't hurt at all.

The whole copyright process just takes too long and I don't want to do it with every song.

I've seen lots of musicians/artists setting up a page at mp3.com and places like that and putting their music up to hear but what I want to know is if I get an mp3.com account and put my stuff up on it, can people steal it and call it their own? Isn't it just having it up good enough?

I don't want any replies saying "are your songs even that good?", "why are you so paranoid?" and such comments like that. My songs are really close to my heart and thought of knowing someone out there is using a song that you wrote and calling it their own would just push me over the limit.
 
All rights on a song are still yours, aeven if publishing anywhere. But a possible problem could be to proof that you're the copyright owner if someone should steal the song. So you should do something to have a proof if this should happen, e.g. sending a seal copy to yourself (don't open it when it arrives), the stamp by the post office (containing the date of sending) could be such a proof. In the US you can also register your song material to a register service. Dunno how it's called, but if I remember well MP3.comn offers this as service for their artists too....

Hope this helps
- Ulli -
 
Whyte Ice said:


...The whole copyright process just takes too long and I don't want to do it with every song...


...I don't want any replies saying "are your songs even that good?", "why are you so paranoid?" and such comments like that. My songs are really close to my heart and thought of knowing someone out there is using a song that you wrote and calling it their own would just push me over the limit.
Click to expand...

If you are serious and the songs are that close to your heart and you are concerned about it, then registering for copyright should not be so troublesome. It is the only way to LEGALLY protect your songs. Don't send yourself copies, don't have a witness sign a document saying that they know the song is yours, etc. If cost is an issue, and as you say, you don't want to do it for every song, then resgister as a collection. I'm sorry, but if your songs are good enough to steal, then you are ready to play the game like the big boys; do the same thing the big boys do to protect their songs: copyright them. Simple as that.
 
I was confused on the "mail to yourself" thing for a while. This is actually something that the U.S. Copyright office suggests to people applying for a copyright. The only thing it does is give a date on which the material can be assumed to be yours. It gives you more of a legal leg to stand on, because the Copyright office says that it takes approx. 8 months to recieve your documents once you register.

If you are afraid of someone stealing your song, then I would suggest you copyright the individual songs. That might be the only way you get any sleep at night. If you copyright a collection, that does not protect you from people stealing the songs on the collection (album), it just protects you from someone copying that album and redistributing it (possibly for personal profit). A lot of people have different opinions about this. Take the time to research this yourself if it is that important to you.

Just putting your songs on MP3.com or another site gives you no protection at all. The only thing you have is the personal satisfaction of knowing that you wrote and performed the song/s.

I have a few questions for you. What is your intent with your songs? Do you want to make money off of them? Do you just want people to hear them? Would you be upset is someone stole them or would you be upset if someone stole them and made money off them?
 
Capokid said:
I was confused on the "mail to yourself" thing for a while. This is actually something that the U.S. Copyright office suggests to people applying for a copyright. The only thing it does is give a date on which the material can be assumed to be yours. It gives you more of a legal leg to stand on, because the Copyright office says that it takes approx. 8 months to recieve your documents once you register...
Click to expand...

Um, can you post a link to something that shows the LOC suggests this?
 
No offense, because I don't mean any malice when I say this but...

THE MAILING SONGS TO YOURSELF THING IS BULLSHIT!!!!!

This is just one of those urban myths that is perpetuated by inexperienced musicians. Please, if you care about your music as much as you say you do, do things the right way.

I'm not saying that you couldn't waltz into a courtroom and dazzle a jury, judge and opposing attorneys with your sealed envelope, but there is a reason why the government has copyright protection for those that seek it.
 
what does it cost or what do you need to do to legally copywrite your songs?
 
copyright site

heres a link to a copyright site that was sent to me by a home recording user (sorry i cant remember your name...)
http://www.bpmlegal.com/copyqa.html
hope it helps.
my problem is that when i go to MP3.com to post my songs, it says i need a UPC code off the cd to post them. i dont have a UPC code, i burned the cd myself..
any suggestions anybody?
 
Don't worry about your music being on mp3.com. A bad contract with a label or management company is what you should really watch out for! That kind of damage is a lot more than a few people taking your music for free.

dave @ kathode ray
www.indiebiz.com - free music promo tips
 
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