Who gets to hear your recordings?

[klasaine]

These days, as long as you upload to a site (SoundCloud, SoundClick, Bandcamp, youtube, etc.) that has a date stamp on it, you can at least show that 'you' were there first.

The best, and most sure way is still to register the lyrics and melody and/or the 'sound recording' with the US Copyright Office.

*The reality though is that none of us here are Bob Dylan, Cole Porter, or Jimi Hendrix, and the likelyhood of someone stealing our music and turning it into gold (to semi-quote John Stewart) is probably very very slim. Sorry, but come on ...

 

[drewg]

Pretty much all my music is linked in my sig.

Hey man, don’t look now, but someone stole your sig!

 

[drewg]

*The reality though is that none of us here are Bob Dylan, Cole Porter, or Jimi Hendrix, and the likelyhood of someone stealing our music and turning it into gold (to semi-quote John Stewart) is probably very very slim. Sorry, but come on ...

To quote a great musician/singer/songwriter, “Just because I’m paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re not after me…”

 

[Heartbreaker_Esq]

Unless something has changed (and maybe it has?); this isn’t the case, here in the USA.

If I write a tune and don’t record and register it for copyright, somebody else who hears it can follow the same process and call it his/her/their own. And make money off of the song. It’s an uphill battle on the real songwriter’s part to prove wrongdoing unless he or she has documented proof of authorship.

A “poor man’s copyright”, in the past, involved recording the song on a tape or CD, mailing it to yourself in a package with a postal date stamped on it, and not opening it. I suppose a modern day equivalent would be to make a recording on your DAW, which would include the date it was recorded. But I don’t know if someone can change that original digitally recorded date or not. Either method would require a recording. The official copyright certificate makes it that much more legit.

At least…that’s been my understanding for decades. Definitely would like to know about it if I’ve been wrong. As is; I’ll never perform or put a non copyrighted piece out there for the public to hear.

None of the things you are talking about here (registering with copyright office, mailing to yourself, etc.) are necessary or even helpful in obtaining copyright protection. Again, as a legal matter, you get all the rights associated with copyright simply by fixing your composition in a tangible medium.

These date-focused methods you are discussing here are just about proving your copyright in the event of a dispute. And don't get me wrong, as a lawyer, I get wanting to have good evidence in advance. But how likely is it really that someone is going to "steal" your song, and do it in a way that is so prominent or successful that you are going to have to file a lawsuit where this kind of evidence is necessary?

I agree with @spindizzy23 that this is all a bit paranoid, and you are hurting yourself by putting less of your music in the world, on the basis of this very unlikely set of circumstances.

 

[Heartbreaker_Esq]

You do.
Welcome to The Loving Arms, we're always open!

(Olympic white Partsquire at the ready.)

This is phenomenal, by the way. I'm listening to the whole record right now, and it's excellent.

 

[suthol]

We applied to the local registering authorities and were allocated a unique international registration ID which becomes part of the ISRC code which is imbedded in the metadata.

This not only confirms ownership but provides a path for payment of royalties and streams

 

[drmordo]

You do.
Welcome to The Loving Arms, we're always open!

(Olympic white Partsquire at the ready.)

This is phenomenal, by the way. I'm listening to the whole record right now, and it's excellent.

I've only heard the first track so far, but wow, great tune!

 

[Lou Tencodpees]

Oh heck, since we're sharing. This is one of my tracks I did in my home hobby studio. It was born out of the little orchestral bit at the beginning of the track.

#September by Larry Ocwieja

The best independent music community on the net. Listen to music, buy and sell beats and albums. #September

soundclick.com

 

[Heartbreaker_Esq]

Oh heck, since we're sharing. This is one of my tracks I did in my home hobby studio. It was born out of the little orchestral bit at the beginning of the track.

#September by Larry Ocwieja

The best independent music community on the net. Listen to music, buy and sell beats and albums. #September

soundclick.com

Well damn, this is great too! Love the base acoustic tone, and the vocals have a great tone too.

What can you tell us about Soundclick for hosting/sharing music? I tried to look into it when you mentioned it earlier, but everything I read about it only talks about buying and selling beats. How is it for more traditional Soundcloud-like uses?

 

[drewg]

Oh heck, since we're sharing. This is one of my tracks I did in my home hobby studio. It was born out of the little orchestral bit at the beginning of the track.

#September by Larry Ocwieja

The best independent music community on the net. Listen to music, buy and sell beats and albums. #September

soundclick.com

Really nice song! It feels like the month. I like the orchestral part at the beginning, too

 

[Lou Tencodpees]

What can you tell us about Soundclick for hosting/sharing music? I tried to look into it when you mentioned it earlier, but everything I read about it only talks about buying and selling beats. How is it for more traditional Soundcloud-like uses?

I find Soundclick as easy or even easier than Soundcloud for hosting these types of tracks. Back in the day I think they were limited to only MP3 uploads, you can upload 24 bit now if you want. Unlike Soundcloud I haven't hit any upload limit.

 

[drewg]

Enjoying this thread! The varieties of intentions of each songwriter influence how and with whom they share. Here are mine…

I started writing songs in 2015, the offspring of picking up guitar again after a 10 year hiatus, and of a lifetime of reading and writing fiction, long before I could finger a chord. Writing songs and playing guitar have got me through some trying times during these years. In that way, I don’t need to share them with anyone except with a few family members and friends. They are my medicine.

My recordings so far are guitar and voice and no other instruments. I have no pretensions of producing professional quality recordings because my production skills are rudimentary, my timing is inconsistent and my music and voice skills are limited. I don’t imagine thousands of listeners downloading my songs for being a polished, finished project, because they’re not. But in my estimation, they’re good songs, with decent lyrics and some catchy choruses.

I do want to get my songs out there, but through other performers and musicians. If a few listeners out there like voice and guitar simplicity, maybe I could get a few listens. But mostly, I think they would spread further through the hands and lungs of a good band and singer.

I did share one song with a female singer of a nearby band. She recorded a beautiful version, quite different from how I intonate, but clearly a better, finished product. That’s the path I can foresee for me, finding interested performers looking for good, original material, that they can polish and interpret as they see fit.

 

[Lazloryder]

Ultimately I do it for me, but I share it with the world.

With recording and distribution being so accessible now adays, there is so much creativity out there and amazing new artists that would have never been heard before. In my opinion, we are in the golden age of NEW MUSIC, superior to previous eras. I'm not saying that all new music is good, I'm saying we have tons of awesome new music out there if you just look (and listen).

 

[Dik Ellis]

I put some home recordings on Number1Music. They aren't perfect, but the passion is there. You just want the listener to get the essence of the song.

 

[Skully]

I'm making harder for myself now because I insist that there must be a video to go with the song, and I keep upping the stakes.

I started working on a video for a song earlier this year, using a rough mix with a temp vocal. The intro includes an animated logo and the opening shots of a fake 1990s indie film, which needed their own short pieces of music. When I got to the chorus, I stopped because I didn't like the vocal or the lead guitar in the spot.

Now, the lead guitar chorus is done and the vocals are almost locked, so I'm read to get back into the video hardcore, because it stars fashion dolls and action figures, and I want to have it done in time for the hype surrounding the release of the "Barbie" movie. In reality, it hardly matters, because when I finally do put it out there, not many will hear/see it (most of them are likely to be in this forum) and fewer will care. But I will know that I did something that is all mine, a completed creative project/vision that no one can take away from me.

 

[Mr Doubleshots]

I started writing songs in earnest when my girlfriend dumped me in 1980. Got a Teac reel-to-reel 4-track and made some recordings in my basement. 1999 I put together a song on my computer for an Elliott Murphy tribute CD. Elliott liked it. 2013 I retired, bought a music computer, interface and other bits and started making music. All 20 or so songs since (the completed ones) have been released through Reverbnation and are on YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, etc. Some of the 1980's 4-tracks I had converted to digital and "fixed" them up for release. So far I've made about $10-15 from plays and downloads! I don't know how some of you get thousands of plays. I get more likes from my FaceBook "friends" when I post pictures of turtles. I've tried submitting for licensing but so far, nada. I thought it would be really cool to hear one of my songs in a movies or commercial. One of my songs with a video I was sure would be a viral hit because it was funny and had a Halloween vibe is my biggest "hit" with about 1500 views. It was used in one of the worst movies ever made (at least in the top 10). I've pushed that song the most. A funny Christmas song & video (released under a nom de plume because I didn't want to be known only for funny holiday songs) has about about 800 views. I did intro/exit music for my wife's painting demonstration videos and they have about a thousand views. I love the recording process but realized it's a lot of work for little reward, either monetary or adulation(!). Plus, you spend 30 minutes playing the guitar and 3 months getting the rest of the song together and your guitar playing starts to get pretty rusty. I'm back to trying to play the guitar with people. My songs are pretty old school so don't really fit the current thing. I do have a guy in the Phillipines that has one of my songs in his playlist and listens at least once a month. I think that's pretty cool!

 

[chulaivet1966]

I put some home recordings on Number1Music. They aren't perfect, but the passion is there. You just want the listener to get the essence of the song.

Howdy Dik....

OK....I get that...but only to a point.

In the context of this thread we (as creators) have to research and discern whether there is respectable listening demographic for the genre that we project in our song writing?
ls our song writing material too cliche, too prosaic, too quirky, aggressively unmusical, not well recorded, no memorable musical or chorus hook, poorly performed with little obvious effort put into it?....our gracious listeners will make those determinations.
These are questions I've asked myself in my 4+ decades of only writing.

So....the most important & most determining criteria to me is:
"will any listeners think my material is appealing enough to listen to repeatedly over time?"
If not, well....there's a reality check message in that which anyone can interpret as they wish.

That's my take on it....back to it.

 

[ScottTunes]

I've been playing since 1963 - guitar, piano, bass, drums, in support of singing. Beginning with folk music, until the Beatles hit! I think I began composing in the late 60s...

I began recording in the early 70s with two crappy mics and a TEAC 1/4" stereo reel to reel... Eventually added a good Electro-Voice mic, and a cassette player/recorder to bounce tracks with the reel deck...

It would be at least be a decade before adding an 8 track Fostex reel recorder. That helped the recordings sound much better!!

The music story (and career) is long, and complicated, as many of you know from your own struggles. A mid to late 70s touring cover band cured me of ever wanting to travel in support of music. A Chicago (home) Blues band was the best thing that ever happened to me musically! I was with them for 17 years - ended due to moving to the West coast.

Having heard some great music here, I'd love to share my "Brit/Blues/Latin/Vintage Pop" record with ya:



I recorded this record over a period of years and different gear. I had it "Mastered" by a good mastering engineer near me. Then, through CD Baby, it's been posted/listed "EVERYWHERE!" Haha!! I made all of $25 over the last 2.5 years! Whew! Good thing it's not about the money!!!

Checks and cash welcome! Haha!!!

 

[Martin R]

We record our original music. We're a little to old to hit the road, so the hope is someone will hear a cut and cover it.
Somebody has to be first.

 

[gitapik]

These days, as long as you upload to a site (SoundCloud, SoundClick, Bandcamp, youtube, etc.) that has a date stamp on it, you can at least show that 'you' were there first.

The best, and most sure way is still to register the lyrics and melody and/or the 'sound recording' with the US Copyright Office.

*The reality though is that none of us here are Bob Dylan, Cole Porter, or Jimi Hendrix, and the likelyhood of someone stealing our music and turning it into gold (to semi-quote John Stewart) is probably very very slim. Sorry, but come on ...

Early in my career, I was collaborating with a partner. Duo fingerstyle and classical pieces. Originals and covers.

These two guys heard us at a cafe and gave us their card. Said they worked for a small but well known record label in our world of fingerstyle guitar. Don’t need to put the name out, here. Said they loved our music and would like to record some of our tunes for free. Professional studio. Get us active on a larger, multi-state circuit. Possibly an album if the bosses liked our stuff enough. We were thrilled…and very young/naive.

Long story short: We recorded a few tunes, left the studio, and never heard from them again. When we drove to the studio to find out why; it was gone. Cleared out.

We asked around and turns out that label had gone out of business. And when we told a couple of pros about it, they asked if the songs were copyrighted. When we said no, they shook their heads and advised us to do that right away with all of our tunes and anything else we’d write in the future.

Did they make any $$$ off our tunes? No idea. But they literally left town with them on their fresh tapes.

Every little bit helps when you’re a working musician. You put yourself out there in as many ways as possible. It’s not about being wildly successful. It’s about taking and being given credit for the art form you’ve dedicated your life to. Posting your music on some of the songwriter sites is one way of doing that. You need to have proof of copyright to do that with the one I’m on (Songtradr). At this point, when I’m no longer looking for gigs or seriously self promoting, it’s like trawling for deep water trout. Be nice to get a bite but not the end of the world if not.