What Rights Do You Have in a Sound Recording You Play On?
I get many emails every week from musicians around the world asking me questions about the music business. One of the most common questions is: what rights do I have in a recording that I performed on? Whether it’s a song you played on decades ago that was just re-released by your former bandmates, or […]
How to Legally Post Cover Songs to YouTube
YouTube is full of cover songs. From indie artists to toddlers to superstars, some of the most viewed videos on the Internet happen to be of cover songs. In the past week, I’ve been listening to and watching a ton of cover songs of the man himself, Leonard Cohen. [Fun fact: both Cohen’s and Jeff Buckley’s recordings […]
Why the Led Zeppelin Plagiarism Verdict Was Right, and What it Means to You
The Led Zeppelin plagiarism verdict is in. I’ve been watching with baited breath. Not because the Zeppelin tattoos on my arm might have to be covered with long sleeves the rest of my life if they had lost, but because of the deeper impact the decision would have on the music industry and creativity as […]
The Song Remains Similar – Led Zeppelin and the Stairway to Heaven Plagiarism Trial
What constitutes music plagiarism? The line between inspiration and plagiarism is a fine one, and is the crucial distinction when it comes to music plagiarism. As I examined in my article here on the Robin Thicke vs. Marvin Gaye trial, everyone from Shakespeare to the Beatles to Sam Smith has been accused of stealing ideas […]
How Your Music Makes Money (Part Two) – The Songwriting Copyright
How does your music make money in the modern world? While record sales are becoming less and less relevant, revenue streams generated from the Songwriting Copyright have greatly increased. This is because music is being used more now than ever before. This use generates money for the writers of the music. The revenue streams flowing from […]
How Your Music Makes Money (Part One) – The Sound Recording Copyright
The Sound Recording Copyright ain’t what it used to be. Record sales are seriously down, and that’s an understatement. But there are numerous revenue streams that still flow from the Sound Recording Copyright. Are you making the most of your sound recordings? Major transformations in the music industry have occurred in the last decade that have […]
What is an Artist Development Deal, and Should You Sign One?
In the “glory days” of the recording industry (i.e. after Elvis, before the Internet), there was a very common type of deal offered by record labels called the Artist Development Deal, sometimes known as a “Demo Deal”. The idea was fairly simple: if a label liked you but didn’t want to commit fully with a […]
Should Your Band Trademark Your Band Name?
Is it worthwhile for musicians to obtain a band trademark? When you think of bands like The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Metallica, the Ramones, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Aerosmith, KISS, and Iron Maiden, their logos and brands are immediately identifiable and familiar. These brands also happen to be worth millions. The trademark of a band […]
Should Musicians Give Their Producer Songwriting Credit?
A very common question I get asked by my musician friends and clients is whether they should give their producer songwriting credit on songs they’ve produced. This question brings up a key distinction to be drawn between the Songwriting Copyright and the Sound Recording Copyright. Record Points vs. Songwriting Points Rather than give their producer songwriting points, recording artists […]