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How To Sell A Melody
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| alexpea |
I was wondering:
If I want to sell a melody to a pro producer, what do I have to do to get copyright on my melody? If I don't have copyright on it, he might as well just rip the melody. Right?
UPDATE
Btw - here's my melody.
http://www.lydparken.com/download/getfile.asp?fileid=455
Rip it, hate it, love it - I don't care. Music-industry sucks anyway.
:rolleyes: |
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| JoeyEnv |
| Try sending him a 32k bitrate of the melody man. No way he'd rip that. |
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| alexpea |
| Hehe, I can rip all the melodies in the world Joey. If I just hear the melody, I am able to produce it myself. I mean, like typing the MIDI-file :rolleyes: So I guess Lo-Fi can't help much :clown: |
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| State of Matter |
| What do you wanna do that for anyways? You're nearly at a level of production quality that could get labels taking you seriously, you're not gonna get enough money to make it worthwhile to sell a melody, you should just finish the track yourself. |
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| alexpea |
I guess you're right... :rolleyes: I actually got signed some days ago :cool:
But I was just wondering what I need to do to get copyright on my melodies. cuz I don't wanna upload (in this case the most beautiful melody I've ever made) a melody on TA and then someone rips it.
I guess I just have to finish the track and try getting it signed. If not, I will post the melody! Or the track, hehe. Since it's finished by then. |
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| Diginerd |
Copyright and collaborations are a very ticky area.
The old idea of mailing yourself a package with a recording in it to establish a date of copyright, whilst seamingly a good idea is worthless unless done correctly. Who's to say the package wasn't sealed when it was shipped and you slipped in something to back date it.
If you are in the UK you can use special delivery where all the edges have to be signed over prior to shipping. It's not perfect but should be more than enough to help in a case.
By simply creating a melody or arrangement from scratch you actually obtain copyright AT THAT POINT, proving it is a different matter.
If you are really concerned about someone ripping you off then don't deal with them. More often than not a hunch is right. Take it from someone who has been there. It's not worth it. Your options of restitution are limited unless everything is set in stone with a contract prior, and no one is going to sign a contract if they haven't heard the material. Catch 22.
So what to do?
Get to know the person you are dealing with. Ideally get a "Heads of agreement" at a minimum prior to working together, and work out percentages. Everything can be peachy until money gets involved, then people show their true colors very quickly. Again, take it from someone who found out about this the hard way.
Now that said, anyone who make a living doing this (or at least an income) is unlikely to rip you off. It does remain a posibility though.
A) It's not worth it, as it could seriously damage your reputation and the financial penalties can be large if you have deep enough pockets to fight it.
B) If a collaboration prooves to be successful there is a fair chance that you would be working togeher again on the sequal(s).
On the other hand many creative professionals don't like listening (or reading, or watching depending on your field) unsolicted material from people they don't know. How many times have you heard that sone film is a rip off of some unknown guys script that he sent to "A Big Name" 4 years prior. The chances are that the "Big Name" didn't read it at all, and absorbed the same influences and came up with it themselves. They don't read, listen, watch for exactly this kind of submarine litigation.
Mind you even big names screw this up: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2816253.stm
I'm not a copyright lawyer, so if you do have any serious questions you should go and seek professional help (no, not that kind!) but I can give fairly accurate lay advice, but as every advice is worth what you pay for it, so take everything you read (Including this) with a pinch of salt.
Ultimately, if you want to collaborate collaborate, that's one of the neat aspects of modern music. If you don't then do it solo.
From experience teamwork invariably pays off though unless your are supremely (and I mean supremely) gifted in all aspects of music production. That's before you get into what a label and distribution company does for you.. You have to let go at some point if you want anyone to hear what you do.
If you do start talking to peopel at least keep emails (with headers) so you have some evidence. Also remeber that a Fax is legally binding in many territories. But again i mus stress if you feel out of your depth seek professional advice. In the long un it will be worth it. Trust me on that if nothing else.. |
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| alexpea |
To be honest, I didn't read much of that ^^^:rolleyes: Too complicated, and I hate such political use of language.
Just tell me what to do in order to get copyright on my melodies god dammit!! Without getting it signed. |
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| cybernetica |
| quote: | Originally posted by alexpea
I actually got signed some days ago :cool:
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Just want to say: congrats m8! :) |
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| State of Matter |
| quote: | Originally posted by alexpea
Just tell me what to do in order to get copyright on my melodies god dammit!! |
What kind of way is that to talk to someone who's trying to help you? You could atleast ask nicely for a condensed version and not be such a dick about it... |
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| _Marco_ |
| quote: | Originally posted by State of Matter
What kind of way is that to talk to someone who's trying to help you? You could atleast ask nicely for a condensed version and not be such a dick about it... |
+1 that guy just lost his time now |
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| woscar99 |
| quote: | Originally posted by alexpea
To be honest, I didn't read much of that ^^^:rolleyes: Too complicated, and I hate such political use of language.
Just tell me what to do in order to get copyright on my melodies god dammit!! Without getting it signed. |
What the ??? The guy was extremely kind to give you advice from his personal experiences and all you can come up with for a reply was that ??? If you didn't even took the time to thank the guy (let alone read it), then you deserve to get ripped off. :whip: |
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| EtherealSL |
congrats on getting signed :)
hah, let's ask a question, have somebody give you an answer, and then blow that answer off and saying that it was too well written for you, and then requesting a dumbed down verion...
you made yourself look mean AND unintelligent.... c'mon man, shame on you :( |
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