Reminder: Copyright laws & guidelines
Copyright is getting stricter than ever on the platforms we use everyday, YouTube, Soundcloud, and even Facebook. It’s important to make sure you follow copyright guidelines and laws so you don’t find yourself with a strike or even loss of an account. The biggest question we get is why did my Remix get removed? . It’s pretty simple when it comes down to it, in most cases, permission was never sought or granted. Now we know this isn’t going to stop artists from dropping bootlegs, flips, and unofficial remixes. So how do you get around it? Well in some cases you just can’t but most major releases are registered with Publishing companies in which you can pay for a compulsory mechanical license to create your own Remix or Cover of the song. Protecting you from a potential copyright strike.
In many cases these mechanical licenses are pennies on the dollar. So if you wanted to use the vocals or melody, it’s best to get a mechanical license which also in many cases gives you the right to sell your version on retailers and streaming services. We recommend using Harry Fox Agency. We can distribute covers on Jamvana, if you haven’t signed up, sign up here.
Brush up on copyright on the follow sites below:
Soundcloud
YouTube
Facebook
Here’s a guide on Legalzoom for what you need to know about Posting Cover songs on YouTube, read it here.
We know copyright is confusing, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you need more clarity. Contact us.