I bet you have written a song and are wondering whether to trust TuneCore copyright.
Writing music is not easy and it is important to protect the rights of ownership.
Placing it in a safe hand is even more complex than writing. But not to worry, let’s highlight some facts about Tunecore copyright that may interest you.
When you go through the US copyright act, you will get clauses explaining copyright laws.
The law states that once a person composes a song and records it in any medium like a CD, the law protects their right to own the song.
Notably, if you go ahead and register your copyright with the Congress library, the ownership becomes a public record.
The advantage of registering with the Congress library is that if your copyright is stolen or compromised, you have a strong case and can claim compensation.
Does Tunecore Copyright My Music?
Tunecore doesn’t own any copyright to your music. Don’t worry because, according to the US copyright law, when you compose a song, write or record it, it is yours.
If you dream of writing and recording music, go ahead and do it. Take it to the TuneCore copyright, and the song is yours.
Must I Copyright My Music Before I Distribute It To The TuneCore?
No. You don’t have to register your copyrights with the government before using TuneCore. The US copyright law states that when you put your song in any medium, then the music is copyrighted.
Though most people like to register their music before distributing it to the TuneCore, it is not a must to do it. They do it for their peace of mind; they probably feel their music is safe when copyrighted first.
NB; if you register your copyright with the Congress library, the ownership is made a public record.
If anything goes wrong and you find your music copyrighted or stolen, then you can easily sue the perpetrators and get monetary benefits.
Yes, you can make the difference. Let me explain to you for a better understanding. Note that composition has two sets of rights: writers and publishers.
For the writer’s share, the song’s composer gets the copyright automatically because they own the piece.
However, the publisher’s share is the share of the revenue. For instance, if you record with TuneCore, they get the admin rights as the publishing administrator.
Though the composer has all the rights to the song, they can pass them to the publishing company.
The composer and the publisher should sign a publishing deal in this case. The deal allows the publisher to get the loyalty and issue licences.
He is covered under the publishing deal to do so. As a composer, note that you are not passing ownership of your music to the publisher. You are only giving them the right to administer your songs.
Thus, as a composer, you will benefit from royalties collected when your music is distributed worldwide.
An agreement to give the publisher rights is made through direct registration. The registration is done through your local Pro and other income sources globally.
Is There A Difference Between A Songwriter And A Performer?
Yes, there is a difference. A songwriter is responsible for composing and writing the lyrics of the music. A performer is the one who performs or the band that performs.
For instance, if you look at the song “bad boys”, the original composer is Ian Lewis, who founded the inner circle band. The song has been performed and re-done by many artists who are only the performers.
In this case, the songwriter and the performer are all entitled to royalties and rights though they are different.
Can I Differentiate Composition And Sound Recording?
There is a big difference between a composition and a sound recording.
As a composer, when you write or create music, that music may have lyrics or not. Such music is called composition.
Now, when you record music, you include beats, guitar, vocals and things like that. That recording of the music you composed is called composition.
For instance, the song “Run to Me” was written by Robin, Barry and Gibb. They are the original composers.
Andy Williams recorded the song and used IBC Studio for recording. That means the owner of the song is Robin, Barry and Gibb, whereas the IBC Studio owns the sound recording.
How Can I describe a Music Publishing Administrator?
A music publishing administrator is responsible for collecting money for your music.
When you write or compose a song and take it to the publishing administrator, it is used commercially. Thus, you are entitled to loyalties that the publishing administrator ensures reaches your pocket.
I should let you know that once you sign the administration deal, you retain the ownership of your song 100%.
However, if you use TuneCore as your publishing administrator, it licenses, registers and collects the royalties. They do this on behalf of your compositions to ensure that all the money is collected.
Since they are paying you to distribute your music, the money they collect is extra revenue. As a composer, you get double benefits.
Do I Earn Different Incomes As A Composer?
When composing a song, you want to earn as much money as possible. That’s the reason you are writing the music anyway.
Well, yes, you earn different incomes as a composer. These are;
- You get mechanical Royalties from digital downloads, ringtones, etc.
- Synchronization Licensing fees are from the TV, commercials, Films, etc.
- Broadcast Royalties and public performances are the ones you get from the radio, live concerts, if your music is played in bars, gyms, restaurants, etc.
- Print Royalties are the ones a songwriter gets from songbooks, etc.
What If They Stream My Composition? Do I get Paid?
If your song is streamed, then you are paid. There are two main ways you get your money, and these are:
Interactive Streaming
You may have seen people downloading music from Spotify, Youtube, Apple Music, etc. When they do it, they choose how they want to listen to that music.
They can look forward, pause or do whatever they feel comfortable with. That earns you money through;
- Performance Royalty. Your PRO* collects this.
- Mechanical Streaming Royalty. If your publishing administrator is TuneCore, then they collect these royalties.
- Sound Recording Royalty. TuneCore collects it
Non-interactive Streaming
Non-interactive doesn’t allow the user to download, forward or pause your music. They can only listen to music the way it is.
You can identify this in the case of listening to a radio. Some examples of such are Pandora, Slacker and the likes.
With non-interactive streaming, you earn through;
- A Performance royalty (for the composition) that your PRO* is responsible for collecting.
- A Performance royalty (for sound recording) that Sound Exchange collects and pays to the artists.
What If The Composition Is Not My Original? Can I submit It To The Publishing Administration?
You cannot submit a composition that is not yours. All the compositions that TuneCore accepts should be original.
If you submit music that is not yours, the TuneCore company will not accept it.
Thus, when submitting music to any public company, ensure it is original. That will give you all the writer’s rights and enable you to earn royalties and benefit from your music.
