Songwriting and Copyright

There is plenty of information about songwriting and how to do it to be found in books and the internet. There are even courses on the art of songwriting. However, here are some basic pointers which may help you. First of all consider the style of song, is it to be a ballad, rock, jazz, folk, rap? What markets are you aiming at, is it the charts or Radio 1 or 2 audiences or just audiences to which you perform? If you are looking for a publishing deal most publishers are looking for something that has hit potential which is reasonable because they want to make money. A big difficulty many songwriters experience is choosing the right subject so much so that it is probably half the work of writing lyrics! However, others can be inspired by something and the song almost writes itself – lucky them! There is only one rule regarding writing lyrics - Choose a Subject and keep it Simple, avoid ‘hot’ topics because these will date very quickly. If you collaborate with someone else or require a musician to provide the music you MUST ensure the venture is a 50/50 understanding. For example you have written the lyrics you may require a composer to give you the tune if this is the case then make sure that you and the composer or vice versa have a common understanding that it will be a joint venture with equal shares of any profits. NEVER PAY TO HAVE THE MUSIC PROVIDED UNLESS IT IS YOURS IN THE FIRST PLACE and then make sure that it is clear who owns the copyright for the whole song, i.e. YOU.

As a songwriter/performer COPYRIGHT should be high on your priority list. Think about it, there is a market for just about anything you only need to look at Ebay or go to a car boot sale, why should music be any different?

Right you’ve written your song and you are happy with it. What next? Before you unleash this masterpiece onto the unsuspecting listening public you must ensure that it is properly protected. It is after all your property and you don’t want to hear someone else performing it without you getting the credit or more importantly the dosh! Copyright is a property right given to the creators of original musical, literary, artistic and dramatic works. There is no formal requirement to register a new copyright work. However, it is advised that songwriters and composers take some precautionary steps to prove the existence of their work at a certain date. The copyright period varies but in most cases it will expire seventy years after the year of the death of the composer or last surviving co-writer.

Copyrighting is fairly easy to do, you could ask a solicitor to sign and date a manuscript or deposit a tape or CD at a bank, but there will be a charge.

The simplest way is to send a registered letter containing the tape and or manuscript to yourself and keep it unopened in a safe place, make sure that the post office stamps the envelope seal with a date. Alternatively you can join an organisation such as the Musicians Union or the Guild of international Songwriters who will do it for you.