What Every Music Artist Should Know About Copyright
Are you a musician, songwriter, or producer and not sure if your songs are protected by copyright?
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Copyright? Sounds boring or complicated, right? Well, it’s not, if you understand it well. Knowing your rights not only protects your art, it also helps you earn income from every legal use of your music.
What is copyright?
Copyright is a set of laws that protect your original creations: lyrics, compositions, arrangements, beats, recordings, and more. These rights allow you to control how, when, and where your work is used, and also give you the ability to earn royalties when others use it.
Why is it important to protect your music through copyright?
Protecting your music is essential if you want to make a living from your art. By registering your work or working with a publishing company, you make sure no one else can exploit it without you receiving your fair share. You’ll also avoid legal conflicts and start building a professional career, step by step.
What is intellectual property?
Intellectual Property (IP) is the set of rights that protect human-created works. Music is part of it. According to WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization), this includes everything from a song to a logo or a stage name. Protecting your intellectual property is your right and your responsibility as an artist.
The Berne Convention: your music protected worldwide
This international treaty, in force since 1886, guarantees that your work is automatically protected in over 170 countries. Thanks to the Berne Convention, you don’t need to register your work in every country, as long as it’s protected in one member country, it’s protected globally.
What rights do you have as an author?
In general, the European (and Latin American) model divides copyright into:
Moral rights (inalienable):
- The right to be recognized as the author
- The right to decide whether the work is made public
- The right to preserve the integrity of the work
- The right to modify or withdraw the work from the market
Economic rights (patrimonial):
- Reproduction (physical or digital copies)
- Distribution (sales, downloads, streaming)
- Public communication (radio, TV, concerts, social media)
- Transformation (remixes, adaptations, translations)
- Right to remuneration for rental or private copying
How do you make money from copyright?
Every time your song plays on Spotify, YouTube, radio, TV, or at a live event, royalties are generated. You can also earn money when your music is synced in films or commercials. But if you don’t know how to manage your rights, that money can be lost.
Protect your music and collect your royalties with Sepulchral Silence Publishing
Not sure where to start? At Sepulchral Silence Publishing, we’re here to help. We guide emerging songwriters, musicians, and producers in properly registering their works, collecting all their royalties (even international ones!), and protecting their copyrights around the world. Don’t let others take what belongs to you. Join our community of protected and supported creators today.