{"id":5628,"date":"2021-09-24T15:52:17","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T10:22:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalmusicinstitute.in\/?p=5628"},"modified":"2021-09-24T15:52:39","modified_gmt":"2021-09-24T10:22:39","slug":"5-simple-legal-best-practices-for-musicians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalmusicinstitute.in\/v1\/5-simple-legal-best-practices-for-musicians\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Simple Legal Best Practices for Musicians"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a musician, it might surprise you to know that now more than ever, YOU HOLD THE KEY<\/strong> to a lot more control over your creative career. There\u2019s a degree of dialogue and discussion in the music industry that really did not exist previously, which in turn has now opened up opportunities for business that were simply unavailable to many musicians, emerging and experienced alike. To put it simply, things are different now because much of the music industry and business is steadily being demystified by artists, lawyers, managers and experts.<\/p>\n

In the spirit of demystifying jargon and process, here are a few things to bear in mind as you navigate the landscape of rights and legalities surrounding your work and careers. Think of these as basic legal best practices for musicians<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I. Understanding how copyright works and leveraging automatic copyright protection to your benefit<\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\n

As musicians and artists, it\u2019s imperative that you have a working knowledge of how copyright works especially since this is an intellectual property right that is core to your creative career and practice<\/em><\/strong>. If you\u2019re looking for an introduction or primer to understanding copyright, you can start with this post from Songtrust<\/a><\/u> or this tidy little gram-guide from Artistik License<\/a><\/u>.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re familiar with the basics, then you\u2019ll know that copyright is something that can be split up and traded extensively, often making it the foundation for the music industry\u2019s multiple revenue streams, making it an invaluable asset to be protected. How does one protect a copyright<\/strong><\/em> though? By registering it of course. Different countries have different procedures and specifications when it comes to copyright registration, but there is one incredibly important detail worth noting when it comes to copyright registration in several countries including India \u2013 automatic protection or registration.<\/p>\n

\"Workshop<\/a>

Workshop on Legal Aspects of Business at GMI by Manojna Yeluri<\/p><\/div>\n

The principle of automatic protection<\/strong><\/em> or registration (which has its basis in something called the Berne Convention<\/a><\/u>) relies on the idea that you don\u2019t need to comply with any formal registration process in order to claim copyright protection, so long as your work is eligible for copyright protection. What this means is that you do not have to formally approach a body for copyright protection, before being able to claim a copyright over your musical work so long as it is original and fixed in a tangible medium.<\/p>\n

Leveraging this can be a powerful game changer for any artist, allowing you to immediately claim copyright protection over your musical work, lyrical work or sound recording once it\u2019s been articulated in a fixed and tangible way. So if you find that someone has copied or used your song without permission i.e committed copyright infringement, you\u2019re perfectly empowered to state that you have copyright protection over your work; even if you don\u2019t have a formal registration to back it up.<\/p>\n

II. If you\u2019re collaborating with someone, understand and articulate the relationship<\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\n

Collaboration is an incredibly important part of the creative process, and has resulted in some really impactful musical works. However, collaboration when viewed from a business and legal sense can assume different forms and so it\u2019s very important to be able to distinguish and understand what these relationships are.<\/p>\n

Ask yourself and your collaborator what kind of relationship<\/strong><\/em> this is \u2013 are you coming on board as a session or contributing musician? Are you coming onboard to arrange the music? Are you keen to collaborate as a producer, with your beats significantly impacting the sound of the final track?<\/p>\n

All of the above can take on different collaborative relationships including;<\/p>\n