Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Bojangles
Thank you KevWind, you have addressed and answered my questions and concerns. I have an offer to record and get some radio air play for a few of my songs. I just don't know if the airplay and public exposure is worth the risk of losing assignment rights. My own performances are not good enough to make me famous or wealthy, but a couple of the songs themselves are pretty good (in my humble opinion), and are frequently requested when I play in public. I just don't want to lose control over who I might want to grant recording permission to down the road. I keep getting requests for CD's, but I don't distribute any for the same reason, and also because I'm not satisfied with my recording abilities.
Thanks to everyone for their advice. I find this to be a very complicated subject, which is probably why there are attorneys who specialize in it.
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Thanks but I am not sure I have really helped as you still seem a bit confused.
First in full disclosure I am not a copyright lawyer . While trying to get a publishing deal I personally studied and attended several seminars on the subject. So while I do have a basic working knowledge (maybe just enough to be dangerous
)
.First..... Let's take any emotion out of the equation. Again to clarify published or not, objectively you have no practical logistical control over who might "record" your song. So "permission to record" is in practical terms meaningless to begin with.
Objectively I have to admit I am completely baffled buy your concern over someone performing or recording your songs.
Let's use a couple hypotheticals ---- So you go ahead and record and get some radio airplay.
Then:
# 1 Joe Schmuck and the Tear Jerkers perform your song at Bubba's Bar in Left Field, Wyoming ( or even at Radio City NYC) .. What possible downside do you perceive as being possible ?
#2 You register you song with the Harry Fox agency or similar entity , and Joe Schmuck and the Tear Jerkers record a cover of you song, pay the mechanical rights fees to HF or other, and make 2k CDs with you listed as the songwriter in the credits .
So the question is what possible "downside" do you perceive as being possible with either of these happening ?
Again from an objective view . Do you play any covers in public ? if you do then what is the possible downside for the author of not having control over you doing that or not ??????????????????????
I guess I am also confused because if you do not want anyone performing or recording/distributing your songs then-----not only should you not publish them, but you yourself should also
never play them in public.