Advice on releasing music (original and covers)

[Max Nawas]

Hey everyone,

 

I've recently written and recorded a song. Or to be more specific, a parody. I plan on releasing that later this year on the usual streaming platforms, like Spotify and Apple Music etc, and I'm also planning on releasing it on YouTube, with a video to accompany it.

 

I've never done this before, so I need a bit of information. Because it's a parody that I've written and not an original song, what do I have to do in order to release this parody without getting a copyright strike? Are there any certain settings I have to put in? Do I have to do things differently on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube etc? What do I do?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Max

[Peggy]

Hi Max,  

 

2 hours ago, Max Nawas said:

What do I have to do in order to release this parody without getting a copyright strike? Are there any certain settings I have to put in?

 

Depends on the application of the four fair use factors. 

 

https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/more-info.html#:~:text=Section 107 of the Copyright,may qualify as fair use.

 

https://copyrightalliance.org/is-my-parody-fair-use/

 

Good luck on your release! 

 

Peggy

[Mwangi]

Here are some tips for releasing music, both original and cover songs:

Develop a plan: Before you start releasing music, it's important to have a clear plan in place. This should include things like what type of music you want to release, how you will promote it, and who your target audience is.

Choose the right platform: There are many platforms available for releasing music, including streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, as well as online marketplaces like Bandcamp and iTunes. Choose the platform that best fits your needs and target audience.

Promote your music: Once you have released your music, it's important to promote it to reach as many people as possible. This can include things like social media marketing, email marketing, and partnering with blogs and music review sites.

Be consistent: Consistency is key when it comes to releasing music. Try to release new music regularly and be consistent with your branding and marketing efforts.

Collaborate with other artists: Collaborating with other artists can help expose your music to new audiences and can also lead to more creative and unique sounds.

Protect your work: It's important to protect your work as an artist, especially if you are releasing original music. This can include registering your music with a performing rights organization, such as ASCAP or BMI, and copyrighting your music.

Have fun: Ultimately, the most important thing is to have fun and enjoy the process of creating and releasing music. This will help you stay motivated and inspired, and will likely result in better quality music as well.

[Glammerocity]

YouTube's copyght process is difficult to fathom. As much as the fair use law exists, it doesn't seem to be much of a consideration.

 

I make mashups and lockdown meant my output went right up. None have ever had a strike, though some have been blocked, either in a few countries or worldwide. Sometimes the algorithm will detect something and sometimes the copyright owner asks for a video to be removed.

 

I had one with Dreamcatcher and Dua Lipa, which was blocked. I'd mashed both of those before without issue. When I checked the details of the block, there were two sections highlighted, which I noticed were both a little over 30 seconds each of continuous video. I edited both sections to switch between the videos for one cut, then the mashup passed. So I took 30 seconds to be a guideline, though I've seen some mashups which have just used one video.

 

The copyright strikes I've seen mentioned seem to come from videos using compilations of clips from TV shows - crack videos and the like. Sometimes they're fine but one of the guides of fair use is that a clip has a form of critique, so the common method of adding a meme after the clip might adhere to that.

 

Some bands are ok with an audio mashup but not video - there are lots of ACDC ones with the Thunderstruck video but it's difficult to find others - I managed to get one passed which uses two different videos of Back in Black but I kept the clips short. It could be the algorithm didn't spot it and the company hasn't found it yet.

 

I recently had an old one blocked but I had two copies of it, one of a higher quality, when I switched from 720p to 1080p, which was in a playlist and that's still there. Conversely, I had a Done Henley one which was blocked worldwide, audio and video, no matter what I did. I uploaded it to another site instead, so haha, Don.

 

TL;DR: Adhering to fair use and including one of those copyright disclaimers might not help, because YouTube seems to apply a takedown when requested, then let you try to get it lifted. Consider that the companies who request takedowns, rather than just a strikeless block, have teams of lawyers, then ask yourself if it's worth the fight.