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Songwriting Essentials

Everything you always wanted to know about songwriting and the music industry in Ireland

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Copyright

The links below are to PDF documents (articles abstracted from external websites and presented in PDF document format for convenience) with the exception of the first entry which lists a series of You-Tube videos setting out the basics of music copyrights and royalties

  • Basics of Music Copyrights and Royalties (excellent DISC MAKERS series)
  • (a) Introducing the basic concepts of music copyrights and royalties
  • (b) Should I “officially” copyright my song?
  • (c) How Do I Get Paid if I Own the Sound Recording?
  • (d) How do I collect mechanical royalties for my songs?
  • (e) How to collect Performance Royalties
  • (f) Neighbouring Rights and How U.S. Artists Lose Out
  • (g) How does sync licensing work? 
  • Copyright or face the consequences (ISA article)
  • Copyright law (UK)
  • Copyright law suits
  • Copyright notices
  • How to copyright a song (U.S. Copyright Office) 
  • Protecting copyright
  • Registering copyright
  • Copyright – traditional songs and melodies
  • Original master recordings – who owns the rights?
  • Music sampling and copyright law
  • Common questions about copyright
  • Commercial music users and copyright
  • Copyright infringement: “Blurred Lines” vs. “Got to give it up”
  • Copyright – Agreement between Co-authors (collaborators)
  • Songwriting Partnership Agreement (suggested model)
George Harrison

George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” was the subject of a ten year copyright legal wrangle
because of its similarity to the Chiffons’ “He’s So Fine”

  • Home
  • Key Information
  • Songwriting Course
  • Music Publishing
  • Art of Songwriting
  • Business of Songwriting
  • Disc Makers Resources
  • Promoting Your Music
  • Organisations
  • Royalties & Other Income
  • Fact Sheets
  • Copyright
  • Miscellaneous
  • Chart Info
  • Useful Forms
  • Links
  • Site Index

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