One of the most essential, yet occasionally overlooked pieces of becoming a professional musician is ensuring your musical creations are copyrighted. Not only does this protect you from theft or fraud, it registers the song or album as a unique, singular creation which can never be duplicated or repeated. From the U.S. to around the globe, there are a number of methods to safely and effectively copyright your property.
Moving hand in hand with the ongoing increased online convenience in today’s industry, the U.S. Copyright Office allows artists to register and protect their music right over the internet. Using the eCO Online System, you can create an account, specific to your property and begin the process of copyrighting your hard earned success. eCO provides a tutorial, help system, and a complete walk through of the process, but you should still be careful while registering, making certain everything is completed completely and accurately.
After finishing the online form and double checking all of the info, eCo utilizes a simple online checkout process, wrapping everything up cleanly and swiftly. Of course, nothing in this world is free, right? The U.S. Copyright Office charges $35.00 for an online registration, after which you’ll receive a confirmation email with further instructions. Finally, the form must be printed and mailed in with a physical CD, or a digital upload if that’s easier for you. For those not particularly internet savvy, you can also complete a hard copy of the form to mail into the Library of Congress, which costs $50.00.
Once the forms and music are sent off, all that’s really left to do is wait. It usually takes about six months up to one year for processing, but once this is done, you’re officially registered and protected. When mailing anything into the Library of Congress, be sure to use a shipping method with tracking numbers or confirmation, providing back up proof of your submission.
So in the end, what’s the fuss about copyrighting? The largest aspect is the protection copyrights offer you, guaranteeing a song or record is forever 100% yours. If anyone attempts to rip off one of your registered creations, the penalties can be quite high, and a lawyer can file a formal criminal complaint against the offender. Aside from all the legal jargon, copyrights also allow artists to copy, distribute, perform, and display the products at will, maximizing the ability to promote and spread their music.
The music business can easily become a harsh place to fight for success, and copyrighting your tunes is another important way to establish yourself as a professional musician. Once an album is ready for release, check out the eCo system and see if it’s the right choice for you, as everyone’s career path is unique. My Free Copyright.com is another method to register single songs, but doesn’t provide grounds for seeking damages on an infringement. Remember, writing exceptional music is always the priority, but one can never ignore the realities of the digital world we currently all live in.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
What's Hot On 50 Cent
His thirst to take over led him to start his own record label and clothing line, G-Unit, act in feature films and provide voice-over for popular video games. Not to mention owning 10% of Vitamin Water, later purchased by Coca Cola for $ 4.1 billion dollars. This man gets paid.
A true survivor, 50 Cent grew up on the mean streets of South Jamaica Queens, New York where he sold drugs at the age of twelve during the 1980's crack epidemic. He was raised by his grandmother after his mother was killed, and he was shot nine times in front of his home on May 14, 2000. His survival gave the rapper a controversial and somewhat mythical image. His remarkable story propels him to continue making hits and building his own fortune.
In 2003, 50 Cent released his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. It was an instant success, selling over 870,000 copies within 4 days. Interscope quickly granted him his own record label, G-Unit Records, that same year. While working with the emerging artists on his label, 50 released his sophomore album, The Massacre. It featured hits like "Just a Lil Bit" and "Candy Shop" featuring Olivia, the only lady on G-Unit records. His sophomore album was a hit, selling over 5 million copies and garnering a Grammy nomination for rap album of the year in 2005.
He lost that year to Kanye West, and the record breaking rappers did the legendary cover of "Rolling Stone." Both rappers had albums that dropped on September 11th, and the release was played up by the media as a rivalry. However, they both have made it clear that it is nothing more than friendly competition.
50 Cent has been keeping busy traveling around to promote his new self-titled third album, Curtis. It is another club banging, story telling, boastful 50 Cent classic. This album was highly anticipated by fans everywhere who wanted to know what was on the rapper's mind after letting go of Olivia, publicly beefing with rapper, Cameron, and competing with Kanye West in album sales. It alsoshows fans a different side of the rapper, a more sensual side, with songs like "Amusement Park," which we can assure you is not a place for kids.
50 Cent promises fans that this year will be a big year. In addition to promoting his album, he recently launched his own film production company, G-Unit Films. He has been working on a feature film with Nicolas Cage, called "The Dance," and is set to star opposite Robert DeNiro in "Righteous Kill." With a production company, a record deal and several other business ventures under his belt, it is plain to see that there is a lot more to this rapper than meets the eye.
A true survivor, 50 Cent grew up on the mean streets of South Jamaica Queens, New York where he sold drugs at the age of twelve during the 1980's crack epidemic. He was raised by his grandmother after his mother was killed, and he was shot nine times in front of his home on May 14, 2000. His survival gave the rapper a controversial and somewhat mythical image. His remarkable story propels him to continue making hits and building his own fortune.
In 2003, 50 Cent released his debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'. It was an instant success, selling over 870,000 copies within 4 days. Interscope quickly granted him his own record label, G-Unit Records, that same year. While working with the emerging artists on his label, 50 released his sophomore album, The Massacre. It featured hits like "Just a Lil Bit" and "Candy Shop" featuring Olivia, the only lady on G-Unit records. His sophomore album was a hit, selling over 5 million copies and garnering a Grammy nomination for rap album of the year in 2005.
He lost that year to Kanye West, and the record breaking rappers did the legendary cover of "Rolling Stone." Both rappers had albums that dropped on September 11th, and the release was played up by the media as a rivalry. However, they both have made it clear that it is nothing more than friendly competition.
50 Cent has been keeping busy traveling around to promote his new self-titled third album, Curtis. It is another club banging, story telling, boastful 50 Cent classic. This album was highly anticipated by fans everywhere who wanted to know what was on the rapper's mind after letting go of Olivia, publicly beefing with rapper, Cameron, and competing with Kanye West in album sales. It alsoshows fans a different side of the rapper, a more sensual side, with songs like "Amusement Park," which we can assure you is not a place for kids.
50 Cent promises fans that this year will be a big year. In addition to promoting his album, he recently launched his own film production company, G-Unit Films. He has been working on a feature film with Nicolas Cage, called "The Dance," and is set to star opposite Robert DeNiro in "Righteous Kill." With a production company, a record deal and several other business ventures under his belt, it is plain to see that there is a lot more to this rapper than meets the eye.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
How to Become a Filthy Rich Record Label Mogul
by: D.Herren
Let me guess, you love music and would do anything to be able to enter into the fabulous life of the music business? Better yet, you would love to become the next record mogul like P.Diddy or Clive Davis.
Well, guess what? You can start a record a label and enter into the fast paced and competitive world of music labels. And yes, there is a chance you could become a filthy rich record label mogul living the life
of luxury. It CAN happen! But...it WON'T happen if you don't take action. Just think, many of the famous record moguls today started their own record label either in debt or with little to no resources.
But why did they succeed? And how can you succeed?
Let's take a look at the "how and why" you can become a filthy rich record label mogul.
First of all, you need to learn how to start a record label. You will be very surprised
that it doesn't take much money at all to get started. Basically, you need to come up with a name for your record label company first. Use a name that is unique and easy to memorize...and most of all, catchy. While
you are at it, get a business line and a P.O. Box. To make things really official, get a business license for your new label.
The next step, and this is a biggie, is to find the right talent. The record label moguls who have hit pay dirt are the ones who took time out and became dedicated to the artists they took under their wings. They were able to see the unique talent and potential in their artist choices and make them
bloom.
Just think, it only takes ONE great artist or band and one big song to shoot your label into the stratosphere of success. And the good thing is, you can start a record label right out of your own home. Of course, it can get a bit more detailed when it comes to contracts, publishing, and marketing your label.
But if you really want to know all the good stuff on starting a record label so you can take your chance at become a big record label mogul, get a copy of The Ultimate Record Label Handbook (http://www.ultimate-record-label.com). It will cover all the basics you need to get going and it is easy to read.
Why not start a record label of your own and take a shot? If you love music, then you might just hit the jackpot. And better yet, you will finally be able to do work that you enjoy and have fun at.
What more could you ask for?
So in a nutshell, if you want to live the good life as a filthy rich record label
mogul, you have to first start your label and secondly...find good talent. There
is always loads of good talent out there to sign, you just have to have to know how to find the good stuff and market it to the masses!
D. Herren is an author, webdesigner, and...music lover!
Let me guess, you love music and would do anything to be able to enter into the fabulous life of the music business? Better yet, you would love to become the next record mogul like P.Diddy or Clive Davis.
Well, guess what? You can start a record a label and enter into the fast paced and competitive world of music labels. And yes, there is a chance you could become a filthy rich record label mogul living the life
of luxury. It CAN happen! But...it WON'T happen if you don't take action. Just think, many of the famous record moguls today started their own record label either in debt or with little to no resources.
But why did they succeed? And how can you succeed?
Let's take a look at the "how and why" you can become a filthy rich record label mogul.
First of all, you need to learn how to start a record label. You will be very surprised
that it doesn't take much money at all to get started. Basically, you need to come up with a name for your record label company first. Use a name that is unique and easy to memorize...and most of all, catchy. While
you are at it, get a business line and a P.O. Box. To make things really official, get a business license for your new label.
The next step, and this is a biggie, is to find the right talent. The record label moguls who have hit pay dirt are the ones who took time out and became dedicated to the artists they took under their wings. They were able to see the unique talent and potential in their artist choices and make them
bloom.
Just think, it only takes ONE great artist or band and one big song to shoot your label into the stratosphere of success. And the good thing is, you can start a record label right out of your own home. Of course, it can get a bit more detailed when it comes to contracts, publishing, and marketing your label.
But if you really want to know all the good stuff on starting a record label so you can take your chance at become a big record label mogul, get a copy of The Ultimate Record Label Handbook (http://www.ultimate-record-label.com). It will cover all the basics you need to get going and it is easy to read.
Why not start a record label of your own and take a shot? If you love music, then you might just hit the jackpot. And better yet, you will finally be able to do work that you enjoy and have fun at.
What more could you ask for?
So in a nutshell, if you want to live the good life as a filthy rich record label
mogul, you have to first start your label and secondly...find good talent. There
is always loads of good talent out there to sign, you just have to have to know how to find the good stuff and market it to the masses!
D. Herren is an author, webdesigner, and...music lover!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Free Music Video Downloads
Listening to all of your favorite songs whenever you want is
always exciting. No more having to wait for it to be played on
the radio or have to go out and buy the whole CD for just one
particular song. When you can download all of your favorite
songs for free it just makes it that much better. What if you
could download the music videos to all of your favorite songs
for free and add to the excitement every time you listen to the
song? In this article I’ll discuss some of the best places to
find free music video downloads and why some free music video
download sites are better than others.
As mentioned in a previous article I wrote, Music Video
Downloads, not all sites are going to be capable of good quality
free music video downloads. Some are going to allow you to
preview the first 30 seconds of a song, while other sites allow
you to watch only one song, then you must become a member to
view more. However, there are sites out there that allow you to
download good quality videos for free.
One of the bigger downsides to free video downloads, though, is
that most places only allow you to watch the video and not save
it to a file to view later. Yes, you can view it anytime you
want by simply clicking on the video and having it load in about
15 seconds. However, if there is a certain list of songs you
would like to observe, then you’ll have to search through the
site to find them as oppose to having them all saved in a
library.
Another downside to free music video downloads is the fact that
most sites contain only popular artists and songs, so the
unknown bands may be harder to find videos for. This is not to
say that the selection is small, but it is limited to more of
the current hot hits.
One of the better sites that I have found for downloading music
videos for free is www.artistdirect.com. Once you get to the
home page at the top is a button for movies and videos, this is
where you will find all of the free music video downloads. On
this page you will find the top music videos for various
categories such as hip-hop, pop, rock, and so on. Plus they
have the top 5 music videos currently, with a button away from
getting the top 600 music videos. I have found this site to be
very quick and efficient with downloading videos, but as
mentioned earlier you are only capable of viewing the videos and
can not save them to a library or folder.
One of the more common and well known sites to find free music
video downloads is at www.mtv.com. For this site they have it
set up with six different categories that you can click on. As
you click on one of the categories it brings up the top six
videos under that category currently, then you are able to
browse all the videos for that category if you please. Or to
make things easier, they have a place where you can simply
search for a specific video.
I have listed two of the more popular sites to find free music
video downloads, and two of the easier sites to search through.
If you were to conduct a search for free music video download
sites on google, there are about 131 million different sites or
pages connected to this phrase. So as you can see there are
several different places to look for the videos, it’s just up to
you to find them. The two I have provided would be good ones to
start at, but feel free to broaden your horizon and begin
searching for the sites to find your favorite music videos for
free.
always exciting. No more having to wait for it to be played on
the radio or have to go out and buy the whole CD for just one
particular song. When you can download all of your favorite
songs for free it just makes it that much better. What if you
could download the music videos to all of your favorite songs
for free and add to the excitement every time you listen to the
song? In this article I’ll discuss some of the best places to
find free music video downloads and why some free music video
download sites are better than others.
As mentioned in a previous article I wrote, Music Video
Downloads, not all sites are going to be capable of good quality
free music video downloads. Some are going to allow you to
preview the first 30 seconds of a song, while other sites allow
you to watch only one song, then you must become a member to
view more. However, there are sites out there that allow you to
download good quality videos for free.
One of the bigger downsides to free video downloads, though, is
that most places only allow you to watch the video and not save
it to a file to view later. Yes, you can view it anytime you
want by simply clicking on the video and having it load in about
15 seconds. However, if there is a certain list of songs you
would like to observe, then you’ll have to search through the
site to find them as oppose to having them all saved in a
library.
Another downside to free music video downloads is the fact that
most sites contain only popular artists and songs, so the
unknown bands may be harder to find videos for. This is not to
say that the selection is small, but it is limited to more of
the current hot hits.
One of the better sites that I have found for downloading music
videos for free is www.artistdirect.com. Once you get to the
home page at the top is a button for movies and videos, this is
where you will find all of the free music video downloads. On
this page you will find the top music videos for various
categories such as hip-hop, pop, rock, and so on. Plus they
have the top 5 music videos currently, with a button away from
getting the top 600 music videos. I have found this site to be
very quick and efficient with downloading videos, but as
mentioned earlier you are only capable of viewing the videos and
can not save them to a library or folder.
One of the more common and well known sites to find free music
video downloads is at www.mtv.com. For this site they have it
set up with six different categories that you can click on. As
you click on one of the categories it brings up the top six
videos under that category currently, then you are able to
browse all the videos for that category if you please. Or to
make things easier, they have a place where you can simply
search for a specific video.
I have listed two of the more popular sites to find free music
video downloads, and two of the easier sites to search through.
If you were to conduct a search for free music video download
sites on google, there are about 131 million different sites or
pages connected to this phrase. So as you can see there are
several different places to look for the videos, it’s just up to
you to find them. The two I have provided would be good ones to
start at, but feel free to broaden your horizon and begin
searching for the sites to find your favorite music videos for
free.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
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