Copyright, how to protect my tracks

[Nikolas]

Ok. Hi!

I kind of need your help and expertise here.

I'm about to launch a website about me and my music.

I believe I have done some decent work, and I believe that this is the best way, for now at least, to promote my music, and my making of music.

Anyway to cut things short, I will of course include some works of mine, in MP3 format (or maybe OGG?), but do have a fear, which might be unreasonable but still..., that someone might take my melodic ideas, or a whole MP3 and use it as their own.

I do know that since, I have written the music, done the orchestration, done the recording, in my home studio, and I have not published a work, I own the copyrights to the work, by law.

What I need to know is, what is the best way to protect my works. Basically that no one is getting paid from my work, and if someone is to use my music, that they contact me first so that I can be credited for my music. I mean how do I keep track of my music? Is there some organisation that deals with these kind of stuff? Does anybody have a link or a name or anything?

Thanks

Nikolas

[P.T.]

If you are in the USA you can copyright each song for $30 or an entire collection for $30.

This might help if someone uses you tunes and makes a lot of money with them.

If someone uses your tunes and makes a small amount of money with them it will cost you more to sue them than it is worth.

The threat of a lawsuit may get you some royalties.

I think it is very hard or nearly impossible to protect your music.

Maybe you could only post streaming sound instead of downloads.

Things become public domain fairy fast once posted on the net.

[C00kie]

If they want it desperately enough, they'll nick it anyway.

So think of tactics to make it less attractive to steal. For instance publish 30 sec snippets only, with mp3 compression set to 64bps in mono at 11kHz (and call this "bandwidth-friendly")

[herodotus]

What you want to do is register with ASCAP or BMI.

If you do, and are stolen from in the manner you fear, they should (supposedly) help you.

Copyright registration also helps.

[stefancrs]

If the most important thing for you is to get your music "out there" and a audience as big as possible I'd say protection isn't that much of an issue. The issue then is basicly to make good music, make it easily accessible and make people aware of it. You'd still own the rights to your music, and I doubt anyone would try to make big money out of it without getting your permission (too risky).

The "everyday piracy" is probably unavoidable though, so aim for fame and try to get people to spread your music instead. That's my advice

If you _do_ get famous by letting people get your music for free you'll probably find other ways to make money as an artist than to actually sell copies of your music. Atleast that's what I hope would happen for as many artists as possible.