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I've never thought about the medium thing. If you write a song (and perhaps perform it in public and everything), but never commit it into writing or recording,
by Bromskloss 9y ago
I've never thought about the medium thing. If you write a song (and perhaps perform it in public and everything), but never commit it into writing or recording, does copyright not apply?
- DanBC 9y agoWhat would the copyrights apply to if there's no recording?
- icebraining 9y agoLive concerts played from memory? E.g. Eubie Blake supposedly only wrote Charleston Rag down 16 years after composing it.
- Bromskloss 9y agoSomeone else could write it down and publish it without the author's permission.
- pjc50 9y agoIf you wrote it on paper, whether musical notation or just the lyrics, that would give you songwriter copyright. If you then gave a performance and someone recorded it, the copyright in the recording would lie with them - but they would not be able to distribute it without also having your permission. (People forget that these are different and the songwriter royalties are quite lucrative - famously e.g. the Beatles almost all the songs are joint copyright Lennon/McCartney, not the band as a whole)