10 Top Places Sell Songs & Music in 2012

Confused about UK Copyright Law in regards to music? Well, this article is here to help you understand about UK copyright law and expell some of the myths surrounding it.

How Do I Copyright My Music?

Once you have created a piece of music it is YOUR copyright, you just have to prove the date. To do this there are several ways such as giving a copy of the track to your lawyer. You can also post the track on a CD to yourself by registered post (signed for). Make sure that you have not only made an audio recording but also include your sequencer files as they will be dated by your computer also.

Do I Have To Register With MCPS/PRS?

No. A law was passed (in the UK) so that you can chose any person/organisation to represent your music and collect royalties. You can also do it yourself, collecting all the royalties and cutting out the middle man. However, collecting royalties and making sure that people aren't breaching your copyright can be time consuming if you become a big selling artist.

Can I Use Samples of Someone Else's Work In My Own Tracks?

No. You must not use anyone else work, no matter how long or short the sample is. Contrary to popular belief, samples under 15 seconds are NOT allowed under current copyright law. Also, even if you mangle the sample, its still illegal. So before sampling contact the owners.

There are tracks out there that you CAN sample, such as some tracks that have been released under certain open content licenses such as Creative Commons. But make sure that its ok by reading the license first as not all open content releases are available to create derivative versions of the works.

If you think its going be too much for you to get permission, there are sample clearance agencies that can do this for you.

Can I Create Cover Versions?

Yes and No. You can create the cover version, but you cannot distribute or perform the track without getting permission first. Usually venues pay a license for Copyrighted works of MCPS/PRS members music, but unfortunately not every musician is registered with MCPS/PRS. So make sure you know who they are registered with or if they collect their own royalties.

Copying it and distributing it is illegal without a license, so again contact MCPS/PRS or the original author before doing this.

Also, the same as remixes, there are tracks out their released under Creative Commons license and you may be allowed to create cover versions of the works. But, check the license before using the track.

What Is Creative Commons License?

A Creative Commons license is used for free material, including audio, and works alongside copyright so that you can set out the terms of the copyright to suit you. see creativecommons.org

How Do I Make It Clear My Track Is Copyright?

On every demo you send out be it via post, email or link you can put "2009 Your Name". Or you can put "Copyright Control" which tells everyone that the track is copyrighted, but has no publishers yet.

Can I upload DJ Mixes I Mixed Myself?

Again, permission must be sought from the original authors of the material you are planning on using in DJ Mixes. Some websites claim to be legal to upload mixes to, but you have to be careful and check whether this is true or not. If you are unsure of the websites legality, then do not upload.

However, tracks released under the Creative Commons license CAN be used in FREE mixes you upload to the net as long as you do not make any money from the mixes. Check the Creative Commons license for full details.

Can I Add Someone Else's Music To A Video?

Permission again must be sought to use music in your video's. Even if you are not making any money, you still have to get permission.

Hopefully you have now gotten to grips with basic uk copyright law. If not here are the main points:

1. Copyright belongs to the creator as soon as it is created

2. If you don't own the copyright, then you cannot use it without permission in any works.

==>> Barry Walker is owner and webmaster of BDWWebs.com and BDWRekordings.com and has been writing music for the past 15+ years. Barry writes music under the names of Vibemaster B, Barry Euphorik, DJ Jordan K and is a member of Hardcore Dance Music band Euphorik Rhythm.  Barry is a dance music producer, owner of Dance Music Netlabe Producer/DJ and Webmaster at BDWRekordings.com - Free Dance Music Netlabel and author of Sell Music Online.

Songwriting Tips: How to Create the Perfect Structure for Your Songs

Okay, so you did it. You made it through the 5:00AM call time, the mad rush of hopefuls jostling to get to the head of the line and are on the list to audition for American Idol. You and several thousand other hopefuls. And that�s just in your audition city. In order to move on to the final competition in Hollywood. you need to stand out from the crowd�in a good way. And the first key to that is individuality.

If you look back at past winners, each of them was unique. They didn't sound like anyone else and had their own singular style when interpreting a song. Plus, they knew their strengths: Ruben Stoddard's soul, Kelly Clarkson's pop and Carrie Underwood�s country caught the attention of the judges because it fit with who they were as people and performers.

The best performers play to their strengths. The flip side of that is to know your limits. So it is imperative to pick an audition song that fits your range. If you cannot hit high notes, do not choose a Mariah Carey song. Seriously. Be careful to stay within your life experience, too. If you are a teenager or in your early 20's, belting out  "My Way" is only going to land you in the blooper reel.

Personal style is as important as vocal stylings. If you are serious about advancing, present yourself that way. Be comfortable but put together. There is no need to be formal but casual doesn't mean sloppy. Freshly washed hair is a must. And remember, less is more when you are going to be filmed. It's best to go with solid colors rather than patterns which can take on a life of their own in front of a camera.

The judges also look for personality. Don't try too hard. Stay relaxed. Most importantly, look the judges in the eye to make a connection.

In the end, though, talent usually wins out. And that does not always mean the person with the purest voice. It�s the person who out-performs the others, who brings life and heart to their singing that will carry the day and make it to Hollywood as a finalist.

For the musician or singer looking to find their place in the music industry, having your own HOME RECORDING STUDIOis one of the biggest advantages you can provide for yourself. In this guide, we will consider the equipment needed to properly record your music in a home recording studio. For the first day, we will discuss the most basic component of your recording equipment; the computer.

The musician or singer seeking to record music in a home recording studio environment will need a computer system for several reasons. By using a computer as the base of your home recording studio, you eliminate several very expensive pieces of equipment from your shopping list. Some of the items that can be eliminated from the list include:

Reel to Reel Magnetic Tape Recorder

Mixing Board

Storage Space

To eliminate this equipment, your computer will need to meet certain specifications to properly handle the work you are wanting to do with it.

Laptop or Desktop?

This question is a matter of personal preference but there are a few qualifiers to this statement. To decide which machine is the best choice for your home recording studio, you need to ask yourself a few important questions.

Do you plan on recording only from home or do you intend to travel with your recording rig?


Do you need multiple input abilities or can your sound be recorded through a single audio input?

If you need a system that can go on the road with you, a laptop is probably your best choice. If you need more features or intend to do all your recording from home, a desktop unit may be more suitable.

Can I Use What I Already Have?

The short answer to this question is yes. Again, there are qualifiers to this statement. Older machines with 256 Kb of memory and a 133 processor aren't going to have the power you need to record yourself rocking out to a screaming Van Halen style solo.

That said, there are a few minimal requirements to record music on your computer.

A minimum 1 gigabyte of RAM, also called memory. More is always better in this case, so get a computer with the most RAM you can afford.

The hard drive of your computer is the storage center of your machine. Again, bigger is better. Yes, you can record on a 4 gigabyte hard drive but you won't be able to record much and you will quickly fill up the available space. With the low costs of modern SATA hard drives or 120 gigabytes or more, spring for the largest hard drive your budget will allow.

The processor is the brain of your computer. You can record with older single core processors and produce good results. A 1.5 Gigahertz processor is the minimal amount of power you would want for recording music. If you can afford it, go with the faster dual or quad core processors and you will be much happier with your recording system.

DAY TWO:

The Bad News

If you elected to go with an off the shelf laptop computer, you may not have been given a great deal of choice in the selection of your sound card. While it is possible to upgrade the sound card of most laptops, it can be a difficult job that should usually be left to a computer repair tech. That said, the sound cards in most modern laptops will work to record your music even if you are somewhat limited in features.

The Good News

If you chose a desktop system for use in your home recording studio, you now have a world of possibilities opened to you. While you may choose to use the factory shipped sound card already in your machine, especially if you are working on a budget or the computer is a recent purchase with updated equipment, there are many options for sound card upgrades that will make your recording experience much better if you are willing to spend a little extra.

When purchasing a new sound card, there are a few considerations that will help you determine what option will work best for you.

How many inputs do you need? If you want to record several different instruments or singers at the same time, having multiple inputs on your sound card will allow you more flexibility when you get ready to edit the recordings as the various inputs will record to different channels. If you are a solo artist or you are working on a tight budget, the factory shipped sound card may be all you really need.

Is power an issue? Some modern sound cards also have the ability to supply phantom power to microphones, eliminating the need for an amplifier. If space is an issue in your home recording studio, eliminating bulky equipment by using these sound cards may justify the expense.

What is your budget?  Sound cards are like most things in life. You get what you pay for. If you are serious about your recordings, buy professional grade sound cards rather than consumer grade.

No matter how great the sound card you purchase is, it's capabilities will still be limited by your other recording equipment. If you try to record music with a cheap toy microphone, even the best sound card isn't going to eliminate that cheap toy sound. The sound card is an important component of your home recording studio equipment but don't spend so much on it that you have to cut corners on your other equipment. 

DAY THREE:

For the home recording studio, there are three basic microphone types you need to be concerned with. Each type will have it's own unique set of advantages and disadvantages so choosing the microphone that best suits your needs involves carefully considering these factors.

The Dynamic Microphone

This microphone is the most commonly used microphone in the music industry for a few specific reasons. The dynamic microphone is extremely rugged and relatively inexpensive. What does this mean to the home recording artist? Basically, if your recording rig is portable, the dynamic microphone is the most likely candidate to fit your needs and survive the abuse.

The dynamic microphone has inherent flaws in its design that result in a less than optimal frequency response. With the high volume and the close proximity of the microphone to the instrument in live performances, this limitation is not a problem. For the recording studio, where you may want to capture true sound and higher frequencies, however, the dynamic microphone just won't be up to the task.

The Capacitor Microphone

This is the microphone class that was built for studio recording. These microphones will reproduce the full spectrum of sound with nearly perfect quality. By choosing capacitor microphones with different sized diaphragms, you can customize the microphone to match it's intended purpose and enhance the quality of the sound. For vocal recordings, use a larger diaphragm size. For precision recording of instruments, the smaller diaphragm sizes produce an extremely accurate recording.

Now for the bad news. The capacitor microphone is an excellent choice for a home recording studio with an unlimited budget and a fixed location. Why? With increased quality, you also encounter increased cost,( read double or triple the cost of a top notch dynamic microphone) and the capacitor microphone requires its own power source so you are buying even more equipment right out of the gate. If your recording needs take you outside of the studio very often, the capacitor microphone isn't as durable as the dynamic microphone so your investment could be lost.

The Electret Microphone

Somewhere in between the capacitor microphone and the dynamic microphone, the electret microphone was born. This microphone is able to reproduce sound with nearly the same quality as a condenser microphone while retaining the cost effective strengths of the dynamic microphone. Improvements such as the invention of the back electret microphone, these microphones are capable of producing excellent audio quality that rivals the capacitor microphone for the budget friendly price of a top quality dynamic microphone. 

DAY FOUR;

When you are gathering the necessary equipment for your home recording studio, the amplifier is a component that can greatly improve the quality of your recordings. Depending upon your budget and other equipment, you may be able to bypass the need for an external amplifier unit and use software options instead.

If you choose to use a physical amplifier unit instead of software, either out of personal preference or necessity, there are a few options you need to consider.

Does the amplifier you are considering have enough hook ups to connect all of the equipment you want to run? There is nothing worse than assembling your whole band for a recording session and discovering your amplifier is two inputs short.

Does the amplifier have phantom power jacks? If you are running microphones that require a phantom power source, your amplifier needs to fit the bill.

Does the amplifier have RCA output jacks? RCA output jacks are industry standard on many amplifiers but it is always best to check before you buy. If you don't have RCA outputs, you may encounter real difficulty when you try to hook your amplifier up to your recording system. Amplifiers lacking the RCA outputs may still produce a great sound but we are discussing how to create a recording studio. If you can't connect your amp to your recording system, it defeats the purpose.

Cost is always a factor when purchasing equipment for your home recording studio. There are many cheap amplifier options on the market today but, unfortunately, a lot of them sound cheap too. Try the system before you buy it and, as always, purchase the best quality for the MONEY you can afford to spend.

Size is also a consideration. In most home recording studio settings, space is limited. Amplifiers come in a variety of sizes and, in your eagerness to buy the best amplifier money can buy, you might find yourself with a goliath sized monster that won't fit through your front door.

As a final note, you can save a lot of money on your amplifier purchase by shopping around a bit. Check online electronic sales and catalogs for good deals. Even second hand equipment is fine if you check it before you buy it. Hit up the local pawn shop or the classifieds and you might find yourself taking home a Mark Levinson amplifier for $20.

DAY FIVE:

As we have mentioned before, the modern advances of technology have provided many outlets for new music to be developed. Software is no exception. With the appropriate software installed on your computer, you can eliminate the huge amount of hardware that used to be required for recording audio. From freeware to expensive software suites designed for specific purposes, the software available for home recording enthusiasts offers some great options.

Free is always a good thing, especially when you are just getting started. Believe it or not, if you are a Windows user, one of the best applications for recording your music may already be on your computer. Windows Media Encoder is an application that offers the ability to record and save your music in the wmv format or stream the recordings via web server for live broadcast. The bitrate and quality can be adjusted to meet your specific needs. While the Windows Media Encoder may not be as fully featured as some of the paid software suites, the advantage of being readily available on most machines and not costing any extra money is a definite selling point.

There are many great freeware applications that do an excellent job of recording audio but sometimes you just want options that freeware may not provide. If you choose to take things further, paid software suites are available with all kinds of bells and whistles to turn your home recording studio into a professional sound studio. When you choose any software application, especially paid applications, it is important to consider a few things to make sure you get the most for your money.

Recording Formats - Does the software record in popular formats or will you be required to use a format converting program to make the recording useful to your fans?

GUI - The Graphical User Interface is the part of the program that you interact with. Choose a program with a simple GUI that you can make sense of and you will be much happier than if you choose one with hundreds of adjustments that you don't understand their functions.

Features - Software is only as good as it's features and if it doesn't have the particular feature you are looking for, then it just isn't worth the money. When shopping for audio recording software, make sure you get features you need now or think you might even possibly want to use in the future.

DAY SIX:

While the huge menu of freeware applications available today may encompass every option you might need, you may eventually reach a point where you want options that are not available from freeware. If you find your home recording studios needs have taken you further than your current editing software is willing to go, looking at the other available options may be necessary to achieve the professional sound studio effect you are looking for.

In your search for editing software, doing your research can be an important factor in finding an editing program that you can be satisfied with. The various options you may want to look for are:

File Formats - Does the editing program you are considering offer the ability to edit files of different formats like wav, mpeg, mp3 and others? This can be important because any time a file is converted to a new format, it can lose quality. You want to minimize quality losses by insuring that your editing software can work with any file type you throw at it.

GUI - The Graphical User Interface is where you can see the interactions you are making with the software. Like the keyboard of your computer, you can see the available functions, even though the software will be carrying out these functions behind the scenes in a language of bits and bytes. Choosing the editing software that offers an easy to understand GUI will greatly simplify the process of creating the perfect recording.

Features - Software is only useful when it has the features you need and editing software is no exception. Does the editing software offer a timeline option and a visual field so you can make precise cuts when and where you need them? Does it offer mixing board features, such as panning sounds? How about beat making capabilities? If you are using freeware, feel free to try a few titles but if you are going to spend money on a paid software suite, make sure you get professional editing software that offers all of the features you may need or want in the future and upgrade abilities so you aren't spending hundreds of dollars on dust collectors...

DAY SEVEN:

Years ago, music was recorded on cassette tape, 8-track tape and vinyl records. The most popular choice for many beginning bands was the cassette tape and so we have the term "mix tape" as part of our vernacular today. Modern music produced in home recording studios has been made possible by our advances in technology that have brought us the CD burner and the ability to store music in mp3 files.

• Songrila sets high standards with regard to the quality of the songs in the Songrila system. To ensure this quality Songrila only permits MP3 files with a bit rate of min. 192 kbit/s CBR or 112-192 kbit/s VBR, a sample rate of 44,100 Hz and the channels Stereo or Joint Stereo.
• The Songrila Player can be integrated in all web pages where you have access to the source code (e.g. your own Homepage, a host of Community and Socializing Pages such as youMix, your Blog, fan sites, etc.).
• Basically anyone can embed one or several Songrila Players on their website. The only condition is that you have access to the source code of the site (as, for example, your own Homepage, a host of Community and Social networking sites, Blogs, etc.).
• As Sales Partner of Songrila you can earn money as well if someone buys a song from a Player you have embedded. To do this, register as Songrila Sales Partner and use your Sales Partner login to select Songrila Players which match the appropriate music taste of the visitor to your site.
• You are welcome to upload cover versions of songs on Songrila, as long as you quote the original composer, lyricist and publisher correctly.

• With the Songrila Player you can place your tracks on any site on the internet, where they can be listened to and sold directly to your fans.

• Anyone can buy music with Songrila. Currently they support more than 160 countries!