I am struggling deep with this issue and worrying alot.
Lets say I had great idea, but not alot of money to show the world and promote/grow "fast" through influencers for the world to see. If I did have the money to do it this way then if someone does bite or steal my ideas the world would know they stole it from me as they seen it already from me and I would get credit. Opposed to if I were to grow/promote in a slower fashion where some big artist can stumble upon my discography and steal my whole vibe, and brand especially if I am finding early but small niche success.

 

The things people worry about

 

I know for a fact big artist these days, where the industry is on a decline and most big artist are aging and looking for new fresh ideas are scoping the internet everyday looking for people like us who gained small success to steal. I am scared of that happing not going to lie. Happens everyday.

 

He has to worry about it. You have to worry about it. We all have to worry about it. Whether you are an established or unknown artist protecting your ideas and work should be your number one priority. The stealing or misappropriation of ideas have been going on since man existed.

 

I don't know where to start with this.

Let me get this straight... your musical talent is such that you're afraid that Rod Stewart and Sting might happen upon a song you post on Soundcloud... then re-record it and pass it off as their own because obviously they need the money and your songs can do that for them???

 

Not "sting" but more or so hip hop and r&b artist. I know a couple of engineers who personally told me he saw a big artist trio (not going to name) sitting in the studio going through SoundCloud songs of unknown artist to steal the idea and basically write a new script(lyrics)

Take a look at these videos. It is a lot more common than you think. Especially these days where people are famous that have no business being in the industry and have no creativity or talent to begin with but have tremendous pressure of staying in it.

 

Exactly. People are very naïve. This is a major issue.

 

First, I rated your comment as funny fully understanding what you are conveying to the OP. However, I changed to "interesting" because the hypothetical scenario you presented has taken place even before digital media existed. It is a known fact that A & R men used to lurk around bars, clubs, and parks in search of ideas. Those conniving enough went as far as to pass those "ideas" to friends who then themselves will pass on to the label's A & R for much more than what the A & R guy made in a year. As far fetched you think that the OP scenario is it is possible. As I said before, protecting one's ideas and work is of extreme importance. Go to the U.S. Copyright Office website and read some of those cases. https://www.copyright.gov/fair-use/fair-index.html

In sum, the answer to the OP is that if slower means safer, that is the way to proceed. Protect your work!

 

This is an interesting topic & what goes on in the scene OP mentions is actually very real. Often it doesn't need to be an older artist to steal ideas in the same fashion either. It's sad. That's why trap all sounds the same, it's someone elses idea that someone else stole from someone else.

 

Last edited: Jan 29, 2021

You're kind of missing my point. The music industry these days has declined to such an extent that you're far more likely to win the lottery than to become someone who can earn their fame and fortune as an "artist".

Every teenager with access to a laptop and this site, can now generate music that previously would have required a £3M studio that you would only get access to if you had a signed record contract.

You could upload the most ground-breaking track imaginably to Soundcloud, but nobody would ever find it buried amongst the multitude that are uploaded each week.

You will be genuinely fortunate to have people find it and be bothered to listen to more than 20 seconds of it, nevermind that someone to have a status that means they can take advantage of it.

And this all assumes that you have the talent to create such a masterpiece in the first place!!!

 

Wrong! New artists find success every day and despite the pandemic revenues have been up.
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide....se-to-grow-by-over-a-billion-dollars-in-2020/
https://www.riaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Mid-Year-2020-RIAA-Revenue-Statistics.pdf

He is assuming that it CAN happen while you are assuming that it CAN'T happen but you CAN'T say with 100% certainty that it would not. That is the point everyone is trying to make. Better safe than sorry.

 

It's all about the percentages.
I'm NOT 100% sure that I will NOT win the lottery but it's 99.9% likely that I won't.

Similar point on the revenues... back to my earlier point, because technology has removed the previous barrier to access AND lowered the necessary skills/talent required, the size of the population believing they are "producers/musicians/DJs" waiting to be discovered has increased by a magintude that I wouldn't even dare to compute.

Look at your own poll.
The number of people who believe they are "producers" just because they can work their way around a DAW.

 

Well, this is a serious issue. A friend of mine with an unknown band had a song stolen by a VERY well known band on my country. It might seem kinda crazy, but when you listen to them compared is blatantly obvious.

And obviously, the argument is always "How on earth would "The XXXXs" be interested in watching videos of your shitty band of nobodies? That's what makes them steal with impunity. That people actually defend the theft. Most people don't have the money to endure a legal process to claim property of a song (since plenty of them aren't copyrighted to begin with).

 

My god... I didn't realise... 157 people have listened to my last track. Absolutely guaranteed that one of them will have been Timberland. Dr Dre was probably one of the others. I don't even have a solicitor. Can anyone help?

 

I don't know how serious you are about or how successful you have been in this business but thinking the way you do it is not the way to go if you want to be successful at anything in life. Moreover, telling someone who is trying to make it that he or she would not succeed robs them of motivation. This is one the reasons that the experts say if-you-want-succeed-dont-tell-anyone Finally, forget about the percentages, this is not sport betting. This is about living your dream, and not allowing negativism to get in your way.

 

But what is the dream? Dreaming about making it, or dreaming about being ripped off???

 

I think what Pirate means is that, this is an issue, and it's inevitable to some point, so you have to do everything you can to protect yourself best as you can, while not allowing it to tear you down. So, register copyright for your tracks. It's expensive AF but if you are concerned, that will give you irrefutable evidence and the ability to take legal action in case you feel bothered by a theft to such an extent that you would want to decide going after them.

 

Yes. The same way going outside increases the chances that you catch a cold, OR that you'll get a girlfriend.

It goes both ways, risk vs reward. You can't get one without the other in this scenario.

 

Let's talk about the elephant in the room.
@Stuck In The 80s you made fun of @Jake Jlinngall because he says he could make a hit.
I get it, but the point is still valid. Regardless of he could or not.

Edited: fuck! almost everybody got it right... Someone gives me the 2 min of my post back!!

 

mehh, I don't agree. music as an art-form is much more fluid. someone can steal your song, but not your talent.
If copying it is that easy, it was not that special in the sense of an remarkable performance.
So ok, it might be a "no one has ever thought of this" simple idea, how do they continue on that road?
steal your next song?