block her!? what kind of guy are you? just talk normal with people, blocking is so uncool. hmm ok i blocked some people once too. Hhehehe.
But you should 10000 giver her credit for what she wrote/sung /performed!

Dude
Post the song by the way

 

Not only is this absolutely true, by law you are mandatory to credit the lyricist and/or composer (and publisher if involved) as well as give credit to those who performed it. Had you done your homework properly, none of it would have caused the problems you are facing up to now.

 

I think this is a common division scheme of copyright. (what very experienced producers have told me).

Track 50%
Melody 25%
Lyrics 25%

Time spent is irrelevant.

Edit: But this is based on that the lyrics and melody was written on the track. If the track was created around the topline, all the copyright goes to the topline, if nothing else was agreed upon beforehand. It sucks, but that's how it is...

Edit 2: But you as the producer (and your record company) still own the production, which is a totally different thing. Fun fact: Apparently 90% of intakes from Spotify goes to the production, and 10% to the composition (which is why there are so many bland covers of pop songs on spotify)... But intakes from radio plays is supposed to be quite the opposite (i don't have any numbers here).

 

Last edited: Feb 11, 2016

I think this is a common division scheme of copyright. (what very experienced producers have told me).

Track 50%
Melody 25%
Lyrics 25%

/cut


I think lyrics and melody are more around 80%. I read that somewhere before, and think is more realistic. Lyrics with melody is much more complicated than arrangement. I think You really have to give Yourself, and to be an expert on top of that.

But yes, blocking a person with which you are working is weird man. I don't know iff you understand, but what you did is a stealing.

 

It's not more complicated in and of itself. They can each be more complicated than the other. That's a bizzare statement. No offense.

Edit: And no, you can't claim 80% copyright if you wrote a topline on a pre-existing track. That is bollocks.
You can probably do that if you are a big name, and the track was made by a small name (in the style of "accept these terms, or we'll find someone else to work with"). But not as a standard.

 

Last edited: Feb 13, 2016

So I write a full song, chords melody beat arrangement mixing mastering writing etc. And some bitch sings a top line over it and its her song now?? fuck whoever came up with that dumb idea.

3-5 hrs vs 150 hours. Sounds about right. The music industry is a joke anyways, everything we hear on the radio and concerts is stolen or bought from someone else so it's not like this surprises me. All the industry does is get air-head models and tells them exactly what to sing or say, and auto tunes their shitty voices. And performances are all lip synched and the djs just press play.. Its a joke and absurd. I just like making my own songs and my own dj mixes because it makes me happy but the state of this industry is a joke.

 

Hey, man, if you wrote everything - melody and lyrics, you would be right. If she wrote some of it, she has her rights. That's reality, not the industry's fault. If the only thing she did was sing, an not helped you with melody or lyrics, you would be the only copyright owner.

If you want all the rights, you gotta do all the work. Hours spent is irrellevant.

 

Last edited: Feb 13, 2016

She wrote the lyrics; the song was part-hers. You need her permission or consent to do anything with that song, as long as her contribution to the composition is present in it. Even a phrase that she'd sung instead played by an instrument can be interpreted as her part of the collaborative composition. This is a lesson, to you and anyone reading, about getting rights established from the git-go.

The antipathy seems at least partly your fault, too: you blocked her on Soundcloud? Because you didn't like here? Isn't that unprofessional, or at least kind of insulting?

 

No mate, the song is not hers ofc not, but you still have to credit her for the work she done, if its not that important why did you use her lyrics anyway? Just credit her and say she wrote the lyrics, if they have that little of an impact in the song no one is gonna notice them anyway. The editing of the vocals are more important to us producers than the vocals themselves. Not trying to be harsh but this time its your fault. Accept your misstake and move on, the less you deal with trying to make this all "yours" the more you can do other important stuff.

 

Hi community, this is my first post. I was reading quite some time on (or is it "in"?) this forum. In fact, this thread is the reason for me finally being brave enough to create an account.

I don't have any issue with the op's scenario. It's pretty clear: She wrote the lyrics, she has to be credited. Period. But I'm wondering about some of the answers. Is it really the case that in some countries you will lose your copyright? I'm from germany, and here you can never lose it, no matter what. You don't even need to be in any guild. It is sufficient to prove that you are the originator (by sending yourself a certified mail with the song, for example). If someone else can prove that he made the same song earlier than you, that's the only way to lose a copyright here. But, we are global now, aren't we? So I'm insecure, after reading about how easily you could lose your copyright, if it is a good idea to use Soundcloud/YT and others to spread your work?

Or am I just a dumbass, misunderstanding the discussion?

 

Simply and as far as i know if you let someone make any kind of melodies on your track, vocals or any other instruments they should be credited for that work. even if its done in seconds. It doesnt make any diffrence if you work a 1000 hours on it and put in that beat or search sounds for it. The facts are that putting a few chord after each other dont make you a song writer. Unless you write every thing in it you can claim it yours..

And its scary how little some do know about this..

 

Where's the link to that 150 hour song?

 

Was about to ask the same. Let us hear the track.

 

Here in sweden it's like it is for you. The copyright is there already from creation. Registration is only necessary to get copyright payments from the STIM-orgainisation.

 

Just re-post it as an instrumental then.

If the song doesn't work without vocals then you should realize her contribution was worthwhile and that you shouldn't have burned her or your bridges with her. She has a right to control her part of a creation she contributed to, end of story.

 

First, I still don't understand who "wrote" the melody.. either way, it doesn't matter. The credits don't have anything to do with the copyright. Same if you like her, hate her, block her, call her bi***.. whatever. Those are moral questions - irrelevant, If you have legal stuff in order.

You are right. But the question is: can you prove it? If you did not protect yourself, you will have a hard time on court.

Exactly.. seems like a smart girl. Maybe she already did. For the whole package.. why not?

In my country verbal contract is legally binding.. so why do we always write everything down? One headache less..

 

Well it depends on what you consider to be creation.Full song? 4 chords in a sequence? Or maybe something so creative as split things up in verse, bridge and chorus? OR... Are you talking about the OPs case or not? Bare in mind that as some very correctly stated its just a paint job with a nice finish as long as you havnt done it all. If you like in the OPs case let someone else do the melodies for the vocals (in this case even lyrics) then you cant claim the full song.. And i dont think it differs much on where you live either..

 

Seems to me you've already invested a lot of time and grief on this issue already, before, during and now after the fact. You made the mistake of trying to game her out of what is legally part hers, and mostly due to your own ignorance in understanding some legal fundamentals along with immature conflict resolution techniques in dealing with her, she turned the tables on you. Question is how much more of your otherwise creative energy are you willing to waste trying to get even. If I understand correctly there is really no money at stake, just some time and pride.

My suggestion is to use this as a learning opportunity, get over it and move forward. Let it go and use it as a driving force to make the next project twice as good, and take necessary steps to legally protect yourself. Life and happiness is just too short! Good luck.

 

Last edited: Feb 14, 2016

Paper, paper, paper....
All it takes is a piece of paper to cover your buttox....

ooh and NEVER AGAIN "block" anyone you have EVER collaborated with...


EVER


You actually gain MORE from knowing what your rivals are up to ... rather than staying in the dark...

 

If she wrote/altered the melody she sang, along with writing all the lyrics, then she is legally entitled MORE RIGHTS than you are.

You blocked her, and now you are pissed for her claiming her right to have "her" track taken down?! WTH dude!