I read the fine print under "copyright" tab on SoundCloud. If I own the rights, and am listed as sole author and publisher of my songs, why would SoundCloud or ASCAP object to me uploading my songs? If there were some other party involved in ownership or publishing, I could see some issues.

 

I fail to see your point.
If I had to sum up what's written there in one sentence it would sound like this:
respect the copyright laws of your respective country.

Also, I can't see the fine print.
You meant this page, didn't you?
https://soundcloud.com/pages/copyright

 

here is the one I was wondering about: you should not upload content if you can answer “no” to all of the following questions? 3rd question. "Are you a member of a performing rights organization or collecting society?" maybe I owe myself some royalties? lol

 

That is not what is written there.
It is, in fact, the opposite:

The question you mentioned relates to the fact that if you are a member of a performing rights organization or collecting society it's most likely the case that you are prohibited to puplish anything out of the exploitation chain.
You would need to use another project, with which you are not a member of said organizations, to publish your stuff.

 

What if I am a member, but am using my own unregistered song? And if it is registered, who is going to be upset, ASCAP or SoundCloud? "OK Allen, I know I'm in there, come out with my hands up, or I'm coming in after me!"

 

I hope you don't mind me asking:

Are you a member?
If yes, you know the answer to all your questions.
If no, what's your point?

 

Algae, I'm a little puzzled by this aswell. I'm registered to STIM (swedish ASCAP, BMI, etc), and if I wasn't ("no") - only then would it be ok to upload?
That's strange, as I own the rights.

I'll email Soundcloud.

 

If you are a producer [Repeat after me]

"I ....[your name]... do not have a problem with copyright."

-this is how I understand our today's copyright in music culture anyhow; There are more sounds that a royalty free enough for producers all around the world to create or even recreate [producer and or mix] there own style.

If I forget how to produce then I might have the shits

 

Don't email soundcloud. Email STIM! Only they can give you a valid answer.

 

Let's just cut to it. Should I share my songs on SoundCloud and similar sites? I am a member of ASCAP, and some of my songs are registered there, with me as 50% author rights and 50% publishing rights (that's how it's set up. I own 100%) If I know I won't get anything anyway (don't really care), and I agree to their other terms, why doesn't soundcloud want me to put it there? I would rather not ask ASCAP. Might stir up some lawyer out of an oil slick. lol

 

You're stealing ASCAP's percentage.

In a more serious tone, I dunno. Maybe they're being overly protective. Technically, I don't think you'd have a problem if you posted a song which you fully own but chose not to register any 'official' copyright for it.

 

Unless ASCAP has a prohibition against publishing one's recordings/compositions online, uncompensated, as on SoundCloud, you have literally every right to do so.

 

That's the thing - they just want to save their asses so they wont be held accountable.
You have to check with the agency in your respective country.
In Germany, as an example, you're good to go, since soundcloud pays the fees directly to GEMA.

 

ASCAP already got their money from my membership fee. I would just like to make a few pennies in royalties someday, just to frame the statement.

 

Since you register tracks or bodies of tracks I think that there shouldn't be any issues with uploading an unregistered track you own (As far as collecting/rights societies/individuals go... As far as SC is concerned, it doesn't say it outright prohibits it). You should be able to do whatever you want with it. Again, technically you still have the copyright but not "officially". If any issues arise you'd probably need to prove its creation and stuff in another way. I don't know how common this is... (If someone, say, blatantly present it as their own (lel) or make something very similar and make claims... And I can't know what the "limits" are in similarity) But I've seen some PROS/whatever may register you as a composer and manage all your content by default. See here:
http://audiojungle.net/forums/thread/pro-registered-music-on-audiojungle/136749?page=2

Again, I doubt ASCAP or BMI do this but your best bet would be to ask them, if you want to be absolutely sure.

It seems SC wants to avoid any middleman/sampling/usage/legal issues... It says if you can answer no to being a part of a PRO. They bypass individual cases.

Oh, bureaucracy...

 

http://illusionofmore.com/copyright-critics-dont-get-artists/ a well reasoned, articualte article, if a little dry.