Copyright question - Where should I release my songs first? Youtube or Tunecore/iTunes

[MarkMark]

Hi everyone, I'm wondering if someone could please help me?

I have recently completed an album, containing 100% of my original content that I want to release. I am not signed to a label and don't want to be.

I want to release this album on iTunes (via an aggregator such as Tunecore) and I also want to upload each song to YouTube as separate 'videos' (I want to monetize each video, and from each video's description I want to add a link to my album on iTunes)

My questions are:

1) In what order should I release my album, Tunecore first or Youtube first?

2) Is it allowed to link to iTunes from a monetized YouTube video?

3) After my album is released, what happens if I get a copyright claim from a 3rd party on YouTube for matched content for one of my original songs? Can I then use the Tunecore/iTunes link as 'proof' that is it my original creation?

I hope I was clear in my questions, please let me know if you need any further clarification.

Any help appreciated, thank you!
Mark

[Emmet]

1) Probably YouTube then iTunes....I'm guessing to need to try and build up a fanbase/awareness first rather than release on iTunes and nonone knows it's out there

2) As far as I'm aware yes

3) If you use an aggregator, you'll probably just get a 'claim' that the music that you have uploaded is 'theirs' (obv, its yours distributed by them but just go along with it), you accept it and carry on. Believe me, there will be little or no opportunity to correspond to the bohemoth that is YouTube arguing your case.

[ramthelinefeed]

3) After my album is released, what happens if I get a copyright claim from a 3rd party on YouTube for matched content for one of my original songs? Can I then use the Tunecore/iTunes link as 'proof' that is it my original creation?

In my experience, if you have sent your material to an aggregator, that will include them sending it to YouTube's digital fingerprinting database -
which means that about half an hour afterwards, you'll automatically get messages from YouTube informing that your YouTube video is infringing on someone's copyright and if you don't take it down then you will be stamped on.

You can then email back and say "BUT IT'S MY BLOODY TUNE!!" and then nothing will happen at all.

Usually.

[MarkMark]

Thanks for the comments so far.

I have an additional concern.

What happens if I upload my songs to YouTube first, but because I do not have an iTunes / copyright / record label stamp on my songs yet, essentially anyone can download my songs from YouTube and then release it on iTunes and claiming it that it is theirs, and then I will get a copyright infringement notices on my YouTube account for a song that I made.

It all seems so complicated and annoying

[Scramble]

What happens if I upload my songs to YouTube first, but because I do not have an iTunes / copyright / record label stamp on my songs yet, essentially anyone can download my songs from YouTube and then release it on iTunes and claiming it that it is theirs

Why do you think anyone is going to do that?

[MarkMark]

@Scramble - "Why do you think anyone is going to do that?"

It may not happen, but it's good to be aware of 'what if' scenarios, just in case they do happen.

Recently, one of my non-music YouTube videos was copied and re-uploaded by another YouTube user, which is not allowed, but I could report it to YouTube and the offending copy was taken down.
This kind of thing could easily happen again, hence my concern about somebody 'stealing' my song from YouTube and releasing it on iTunes - if this was to happen, how would I be able to prove that the song is mine?

[chris...]

Recently, one of my non-music YouTube videos was copied and re-uploaded by another YouTube user, which is not allowed

I imagine this happens rather often on YouTube...

hence my concern about somebody 'stealing' my song from YouTube and releasing it on iTunes

I suspect that particular scenario is rather less likely.

Unlike YouTube, I don't think iTunes takes content from just anyone who feels like uploading it. I'm pretty confident iTunes is somewhat more organised...

But yes, it would make sense to have some way to prove it's yours, in case some dispute should arise. This completely irrespective of what order you do things in.

[Guest]

I have uploaded a lot of royalty-free music to: http://www.locutortv.es/musicalibredederechos.htm . Do you need royalty-free music free?

[Scramble]

Recently, one of my non-music YouTube videos was copied and re-uploaded by another YouTube user, which is not allowed, but I could report it to YouTube and the offending copy was taken down.
This kind of thing could easily happen again, hence my concern about somebody 'stealing' my song from YouTube and releasing it on iTunes - if this was to happen, how would I be able to prove that the song is mine?

As Chris said, iTunes isn't like YouTube. But anyway, why would a pirate bother with iTunes? They'll just rip off your music and put it on an illegal download site. This is likely to happen, and there's nothing much you can do about it.

[Chaconne]

If your music has ANY tracktion on the web, i.e you have say 500+ followers on soundcloud, ever featured in even the bottom reaches of The Hype Machine - which just one blog feature can do, been featured on any new act site, or made anyones top ten, just a well followed tumblr...your music will be pirated.

In fact if it is not somewhere else, probably Russia, within a week of release I would worry that you are having insufficient publicity.

BTW, you have copyright of your work without another party 'stamping' it. You make it it's your music.

[MarkMark]

@Chaconne

My concern is not that my music will be pirated, that is inevitable.. my concern is that someone will release my music on iTunes before I do. There is a distinct difference between someone sharing your work without permission vs someone SELLING your song before you get the chance to do it yourself.

[Scramble]

Not gonna happen dude.

[Emmet]

Like Scramble says, it aint gonna happen. Concentrate your time and energies on a marketing strategy rather than worrying about non existant scenarios

[MarkMark]

Thank you everyone for your feedback.

Reading through the posts, I think the general consensus is saying to put album up on YouTube, and afterwards release on iTunes once I've developed a following, and in the meantime don't worry about someone else releasing my music on iTunes because it's very unlikely.

[CS70]

You can then email back and say "BUT IT'S MY BLOODY TUNE!!" and then nothing will happen at all.

Hm, that's not my experience at all. The copyright validation process is a breeze - you just need to know it's there (so that you actually read the notification) and challenge the copyright infringement claim with a clear explanation including a certain precise wording (which right now I dont remember, but I found over the internet in 2 minutes). That's it. The notification comes anytime between a day or ten in my experience, but it may be that it's faster now.

[A Non O Miss]

Thank you everyone for your feedback.

Reading through the posts, I think the general consensus is saying to put album up on YouTube, and afterwards release on iTunes once I've developed a following, and in the meantime don't worry about someone else releasing my music on iTunes because it's very unlikely.

i wouldn't do either...

but

IF you think it's going to do something and that you can actually even gather a following, there is no reason not to release on iTunes first and then YouTube.

Find a different middle man then TuneCore...

[MorayM]

In fact if it is not somewhere else, probably Russia, within a week of release I would worry that you are having insufficient publicity.

I might have to borrow that quote! (with appropriate acknowledgement )

I only know of TuneCore, what other aggregators do people use?

[MarkMark]

"Find a different middle man then TuneCore..."

Care to elaborate on this? This piece of 'advice' is useless and pointless without an explanation

[A Non O Miss]

"Find a different middle man then TuneCore..."

Care to elaborate on this? This piece of 'advice' is useless and pointless without an explanation

No it's not, it is pointless and useless to you because you lack the knowledge to understand the statement...

All these aggregators and distributors are middle-men, whittling even more pennies away from an already devalued product and then providing a service that doesn't even need to exist! They even then charge you while making money and building equity through the collection of your data and the acquisition of your property!

There are so many distributors and aggregators out there, you can certainly find a much better one then TuneCore, especially considering you likely fall into the category of barely selling anything(regardless what you publicly say), as the vast majority of people do.

[MarkMark]

Thank you, I have a clearer understanding now. I realise that TuneCore is the middleman, I realise they take my money, etc. but I found them on the Apple website under the iTunes aggregators list, I don't see any other way of getting my music on iTunes without any aggregators and without a label.

Yes I also realise that 99% of musicians don't make money or make very little and I fall into that category also. I am humble and don't pretend to be a bigshot. I don't have delusions about becoming a millionaire just because I get on iTunes.

I found your statement "it is pointless and useless to you because you lack the knowledge to understand the statement..." arrogant, just because someone can't comprehend your thought expressed inefectively through a minimal sentence doesn't mean they lack the knowledge.

My aim is to get publicity on YouTube, and if someone asks "Hey where can I buy your album" then I want to be able to give a clear link to a trusted place that everyone knows (iTunes) as opposed to some random artist website where people are weary of any transactions and change their mind before purchasing. I realise iTunes takes a cut too, but in my opinion its a place that people trust out of familiarity, like amazon. Sooo, this leads me back to Tunecore, and why I am going with an aggregator. If you think there are better ones, can you please name them?

If you are going to be dishing out advice about why things are good and bad, then the least you can do is back it u with some info and facts and not get offended when people ask for the details.
Even if you are right and I 'lack the knowledge' has it occurred to you that perhaps that is the reason I am here, to get answers? One would think that with 922 posts to your name that you've learned how to answer questions effectively.

[A Non O Miss]

Thank you, I have a clearer understanding now. I realise that TuneCore is the middleman, I realise they take my money, etc. but I found them on the Apple website under the iTunes aggregators list, I don't see any other way of getting my music on iTunes without any aggregators and without a label.

Yes I also realise that 99% of musicians don't make money or make very little and I fall into that category also. I am humble and don't pretend to be a bigshot. I don't have delusions about becoming a millionaire just because I get on iTunes.

I found your statement "it is pointless and useless to you because you lack the knowledge to understand the statement..." arrogant, just because someone can't comprehend your thought expressed inefectively through a minimal sentence doesn't mean they lack the knowledge.

My aim is to get publicity on YouTube, and if someone asks "Hey where can I buy your album" then I want to be able to give a clear link to a trusted place that everyone knows (iTunes) as opposed to some random artist website where people are weary of any transactions and change their mind before purchasing. I realise iTunes takes a cut too, but in my opinion its a place that people trust out of familiarity, like amazon. Sooo, this leads me back to Tunecore, and why I am going with an aggregator. If you think there are better ones, can you please name them?

If you are going to be dishing out advice about why things are good and bad, then the least you can do is back it u with some info and facts and not get offended when people ask for the details.
Even if you are right and I 'lack the knowledge' has it occurred to you that perhaps that is the reason I am here, to get answers?

Who said i was offended?

You made a prickly reply and i responded accordingly, that's it!

lets see of the top of my head...

AODA/Orchard
AWAL
CD Baby
DistroKid
AMAdea
Reverb Nation
Catapult
Ditto
etc.
etc.

In a properly constructed digital network i would be getting a micro-payment for not only this information, but also from those who i am currently marketing and advertising for!

Anyways, hope your strategy works out for ya!

[MarkMark]

Thanks for the examples I'll check them out. In the 'properly constructed digital network' I would make sure you only received the micro payment from me once I was satisfied with your answer. I certainly wouldn't be paying anything for your one liners without any information to back up your statements.

You gave me a list of aggregators off the top of your head without giving any further information as to why they are 'better' and especially why they would be better for my needs. I am amazed that people trust you with their marketing, I assume they 'lack the knowledge' and that works for you because you get money.

I see there is a different side to you when there is no money involved, such as this forum, and you've just proven that with your last post because you couldn't resist giving an answer without following it up with "In a properly constructed digital network i would be getting a micro-payment for not only this information"

lordy lord, give me the name of your company so I can stay well clear of it

[A Non O Miss]

Where did i say you would be on the hook for payment?

Under what obligation am i under to list them and then subsequently do a complete analytic breakdown for you, free of charge?

Who trusts me with their marketing?

For too many assumptions based on little information my man!

[10K-DB Music]

I would copyright all your material prior to posting ANYWHERE,,Library of congress has an e-file site,,or you can do old school{hard copy paper} Thats if your in USA. I have close to 250 songs copyrighted there,,but only approx 35 out in public/web{no need to over post stuff just yet} That way if one of your tunes gets "borrowed" by somebody,,and its a huge hit,,makes lots of$$,,you can collect from all that.

[CS70]

I only know of TuneCore, what other aggregators do people use?

We use Cd Baby - which I feel is pretty ok for what it does. There's also Reverbnation providing similar services, and I "discovered" TuneCore just last year.

When I selected cd baby, it boiled down to how much you need to pay to keep your art in catalog every year vs. how much cut they take in case of sale. I picked up CD Baby since it took a one-time fee (didn't want to have to pay every year, I'm a musician - I forget things!), the cut was acceptable and they seemed to have a reasonable user interface and customer service. All of which have subsequently proven to be true, so we'll stay on as satisfied customers. Recently they've introduced the "pro" version which also collects other types of royalties (learning about mechanical royalties made me discover TuneCore) but it's provided only to US customers.
The only annoying thing about cd baby is that it doesn't distribute to Wimp, which is a streaming service of growing popularity where we are based, so we're missing out a bit on the local market. So far, we haven't perceived it as enough of a problem to "move" the catalog elsewhere.

But honestly I don't feel there's a great deal of difference between all of these services. The main idea is to bring stuff on major electronic distribution channels, and all of these seem to do it in a fairly straightforward way.