A Guide to Music Copyright

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Good article: http://thump.vice.com/en_ca/article/the-thump-guide-to-music-copyright

I've always looked at copyright as a VERY grey area. I understand that if you were to sample something without permission and then sell your music, that's illegal. However, if you were to give your music away for free, I don't see the issue.

The reason why I say this is because how is it different than a DJ playing a full track at a house party or a club? The DJ doesn't have permission and can play whatever songs they want, but I guess under copyright law it's about if you make your own production with samples that it's illegal. But just playing someone's else's song is okay.

Very grey.

The other thing is that it seems like certain sounds are off limits. I mentioned this many times in my articles, and it's something that is very much in the grey area. For example, if I were to sample the snare from "Impeach the President", no one would care. But if I were to sample the entire drum break, then by law that's illegal.

Also, technically, what all of us are doing here by sampling and uploading our beats is considered illegal, no? You can always hide your samples though.

What do you think?

 

[NONONSENSEBEATS]

Just thinking about copyright laws gives me a headache lol

 

[A.R. DASUPASTAR]

I think it is good & bad! It is good because it is forcing hip hop to evolve into a genre where we can either hire instrumentators (if that's a word) or learning a instrument that we can put towards our hip hop Production. It is bad because purist such as myself, won't enjoy the fruits of flipping samples from our favorite artists or favorite songs. I agree that it is grey because opinions are balanced, like how black and white makes gray. Sort of like a gift & a curse.

 

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It is bad because purist such as myself, won't enjoy the fruits of flipping samples from our favorite artists or favorite songs

On point! I mean, I know that if you sample something without clearing it and make millions of dollars off of your work, that's not fair to the artist you sampled from. I wouldn't be happy if someone sampled me like that.

But on the other hand, it takes a lot of creativity away from those that make beats with samples. Before Hip Hop became this huge monster and didn't make THAT much money, it wasn't a big deal. Plain and simple, money got in the way.

Maybe something like have a sort of pay scale could work. For example, if you sample Phil Collins and you sell 5000 copies, then you pay X amount for using that sample. If you sell 1,000,000 copies then you pay XXX amount, and so forth. That makes more sense to me rather than charge the little guy the same amount you would a big name producer. Plus, if you're talking about a producer that samples Phil Collins but only releases his music for free, then there should be no charge, right?

 

[A.R. DASUPASTAR]

On point! I mean, I know that if you sample something without clearing it and make millions of dollars off of your work, that's not fair to the artist you sampled from. I wouldn't be happy if someone sampled me like that.

But on the other hand, it takes a lot of creativity away from those that make beats with samples. Before Hip Hop became this huge monster and didn't make THAT much money, it wasn't a big deal. Plain and simple, money got in the way.

Maybe something like have a sort of pay scale could work. For example, if you sample Phil Collins and you sell 5000 copies, then you pay X amount for using that sample. If you sell 1,000,000 copies then you pay XXX amount, and so forth. That makes more sense to me rather than charge the little guy the same amount you would a big name producer. Plus, if you're talking about a producer that samples Phil Collins but only releases his music for free, then there should be no charge, right?

I don't think they would charge if you put it out for free

 

[GET2THAPAPER]

Sampling is Hip Hop. When you buy a workstation the sounds you purchase were created by Sound Designers who tweaked or altered sounds/samples to give you a particular soundbank. I guess you have to think like Dre during the first Chronic and whatever you are digging in the crates for just find a way to interpolate the groove or riff. Every sound comes from somewhere unless you capture a sound in the wild or city etc. I feel if you disregard samples though you kill hip hop. If you are a seasoned Producer though you can find that "grit" w/out Vinyl of course. Something about a sample filtered or manipulated is just dope and "hip hop". 2 each his own. I wish they would update the guidelines. No matter what machine you use or sound you tweak it came from somewhere. I don't think it limits hip hop but it restricts it in terms of legalities. Sampling is the backbone. Hip Hop is just so amazing though that it allows you to enhance or manipulate a particular piece. This enables the only limitation to be your brain and imagination. Don't ever 4 get the Vinyl or the "Essence" though. That fire loop of 4, 8, 16, etc bars of genius from the analog era just seems like it was meant 2 be w Boom BAP DRUMZ

 

[kStarMusiK]

Largest grey area in existence pertaining to music of any genre IMO. I figure the greatest in the game could've cared less about the law. Most of the old Bronx heads that I know where hip-hop essentially originated live by the "Catch me if you can" motto, which is basically what most people in the industry are doing anyways right? I say just make the music and let God sort it out in the end lol, we need hip-hop and hip-hop needs producers.. especially the soul inspired few.

 

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LOL @kStarMusiK great line:

I say just make the music and let God sort it out in the end lol, we need hip-hop and hip-hop needs producers