Music royalties have been a major source of revenue for musicians, songwriters, and producers alike. With the popularity of streaming, however, royalty breakdowns have become increasingly more complicated, frustrating, and confusing. If you are a songwriter, musician, or producer, what are your rights in terms of royalties and streaming?

How much of a sample can I use in a song? Can I use a snippet in my YouTube video? What if I change it up a little bit? What if I only use a few second? Isn’t that fair use?

A common question I get from a lot of authors, artists, creators, and software developers is: “Should I register my copyright?” While my answer is always an emphatic YES, I understand that this question comes from an area of uncertainty. Uncertainty about what a copyright is, uncertainty about what the benefits of a copyright registration are, and uncertainty about the procedure and costs associated with registering a copyright.

One of the most common misconceptions among content creators is that Fair Use is a right granted to them. However, Fair Use is actually a defense that you would use if you were sued for copyright infringement. Of course, while it is a defense, you can always mitigate the possibility of infringement by adhering to certain guidelines.