#Copyright

Course Outline

Copyright – Why I Need to Understand It

The Lowdown

When we talk about copyright we are really talking about one of the key areas of the music industry that musicians and songwriters need to fully understand.

This course will provide you with an understanding of how copyright works and why you need to get your head around it, particularly if you want to make a decent income in the music industry as a songwriter or composer.

Understanding copyright means how to turn your or your act’s creativity into a valuable and commercial asset through generating royalty streams. Understanding copyright is also an understanding of permission needed if someone wants to use your valuable copyrights. Its also about understanding the protection of your valuable assets through copyright law. That’s why understanding copyright is not just for legal eagles, its essential for anybody who wants to or is currently working in the music business.

What’s In It For Me?

Know the basics of copyright and rights protection so that you don’t have to run to a lawyer every time you have a copyright question
As a songwriter or composer, protect your valuable creations and learn how to turn them into dollars
Work out how to make a living from your creative works through ownership and understanding of where the royalties come from
Understand that to commercialise your copyrights you can either assign the rights or license the rights in your works
Know how to document the process of writing and know what copyright law recognises when there is more than one writer
As a copyright owner, know what control you actually have over your rights, especially when someone else wants to use your work

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Collection Societies

Course Outline Collection Societies The Lowdown What’s a collection society and why do we have them? The key players – who collects the income from the copyrights in songs? Which is the collection society that administers and collects the mechanical…

Course Details

Course Content

Modules Status

Copyright Basics

Copyright in Music and Songs

Moral Rights (your personal rights)

Turning Your Copyrights Into a Commercial Asset

Bundles & Mechanical Copyright

What Is Copyright Infringement?

In Summary

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Get the necessary skills for a great introduction & understanding of the music business, through lessons covering all aspects of the music industry. Continuous Music will provide you with sound music industry knowledge, with no tests or assessments - just the info you need - self-paced.

“I’ve known Ben for many years now through different bands that I’ve played in. Ben’s background has been working with the great record companies and in various departments. For instance; promotion, A&R and publicity. He has a great love of music from both as a fan and from a commercial point of view. I would like to mention Ben’s particular ability to connect with any band on any level. He has a great rapport with every band he’s worked with. I wish him all the best with Continuous Music – it’s such a great idea”.

Rick Grossman, Hoodoo Gurus

“I met Ben as a mature age student. Right from the get-go he had my attention as you could tell he has a wealth of experience within the music industry and how it works. Safe to say having Ben as a lecturer throughout my time as a mature age student kept me sane and wanting to continue attending. His passion and knowledge of the industry is infectious and refreshing in such a competitive field of work. I could not have gone through the years I spent in tertiary learning without having a teacher as great as Ben”

Elle Baltra, MTV Australia Presentation Scheduler

“In 2015, at the ripe old age of 36, I made the decision to go back to school to further my education in the Entertainment Industry. Filled with many emotions – predominantly fear and self-doubt – I walked in to my very first lecture. I was fortunate enough to have Ben running that class and I was made to feel instantly at ease.

His incredibly warm, open and humorous persona was only superseded by his wealth of experience and knowledge of the Music Industry. His authentic passion for both the industry and education was infectious and I sincerely enjoyed every class I had with him. Ben made an extraordinary effort with me personally to make me feel supported at a time when I was feeling quite doubtful that emerging in to an industry at my age was a sound choice.

More recently I have graduated from that educational facility and have gone on to create my own successful business. It was having lecturers like Ben Steer that instilled in me not only the education and tools required to create my own dream job but more importantly the self-belief and how to think creatively.

Ben was truly the best teacher I have had. I couldn’t recommend him more.”

Mike Cotton-Stapleton, JMC Business & Management Graduate

“I met Ben as a mature age student. Right from the get go he had my attention as you could tell he has a wealth of experience within the music industry and how it works. Safe to say having Ben as a lecturer throughout my time as a mature age student kept me sane and wanting to continue attending. His passion and knowledge of the industry is infectious and refreshing in such a competitive field of work. I could not have gone through the years I spent in tertiary learning without having a teacher as great as Ben”.

Thomas Macokatic, Musician

Ben Steer is one of the top Music Business Management educators in the world, with a huge career in the Australian Music industry and having worked in Music Business Education at the highest level. Ben’s development of Continuous Music has provided a short cut of information and tools for Music Industry hopefuls, rolling a career’s worth of knowledge and information into one place and allowing both the new and experienced to learn what they need to know to achieve their goals and be successful in the Music Industry.

Mickey Pye Owner , Bathurst Academy of Music . Recording Artist and touring musician.