Music Copyright: Understanding UK Copyright Law When Working with Music (FutureLearn)

It answers questions such as: what is protected by copyright and what is not? In what circumstances can you reuse copyrighted material without permission or payment? How do collecting societies work? And how can you make money as a musician through licensing deals, self publishing or giving your music away?

Real-life musicians share their experiences throughout the course, offering advice on dealing with copyright, being copied by other artists and avoiding accidentally falling into a copy trap.

What topics will you cover?

Week 1: Introduction to UK copyright law (including: What does copyright protect? What does it not protect? How long does copyright protection last? What are some exceptions that allow limited use without seeking permission from copyright owners?; What is unlawful copying or copyright infringement (including real life experiences of musicians talking about their own non-specialist understanding of copyright law); Case study: breaking down different types of ‘copyright works’ in a single song which attract their own different type of copyright.

Week 2: Exploiting copyright [Allowing permission for others to exploit (and pass on share of revenues) by setting up a licensing deal; Giving it away free (creative commons approach) to get better exposure and brand worthiness, Self releasing using the internet without needing distribution deals or expensive agencies]; Understanding collecting societies [Ensuring you get a share of collected royalties]; Case study: How some SMEs are evolving a unique approach to copyright based business models; Exceptions [Using someone else’s copyright works for limited use under special circumstances]

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

- Demonstrate an understanding of UK copyright law, including basics of protected musical works, duration, and, copyright exceptions.

- Explore how the market works using licensing deals and royalties through collecting societies.

- Engage with newer concepts such as internet based self-publishing, and, using creative commons licenses.