I Need Some Advice - I'm Conflicted!

AcousticMonster · Sep 28, 2009

Hi Guys,

I just got a request from someone on MySpace, who I guess is one of my subscribers on YouTube. The person asked if I could send them the lyrics and chords for my original song "I Got a Killer Robot", so that they can make their own YouTube video playing my song.

I really want to tell the guy NO, don't do it, but doesn't that make me a hypocrite then? I know YouTube can pull my cover tune videos since I didn't get permission to play them, if the artist requests it.

What would you guys tell someone if they request to make a video playing one of your originals?

Thanks.

seeso · Sep 28, 2009

My answer is always yes, as long as the cover artist links back to me. I figure the more people that see/hear my stuff the better.

russ_buss · Sep 28, 2009

i say let him. it's flattering to have one of your songs covered.

sukie · Sep 28, 2009

russ_buss said:
i say let him. it's flattering to have one of your songs covered.

Ask Tia. Her song has been covered how many times? Bet she's thrilled.

Pippin · Sep 28, 2009

It is flattering and I am totally with RussBuss on this. Seeso's point is good, too, a courtesy link would be nice. Ask for it. Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained.

I had a song that was a popular number in the early 1990s and a guy covered the song at the International Folk Music Festival in NYC. I was lucky enough to see a video clip of the performance. What he said was that when he first heard the song, he said "Why didn't I write that song" and he hoped he could do it justice. Well, he did and I enjoyed it. It was flattering.

AcousticMonster · Sep 28, 2009

Okay, thanks guys for the input!

Ukulele JJ · Sep 29, 2009

There's nothing stopping them from figuring out the lyrics and chords from your own video anyway. (Nothing apart from their ears, anyway...)

You sending it to them will simply makes things easier for them. Not to mention it will encourage someone in their ukulele journey. Consider it a mitzvah.

JJ

uke5417 · Sep 29, 2009

I always tell people how thrilled I'd be (and I am), try to let them know that they're free to change the tune to better suit them, and offer help if they need any. I think getting covered is like getting a thousand YT stars (and I like those, too.)

Then again, if I wanted to cover someone else's song but they preferred to keep it their own, I would totally respect that.

AcousticMonster · Sep 29, 2009

Well, I told the guy to go ahead, but to make sure people know who wrote it since I have the song copyrighted with the US Copyright office. We will see what happens.

I Need Some Advice - I'm Conflicted!

AcousticMonster

Well-known member

seeso

Super Duper Moderator (Retired)

russ_buss

Well-known member

sukie

Aloha

Pippin

Well-known member

AcousticMonster

Well-known member

Ukulele JJ

Super Moderator

uke5417

Well-known member

AcousticMonster

Well-known member

Similar threads