The more posts I read in this thread, the more it enforces my point.
Copyrights, and publishing - learn about these things. The modern "free music" movement only enforces the need to be more diligent about learning about these things, because labels are no longer in charge of all of this stuff, you are. Which is good, as long as you learn and understand it.
Copyrighting is not about money, it's about protecting your work, and having the right to decide what happens to it, you can still give it away for free all you want, but it gives you the right to say, that is mine, and yes, or no you can, or cannot use it. It keeps unethical producers from stealing it and copyrighting it as their own, that's totally a thing. It happened to me, which was an eye opener. No, it never made it out the door so it isn't on some pop album somewhere (karma), but yes I totally lost that song, and cannot do anything about it, legally.
Publishing, you want exposure? (Copyright then) publish your works, it opens up a whole new world of exposure. BMI, ASCAP, SECAC, they don't just chase bars around for unpaid fees, they also make your songs available to people in TV, the movies, the other sides of the music industry you wouldn't normally have access to, commercials, indie movies, all of that, and more. But, you don't have to publish your works, and you CAN copyright without publishing, but why anyone would is beyond me. Publishing is the best part.
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