Welcome to the SongMakers VET Copyright Resources
About These Resources
This site helps you understand how
1. Copyright works in Australia
2. To protect your own music
3. Use other's work legally
While this is not legal advice, it aims to provide accurate and up to date useful information on copyright in Australia to inform the songwriting process.
Activity
IF YOU HAVE ALREADY WRITTEN A SONG...
- Did you write it alone, or with others? If it was collaborative, did you discuss sharing the rights?
- What are your plans for the song? Are you planning to perform it, record it, or share it online? Have you already done these things?
- Does your song borrow from someone else’s work? Have you included samples, covers, or influences that might require permission?
IF YOU HAVE NEVER WRITTEN A SONG...
Imagine you have written and recorded a song. What would you want it to sound like? Think about:
- What genre is it? Pop, rock, country, hip-hop, metal etc.
- What instruments does it use? Guitar, bass, drums, voice, keys, samples etc
- Does it have lyrics? What are they about?
- What’s the tempo? Is it slow like a ballad or fast and upbeat?
- What’s the title?
When you’ve imagined your song, answer the “If you have already written a song” questions above as if your imaginary song were real.
This song will be the starting point for the activities in this unit.
Or, maybe this has sparked an idea for a song —go ahead and create it!
Use the songwriting resources here to guide you.
