Respect the rights attached to every recording.

If you believe your rights have been infringed, or you are unsure whether you are infringing someone else’s, talk to a qualified attorney. The notice process below is a holding pattern until counsel publishes a dated DMCA policy.

What is copyright and copyright law?

“Copyright” describes a set of legal rights in original literary, musical, dramatic, or artistic works, and in sound recordings, films, broadcasts, and other creative works. Under United States law and the laws of other countries, those rights belong to the copyright owner. They let the owner control how the work is used and stop unauthorized copying, adaptation, public performance, broadcast, or distribution — including on the internet.

What looks like one track can hold several copyrights. A signed artist’s song often splits composition, lyrics, and sound recording. Music and lyrics may sit with the artist or a publisher; the recording may sit with a label. Uploading, sharing, or adapting that track usually needs permission from every owner, directly or through a collecting society or PRO. Missing a permission can mean the file comes down.

What do I need to know before I upload?

If you have any doubt about your rights in audio, sounds, or music, ask a lawyer before you upload or before you make a claim. The checklists below are guideposts, not a substitute for advice.

Stories, podcasts, field recordings, audiobooks, sketches

Can you answer yes to all of these?

• Is the recording yours to share — your performance, made by you, not recited from a script, play, or book you did not write?
• Do you have permission from anyone else who appears on the take?

Can you answer no to all of these?

• Is it rehearsed or recited from someone else’s script, play, or book?
• Does it contain music, dialogue, or excerpts from other copyrighted works?

Music

Can you answer yes to all of these?

• Did you compose the music yourself?
• Did you write the lyrics yourself?
• Did you record and produce the track yourself, or do you have permission from the producer or label that did?
• Do you have written permission from every copyright owner for any samples, beds, or borrowed beats?

Can you answer no to all of these?

• Were you signed to a label when you recorded it?
• Do you have a publishing deal?
• Are you a member of a PRO or collecting society that already controls the work?
• Have you licensed the track to someone else?
• Does it contain any part of someone else’s song, or is it based on one?

What is infringement, and how do I avoid it?

You infringe if you do something the law reserves to the owner without permission — copying, adapting, or putting the work on the internet. The surest way to avoid that is not to use anyone else’s work. If you do, get the permissions. Sometimes that is a paid license. Statutory exceptions exist; they are beyond this page. If you plan to rely on one, ask a copyright lawyer first.

“No infringement intended” is not a defense. The house rules say the same.

If you think someone is infringing your copyright

Email copyright@useraudio.com with your name, how to reach you, a description of the work, and enough detail to find the material on this site. We will follow up and decide whether the file should come down. Counsel will replace this informal intake with a dated policy that lists the statutory elements of a notice.

If you can, write the person who posted the material first. You may not need a platform claim.

For United States law, start at the U.S. Copyright Office. For other countries, use your local office or WIPO. Nothing on this page is a filing.