Advice Needed About Starting a Music Website

JohnP199

I posted in the Business and Music thread but I've been told here is the best for this thread!! I need some advice. I have an idea for a new website. Its basically a website that users can visit and play songs on. The songs could be anything from the charts or one that was released 30 years ago! This isnt the whole idea. There is something unique about the site, I just cant reveal what that is!! My question is though, can I legally have a website that people can visit and play songs on (for example Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe)?

If I can do this would I also be able to edit songs? For example remove words or add extra words (I suppose similar to mash-ups!).

Grolschevik

JohnP199 wrote: »

My question is though, can I legally have a website that people can visit and play songs on

Depends if you plan to charge users and pay royalties to artists. In the free streaming domain, Grooveshark and Spotify manage to do it legally, so I suppose where your site is hosted would be a relevant factor.

Procrastastudy

You would need a huge investment to get this going. Just be aware of that - good luck with it.

JohnP199

Procrastastudy wrote: »

You would need a huge investment to get this going. Just be aware of that - good luck with it.

Could you be more specific? Also I should have mentioned there won't be alot of songs on the website, maybe 2 or 3 added each week.

Procrastastudy

I would have thought the cost of the legal side would run into thousands in drawing up subscriber agreements and dealing with the various licensing authorities in Ireland.

You're then going to have to make deal with the various record labels to use their song. It's not an industry I'm familiar with so your own reseach would trump mine, of course.

not even wrong

JohnP199 wrote: »

Could you be more specific?

Read this article about the demands the record labels make of companies like Spotify.

tl;dr: the music business is a racket and the record labels are Tony Soprano.

Procrastastudy

not even wrong wrote: »

Read this article about the demands the record labels make of companies like Spotify.

tl;dr: the music business is a racket and the record labels are Sony Toprano.

Fixed

JohnP199

Thanks for the info so far guys.

Just a little more on the website. Let's say I was putting mash-ups together. Once I paid a record label to use a song would I be free to do what I want with it (like make a mash up or remove certain parts)? Or would this be something I'd need to agree individually with each company.

As I mentioned I'll be adding maybe 2 news songs a week (maybe even one). So hopefully licencing cost wouldnt be too high. As regards the website, visitors wouldnt have to sign up or pay to listen to the music. It'll be free to all. The only plan at the moment for earning money would be through advertising.