Jim Jesse: Copyright Law, Music Royalties & the Future of Music

Can musicians still protect their creative work and get paid for it in today's streaming and AI-driven world? On this episode of You Dig?, Steve Wiest welcomes music copyright attorney, songwriter, author, and educator Jim Jesse for an entertaining and illuminating journey through the sometimes bewildering world of music copyright law. Jim is Of Counsel at Hovey Williams and founder of Rock-n-Roll Law, a continuing legal education program that uses the stories and music of legendary artists to teach the principles of intellectual property law. Together, Steve and Jim explore the essential things every musician and creative artist should know, including: The two separate copyrights involved in recorded music Understanding ASCAP, BMI, and music publishing The Mechanical Licensing Collective and uncollected streaming royalties Copyrighting songs, lyrics, arrangements, and recordings Cover songs, jazz contrafacts, and derivative works Fair use, educational exemptions, and YouTube copyright claims Artificial intelligence and the future of the music business The challenges of being an independent recording artist Jim also shares stories from his own songwriting career, his Chicago upbringing, his family, and his Rock-n-Roll Law educational programs. Then it's time for the Dig You Inquisition, where we discover Jim's favorite superhero, music, sports teams, ice cream, and even his philosophy on the meaning of life! A fascinating, funny, and genuinely useful conversation for musicians, songwriters, composers, arrangers, educators, and music lovers everywhere. Explore Jim Jesse's work: Rock-n-Roll Law: https://www.rocknrolllaw.com/ The Mechanical Licensing Collective: https://www.themlc.com/ Jim's books: The Musician's Guide to Music Copyright Law and The Music Copyright Manual. Hosted by three-time Grammy-nominated composer, arranger, and trombonist Steve Wiest. You Dig? — Conversations with extraordinary creative people.