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Quiz on Music Law

by Joy R. Butler, Esq.

[Audiobook Cover] This article is an excerpt from the audiobook,
The Musician's Guide Through the Legal Jungle:
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Music Law



Here are 10 legal and business questions to which every musician should know the answers. Check all the answers at the end of the quiz


1. What must you do in order to copyright your song?

  1. Write it down
  2. File it with the U.S. Copyright Office
  3. Compose it
2. You probably know that sampling involves taking a portion of an existing song or sound recording and placing it into a new sound recording. How much of a song or sound recording can you sample without authorization from the copyright owner before you've committed copyright infringement?

  1. 4 Notes
  2. 8 Bars
  3. There's no specific amount
3. If you hear a song on the radio that you like, do you need to obtain the permission of the song's copyright owner before you can record your own version of that song?

  1. Yes
  2. No
4. If your musical group wants to establish rights in its group name and prevent other groups from using the same name, which one of the following actions must your group eventually take?

  1. Use the name commercially
  2. Register the name with the U.S. Copyright Office
  3. Register the name with the Patent & Trademark Office
5. Which representative plays the largest role in arranging live performances for the musician?

  1. The personal manager
  2. The business manager
  3. The talent agent
6. How are most personal managers compensated for their work in representing musicians?

  1. Percentage commission of the musician's income
  2. Salary paid by the musician's record company
  3. Percentage of musician's record sales
7. What's the principal characteristic that categorizes a record label as an independent record label or a major record label?

  1. Distribution channels
  2. Genre of music
  3. Terms of recording contracts with individual musicians
8. In the typical recording contract, who ultimately pays the costs of recording an album?

  1. The record company
  2. The recording artist
  3. The producer
9. Each time a record is played on the radio, compensation is paid to certain individuals or organizations who played a role in the creation of that record. Which of the following people (or organizations) receives a portion of this compensation?

  1. The songwriter
  2. The artist performing the song on the record
  3. The record company
10. You and a group of friends form a band and manage to make some extra money playing at parties and local clubs. What's the relationship of the band members?

  1. We have no formal relationship unless we have signed a written agreement
  2. We are partners in a general partnership
  3. We are informal employees of the band leader

Answers to Quiz Questions

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Joy R. Butler is an entertainment, intellectual property and business attorney. (View Joy Butler's full bio.).


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