Posting covers online with no intent to profit?

Intellectual Property

I am a musician, and really want to post covers for now, but I don't plan to profit off them. I know people do it all the time, but I don't want to get in trouble.

I even see big bands reposting covers, so I am confused about the legality. There's no way every Marysue657 paid for the copyright.

(Specifically talking Instagram and TT, not YouTube. I know you need copyright there to not be striked.)

The answers online are vague or if they say you can't, it confuses me because EVERYONE does it.

Where do my rights stand on this as an artist not looking to profit off of these recordings, and taking their own creative libraries?

Thank you in advance my friends. 🕊️

Posted Jul 13, 2022, 9:40 PM UTC

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holytoledo760•4 yr. ago

The only thing I can think of, is the FBI distribution notice says you cannot sell the reproduced material. I think that applies to all copyright. There is the fair use exception to copyright. Google’s top search result defines it thusly:

In its most general sense, a fair use is any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited and “transformative” purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work. Such uses can be done without permission from the copyright owner.

So I think you are covered by the transformative and commentary purpose. Again, you can never profit from it.

I considered a similar thing once when realizing the beats from rap were from heaven but the devil was using them for nefarious purpose here. The soul feels what is real.

I cannot use my voice. I don’t even like my voice. And I never spent much time talking for the purpose of talking for myself. I’m practically mute IRL unless He calls for it. Sorry, I’m drifting into a tangent.

You should be good to do this. Remember, you cannot profit from it.