Lyricist

Songwriter or lyricist is someone who writes the text for vocal music or pretending, and therefore in this work has exclusive intellectual property rights.

General

The song text is one of the two components of a vocal musical work. It is written by the lyricists in a particular language and must rhythmically, beware of the phrasing and the key of the music. It is usually kept in a consistent meter and often gives the song its rhythmic structure. Therefore, lyricist and music composer usually work closely together to merge text and music into a harmonious unity. This can be either the copywriting an existing melody as well as the setting of an existing text in a conscious vote situation. Linking a conceptual content with a melody and the phrasing of the text are the result of a creative voting process.

GEMA, the " Association of German music creator " and the case law use the term lyricists, while in the English language the term is author usual ( see the U.S. ASCAP - collecting society " American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers "). Since copyright is fairly harmonized internationally, similar rules apply as in Germany.

Legal Issues

Text and music are each independent work parts that are connected to each other only in accordance with § 9 of the Copyright Act to jointly exploit. It is a so-called network connection of two separate copyrights of music and lyrics in pop songs. The network connection established, at least tacitly, a civil partnership between lyricist and composer. Both text and music shall be used separately according to the prevailing opinion, in spite of network connection without the consent of the other author, as long as this way the joint exploitation of the existing network connection is not affected.

Subtext is a poet who wrote a German text with continued use of the original music for a foreign-language text. It is a revision within the meaning of § § 3 and § 23 of the Copyright Act, because in this way the original version is changed in their individual character. Even if the new text is shown, the librettist of the original text gets his royalties. The librettist 's share of the royalties is the lyricists themselves when the music business is listed without any text. After the rule schedule of GEMA get the beneficiaries involved as a composer for the public performance of a non- designed work of light music 8/12 and the librettist 4 /12. Is a music publishing company involved in the song, the percentage decreases for the Lyricist on 3/12, the composer gets 5 /12 and the publishing 4 /12. A participating Arranger (Editor) receives 1 /12 and reduces the proportion of the composer 4 /12. This distribution scheme, however, can be modified by individual contract.

If multiple names or groups enumerated equal rights under the music, it is assumed that it is equal to those mentioned, creator of both plant parts in a song so of text and melody is. In the aforementioned judgment of the BGH also clear that it is common for a song to make the authorship identified by their name will appear.

Whether a text in a new musical work occurs at an older musical work in a similar form, is usually easier to decide on plagiarism disputes than melodies. In Brown Girl in the Ring by Boney M. the Supreme Court had ruled that the librettist had created the controversial text itself and had not resorted to previously known Caribbean folklore. From the viewpoint of the small coin of the text was barely capable of protection. In this case, a substantive examination must be made, which searches for matching statements in the affected text and a subjective test whether the lyricist was the subject already known.

Cover versions must normally not be approved by the composers and lyricists of the original, but it is sufficient to register the cover with the collecting society (GEMA ). Prior to authorization of the music publisher of the author is required only when compared to the original with an independent creative part by changes in the melodic- harmonic form and / or text amendments were made. For then, the cover on a subject to approval original authorship. If the text of a work discarded and not the vocal melody, so it is a new network connection of the original text, which only requires the approval of the librettist and not also the composer.

Activity profiles

• Librettist: librettist of opera, operetta or musical - this refers the dialogues with a.
• Librettist, lyricist for pop songs and the dance and entertainment music
• Songwriter: Lyricist, composer and groups of performers in a person.
• Singer- songwriter (also rock or pop - Poet): the Anglo- American name for singer-songwriters, but which has now taken on its own meaning in the German language original.

Demarcation

A copywriter is someone who writes, for example, advertising slogans, presentations or instructions for use.

The demarcation between songwriter and singer-songwriter has overlaps. Songwriter referred tend to those who are musically and belong in the stage presentation of the old school (mainly acoustic instruments, as well as a musical accompaniment to the text subordinates, often with roots in the German folk scene ). Many have also emerged from the '68 movement. As a singer-songwriter those which, in the Anglo-American musical culture music closely related, are linguistically less traditionally oriented and occur with pop or rock band. Songwriter occur in their songs basically zoom with a message to the audience. When singer- songwriters this may be so, but must not.

Librettist

After 1945, the lyricists and composers translated from the two parts of Germany, their first together interrupted work on. In East Berlin and Leipzig recordings were produced and released many of Amiga. We all remember the radio dance orchestra Berlin, initially led by Michael Jary and soon Walter Dobschinski and on the radio dance orchestra Leipzig, Kurt Henkel's line. Lyricists from the East worked with West Berlin composers. As an example, Helmut Helmut Kiessling and Gardens are mentioned. Due to the German division took from such productions, and it moved lyricists and composers from the East Germany after. End of the 1950s was sought by the broadcasting reinforced by their own authors. Also by state regulations, this development was encouraged. As reported Amiga 1962, 1961 45 18 composers and lyricists were involved in the annual production, primarily from the East. Again, later had a very well-known lyricists from Germany in the late 1950s his first public and commercial successes through publications at Amiga, the broadcasting and public performances in East Germany. This joint work should be continued.

On the compilations German Schlager and 120 % hit that appeared after 1990, no hits are included with texts of East German songwriter. Consciously or unconsciously, we distinguish between German and East German lyricists.

A positive signal is a collector of pop - text booklets, which also includes the East German books from Harth Musikverlag Leipzig- Berlin and the Song of Time introduces Musikverlag Berlin in his text book collection as well as German text booklets prior to 1945, West German and Austrian staple since 1945.