Do I have any reason to hide as an artist?

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As you probably know, I own a Youtube and Soundcloud channel, named "mediumaevum" (latin for Middle Ages).

I perform and/or compose medieval or medieval-inspired music using software.

I like to stay anonymous on the internet. But I find it very hard for me to figure out how to protect my works by copyright (not that I have any problems with it. People are generally nice and ask for my permission).

It's more like that I can't really write "Copyright (c) My Full Name". It's an irritating problem.

On one side, I like to get credit for my works. I don't earn money on my music.
On the other, I like to stay anonymous.

My question is... do I have any reason to hide behind a pseudonym?
It's because I am too shy to reveal myself. Its part of the reason I don't earn money on my musical compositions,
because I am afraid of publicity.

I am also afraid that I might eventually write stupid things on internet boards, way long after I've had my real name show up,
and that I cannot control myself to not do so.

I need some advice, because I just finished a piece I've been working on occassionally for 3 years and I've just made a MIDI and Sheet music.
I can't read sheet music, but I trust the software.

http://soundcloud.com/user5999551/benigno-numine

I use a pseudonym for my fiction. Part of the reason why is because I like a certain amount of anonymity, the other reason is because I come from a ridiculously secretive family who just hate to see the family name spread all over. I don't live with any of them, but the lingering effects of this secrecy lasts. I hate it. It doesn't make me feel free. It is what it is.

Pseudonym's are helpful for those who are easily hurt, find it difficult to take criticism, or simply protecting themselves from the nuts that patronize the web. There's nothing wrong with it, IMHO.

You can use pseudonyms if you want to. I have various pseudonyms for making music, writing stories, etc. It comes in handy if you want people to focus more on the music you are making rather than your identity. The only time I will use my real name is if it seems like I am comfortable with people wanting to know me or my name. My names range from Charcoal Sketches of the Invisible Man to blank videotapes to Firebreath, etc. It changes every project. Artists can use that bit of distance from whomever is listening, especially in the age where everyone puts their business deep in the streets.

So, use it if you want. It all depends on what pseudonyms mean to you.

I think the problem thinkinginpictures is concerned about is how do you copyright protect intellectual property, while maintaining your privacy behind a nom de plume?

I think if you are not planning on making any money from your music it should be easy enough to do. Even at that you could make some money without anyone knowing your name. If you have a paypal account you can upgrade it to a business account for free. You can use your music act as the business name on this. If you are going to be playing live shows it will be a bit harder to do, but still possible.

But I would say to you, don't let this bother you too much. I shy away from putting my music out there because I don't want to have it as something I have to stand behind. I think years of observing the music business has turned me this way. I see the hoops people are made to jump through in order to promote their music. But think about it, no matter how good, the chances of your music 'going viral' are very small. Therefore you will never have people relating your name to your music and you won't have to jump through any hoops for people.

Next time I set up a youtube and soundcloud channel I am not going to tell anyone. Then I am free to do as I please and just worry about writing good music.

Your music is really good by the way. Do you use orchestra simulation software making it? Like Projectsam or something?

Ok, forgive a long message but yes, you have a reason to stay anonymous and to hide behind a pseudonym. How many musicians use a stage name, authors do it, as do other artists. Add to that the modern world, and the people online of course that gives you cause to pause when posting your identity.

As an artist you should not care if you say something stupid, offensive or just wrong....artists have more leeway as our passions are stronger and our natures are often our banes. Use a screen name, different than what you use if you fear you might err on a forum.

If you want to get credit for your music, use your name or a pseudonym as you are already doing. Since your not selling it the only thing a copyright does is offer legal recourse after a work is stolen. Perhaps I have a better solution for both issues.

Have you considered putting up incomplete samples of your music, leaving only complete copies to those who download it?
You can embed your name/alias into the mp3/4 etc, so only fans will have access to it.

Then for further security you can copyright it under your own name but maintain greater privacy. Now only those who download it would know who your real name was. (Or under the band,label or alias of your choosing.)

You keep your other avenues (Youtube,etc), but only put up 70% of a song and at the end of the Youtube video put a link to download the full song (with your name or pseudonym in the copyright) using the website of your choice.

Think of it as a type of watermark, but for music. This way you can have your cake and eat it too... Personally I no longer watermark my art as I see it as free promotion of my art. I put all of my art on dA under the Creative Commons copyrights, not to be used by others commercially. For more on CC see this LINK.

BTW I listened to one of your pieces on Youtube, your exceptionally good and capture the feel of the era. I'm a former medievalist of over 26+ years of experience and can attest to the authenticity of your style work. Original yet accurate, I can imagine it at a feast... Ave!

You should be selling your work for download on Role-Playing Game websites, as theme music for gamers to game too. It's a niche market you can exploit and sell some music on, get greater experience and increase your musics exposure to a set fanbase.

Sites like RPGhost,RPGnow,etc all offer music and other things to go with gaming. You can even sell your product for free, or make a profit. Most importantly you will market to a set base and expand your recognition in a way you can control.

Good luck, you are very talented.

If you are worried about posting something on forums getting associated with your music then you shouldn't link to where your music is from the forum. I have been in two situations over the years where it has caused complications for me. The first about 6 years ago I had youtube account with music I made that my friends and family visited. At that time I was on a mental health forum and it had a section like this on it. So I linked to my songs there. After a while I figured out that if you googled the ur l of a song on my youtube channel it would show up where I posted a link to it. So I closed my youtube channel and even had to use google webmaster to delete the link from the google search cache. Chances were no one was going to be googling the ur ls of my music anyway, but that's another story

The second time I had a soundcloud and website and was linking to them from a profile I had on a music forum. All good. Then I got into a lengthy argument with someone over music piracy on a thread. I wanted to disassociate my website and soundcloud from it and asked the mods to delete my posts with the links in them, and they did.

Just a whole load of trouble I caused for myself. But next time I link like that I will have a separate soundcloud channel.

AutisticMillionaire makes some good points, and to expand on the music for games thing as I was looking to get into doing something similar before I started college. There are plenty of music library type websites around where you can create a profile and upload your music for people to use. Outside of music for games, people who make movies, documentaries, adverts, college projects, use them to get music or sound effects. Have a look at sites like audiojungle and musicloops to get an idea. It is a good way to make money from music if you want to just work alone.