Mike, I have followed with interest your many posts here on the topic of copyright, publishing, distribution, etc.

I have a specific question regarding "publishing" a work. I typically make demos of my original tunes and songs that are not "produced final product" that I intend to record properly in the future. If I upload these and share my recordings with a handful of people using a secret link on SoundCloud, are these then considered "published"? I have heard you say that the copyright owner has the right of first performance. Would this online posting be considered equivalent to "performance".

My motivation in asking this question is two-fold:
(1) I want to share my demos with musicians who may work on the final track
(2) I want to protect my interest in the work

Any guidance here is much appreciated

Last edited by dynac0mp; 03/26/25 10:26 PM.