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SSJDre
I'm working on a multitude of different things, but you'll mostly find me on Youtube under the channel name "The Game Idea Guy". I share my video game ideas and thoughts on a regular basis.

Andre Ratchford @SSJDre

Age 37, Male

Parent/Writer

None

Maryland

Joined on 12/10/03

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Painful Truth

Posted by SSJDre - January 26th, 2011


Well, yesterday I learned that I was using a program that wasn't considered to be worthy on Newgrounds. I've been using this tool to get the basics of music production, and also to make some decent sounding tracks. But FairSquare clued me in on what I was doing, after a bit of brief conversation. Now I'm wondering if I have to take the tracks down. I wasn't intentionally breaking any rules, and I made sure I read the FAQ before I started submitting anything. So, I thought there was nothing wrong.

It sucks to find out that you've made a mistake that is so crucial like that, and to only find that out after you've done a small mass of work. I wouldn't be terribly upset if I had to take the stuff down, well everything except for Jazz Swagger, that track was made in 2008 with the help of a studio producer, before I started trying to do anything myself. Still, I like the songs, but if they truly don't abide by the guidelines, then I'd rather not be the one screwing things up for everyone else.

The good thing is, I've learned all that I can with that software, and was preparing to move on to something else. FL Studio, here I come. Nothing has come back to me yet about the tracks though, so I'm not certain if I have to take them down, if they'll just be taken down, or if they might be allowed to remain. I was figuring when it asked if I'm 100% the original creator, that yes, I was. I put the songs together, I named them. I doubt fully that they've been heard anywhere else before by anyone else, so I thought that my songs were truly valid.

I don't want to ruin or invalidate any part of Newgrounds in any way, this place is on of my many online homes. I'd rather be fully in the right and recognized for doing things right, than being the guy that fudged it all up. In the eyes of fairness, if my stuff has to come down, then I want to be the one to take it down. I'd rather remove it willingly than to have it forcefully stripped away. So I sit at the mercy of the Gods of Newgrounds.

Bad thing is, I probably would have figured this out a while ago had I used the forums before November. Though I've done a search, and I haven't found anything that tells you which programs not to use. That would be just as useful to have as something telling which are the best to use, this would save people who do check the forums first from running in to the same problem. Maybe it should also be linked in the FAQ too, for those who may not think to check the forums like myself.

This is a good way to block out certain attempts:

: Please Note:
:
: When you submit your audio, please be aware:
:
: * You are making the legal claim that it is your own original work.
: * Loops you made from existing copyrighted songs are not your own original work.
: * If your submission is not your own original work, you will be placed on a rejection list and held
: responsible for any repercussions.
: * You will remain the owner and credited author of the submission.
: * If this is your first time contributing to the Audio Portal, you will have to be approved before
: your submissions are made available publicly (this may take a week or two depending on the
: amount of applicants in our queue).

But there should also be something in there about using programs with material that isn't copyrighted, that just has pieces you place together to create songs, the very basic production programs. If that isn't considered to be the authors original work, then there should be something said about it. The person making that claim could be thinking the same way that I was, I put it together, it's not copyrighted, then it is my own original work correct? In this case, that's wrong, at least that's what I was informed of. There is a very vague line that can easily be crossed without intention to do so. I'm not saying that everyone that does it is doing so out of the earnest thought and respect for the site that what they are doing is right. I just want to make it clear, there are probably lots of users who make that mistake and just don't know it.

I wish I knew ahead of time so that I wouldn't have put anything up other than Jazz Swagger, or at least I would have switched programs immediately rather than posting up so many songs using it. I'm probably going to do some research on the subject and just put up a thread on the subject, just to see if I could maybe help other users like myself that just don't think about it.

I really feel as if I've betrayed the Newgrounders who have favored my submissions as well as myself as an audio artist here. I didn't do it on purpose, but either way, it's not something that I would have wanted. It's better to be looked at as a true artist than to unknowingly be a fraud. So I'm going to take my new knowledge and put it to good use, and submit songs that are completely original to me. Live, Learn, Grow, and Move On.


Comments

I`m sorry to hear about this,(or more like read this). I hope they don`t take off your music though, it would be more of a loss to Newgrounds than for you.

Thanks for saying that, but if it's what is decided, then I'll comply. I'd rather not be a disruption to the site. If I'm going to do anything at all, then I'm going to follow the rules to the fullest of my knowledge.