So over the next 9 months or so I will be filming an action sports movie that I am planning to sell. I've looked at getting the rights/licenses to music a lot but I haven't really found out exactly how to get the rights for a song. Does anybody know exactly what I will have to do in order to legally use a song in the movie and how I will have to go about getting those rights?

Thanks,

Mike

Do a search here for past threads. Study them, then give up and make your own. Nearly impossible, and it will probably be totally out of your budget.

Good Luck-------Mike

start here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=31697&highlight=copyrights

FWIW, and from what I've learned, the Harry Fox agency in NYC handles lots of music. (Search the web, I'm sure you'll find them). However, Mike's right...it certainly ain't cheap. If I recall, you can start the ball rolling online, but I seem to remember them working with the number of copies you would create. i.e. if you were creating 1,000 DVDs, then you would pay $ X, if you were creating more or less, I think the amount changes. I also seem to recall them not even "bothering" with anyone who didn't want to create a minimum of 500. (I've always wondered if that was an indication that they would not "hunt you down" if you used the music on fewer than 500 DVDs...but I suspect most folks wouldn't pursue that angle anyway).

Good luck.

Lisencing popular music can be extremely difficult, frustrating and in the end expensive. Expensive way beyond your means or the scope of your project. Having said that, the various threads you can search will help give you some perspective on that.

My personal choice is to use 'royalty free', needle drop, or buy-out production music. My first choice for searching for that music, is productiontrax.com. They have a very simple two tiered licensing agreement. Music costs are extremely reasonable. Very good selection of music as well. But there are many such sites on the web. Also search threads here on the board for 'royalty free' music. Plenty of reccomendations.

Richard,

Thanks a lot. That website is great.... it will help a lot.

Thanks,

Mike