How to obtain rights to music?? at DVinfo.net

Alex Ratson · September 9th, 2002, 10:06 PM

Can someone explain to me how I go about getting the rights to use music in my videos? What should I know before I try and getting the rights to music? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Alex

Henrik Bengtsson · September 10th, 2002, 12:09 AM

Well, who wrote it, who has the performance rights for that recording and who is the publisher for the music. Then contact the publisher first to hear about the cost of using the music. If it is a non-commercial project you can also approach the original artist to obtain his/her permission to use it without paying the fee's. Sometimes they agree, sometimes they dont.

Good luck,
HuBBa

Rob Lohman · September 11th, 2002, 07:04 AM

I think the question was more along the lines of how do I know
whom to contact. I don't have the original performers phone
number so to speak. That is at least what comes to my mind.

Henrik Bengtsson · September 11th, 2002, 08:13 AM

Ah well first step is obviously to find out the artist and the recording. Then you can find out (through CDDB for example or your local record store) who owns the rights to it (the copyright label). and if you have physical access to the CD then it is always printed on the back of the cd and sometimes inside the leaflet.

/Henrik

Ross Milligan · September 11th, 2002, 09:22 AM

Try looking at :

www.mpa.org/copyright/searchenter.html

it might help.

Ross

Rob Lohman · September 12th, 2002, 07:55 AM

And how to find the phonenumber then to the persons you must
call to get the rights?

John Locke · September 12th, 2002, 08:18 AM

Following the MPA link above, it's pretty easy to find the phone number. Problem is, no web site addresses and no e-mail addresses.

I'd much rather send e-mail. I can't imagine a publisher rep being happy to receive a call from a wannabe indie filmmaker who wants the right to put one of their client's songs in a non-commercial short film that may or may not be good enough to enter in film festivals, and to use it, of course, for free. I can hear the echo of the phone hanging up even now.

Steve Siegel · September 12th, 2002, 06:17 PM

It's really hard. The answer is: lower your sights.
The "agencies" that hold the copyrights and performance rights and mechanical rights and all the other stupid rights won't even return your e-mails, or phone calls or respond even when you properly fill out their nonsensical forms if you're just a "guy that needs some music". (Do you sense some hostility here?)
If you want some classical music, it's conceivable that you could get away with taking some of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, for example. It has been played many thousands of times and recorded scores of times, and who could identify what orchestra you took it from. Tchaikovsky is dead over 75 years. He's public domain and he doesn't care. It is illegal, however, because the performances, identifyable or not, are copyright. I personally have never had the nerve to do this on a piece intended for public performance or sale.
For about $50.00 you can get a CD of music from the Music Bakery (can I name names?) or any number of other producers that you can use for anything to your heart's content. It's not the best music, but it is real instruments, and as a background for a video can be quite nice. You can pick out what you need on these companies' web sites.
There are other sites on the web that have free downloadable music that you can use. It's of lesser quality, but if you need a banjo and a fiddle, it's great.
Any performance over 75 years old is in the public domain. Do you have a gramophone? Also try the Library of Congress website. They have stuff as well.

Hope this is of some help.

OPORORNIS@YAHOO.COM

Jeff Donald · September 12th, 2002, 06:24 PM

It can depend on the type of work your doing. When I do charitable work or reduce my fees for a good cause (non-profits, award ceromonies for students, teachers etc.) I usually go directly to the artist. I bypass ASCAP and BMI and the rest. If I have reduced my fees, the artist will generally reduce or eliminate his. If on the other hand, I'm charging for the production (or hope to make money with it) it's only fair that the artist should get paid as well.

Jeff

September 9th, 2002, 10:06 PM	#1
Alex Ratson Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Squamish, British Columbia, Canada Posts: 149	How to obtain rights to music?? Can someone explain to me how I go about getting the rights to use music in my videos? What should I know before I try and getting the rights to music? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Alex

September 11th, 2002, 07:04 AM	#3
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	I think the question was more along the lines of how do I know whom to contact. I don't have the original performers phone number so to speak. That is at least what comes to my mind. __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

September 12th, 2002, 07:55 AM	#6
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	And how to find the phonenumber then to the persons you must call to get the rights? __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

September 12th, 2002, 08:18 AM	#7
John Locke Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Austin, TX USA Posts: 2,882	Following the MPA link above, it's pretty easy to find the phone number. Problem is, no web site addresses and no e-mail addresses. I'd much rather send e-mail. I can't imagine a publisher rep being happy to receive a call from a wannabe indie filmmaker who wants the right to put one of their client's songs in a non-commercial short film that may or may not be good enough to enter in film festivals, and to use it, of course, for free. I can hear the echo of the phone hanging up even now. __________________ John Locke SursumFilms.com

September 10th, 2002, 12:09 AM	#2
Henrik Bengtsson Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Borås, Sweden Posts: 167	Well, who wrote it, who has the performance rights for that recording and who is the publisher for the music. Then contact the publisher first to hear about the cost of using the music. If it is a non-commercial project you can also approach the original artist to obtain his/her permission to use it without paying the fee's. Sometimes they agree, sometimes they dont. Good luck, HuBBa

September 11th, 2002, 08:13 AM	#4
Henrik Bengtsson Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Borås, Sweden Posts: 167	Ah well first step is obviously to find out the artist and the recording. Then you can find out (through CDDB for example or your local record store) who owns the rights to it (the copyright label). and if you have physical access to the CD then it is always printed on the back of the cd and sometimes inside the leaflet. /Henrik

September 11th, 2002, 09:22 AM	#5
Ross Milligan Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Scotland UK Posts: 63	Try looking at : www.mpa.org/copyright/searchenter.html it might help. Ross

September 12th, 2002, 06:17 PM	#8
Steve Siegel Major Player Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Posts: 840	It's really hard. The answer is: lower your sights. The "agencies" that hold the copyrights and performance rights and mechanical rights and all the other stupid rights won't even return your e-mails, or phone calls or respond even when you properly fill out their nonsensical forms if you're just a "guy that needs some music". (Do you sense some hostility here?) If you want some classical music, it's conceivable that you could get away with taking some of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, for example. It has been played many thousands of times and recorded scores of times, and who could identify what orchestra you took it from. Tchaikovsky is dead over 75 years. He's public domain and he doesn't care. It is illegal, however, because the performances, identifyable or not, are copyright. I personally have never had the nerve to do this on a piece intended for public performance or sale. For about $50.00 you can get a CD of music from the Music Bakery (can I name names?) or any number of other producers that you can use for anything to your heart's content. It's not the best music, but it is real instruments, and as a background for a video can be quite nice. You can pick out what you need on these companies' web sites. There are other sites on the web that have free downloadable music that you can use. It's of lesser quality, but if you need a banjo and a fiddle, it's great. Any performance over 75 years old is in the public domain. Do you have a gramophone? Also try the Library of Congress website. They have stuff as well. Hope this is of some help. OPORORNIS@YAHOO.COM

September 12th, 2002, 06:24 PM	#9
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	It can depend on the type of work your doing. When I do charitable work or reduce my fees for a good cause (non-profits, award ceromonies for students, teachers etc.) I usually go directly to the artist. I bypass ASCAP and BMI and the rest. If I have reduced my fees, the artist will generally reduce or eliminate his. If on the other hand, I'm charging for the production (or hope to make money with it) it's only fair that the artist should get paid as well. Jeff