How To Go About Getting Clearance To Use Copyrighted Music?

[ten1437]

Who do I go to? The music label of the band/musician? Anyone had any luck doing this in the past?

[Fenster]

Tag out of mutual curiosity.

[FlyingPhotog]

Contact Either:

BMI (http://www.bmi.com/licensing/)
ASCAP (http://www.ascap.com/licensing/)

[asysin2leads]

You're best bet would be royalty free music. Thanks for the links, Jay. Interesting reading.

[RDKirk]

What do you want to use it for?

If you want to use copyrighted music (I'm presuming you mean commercial popular music) for your website, that's easy and relatively cheap. You can go to either the BMI or ASCAP websites where you will find an online form (BMI) or a downloadable PDF form (ASCAP) to gain a license to play any of their music for an annual fee of $300-400 (depending on the traffic on your site). For a professional who for some reason really wants their music on a website, that's not an unreasonable fee.

If you want to use copyrighted music on a CD for distribution to clients, that's an entirely different and extremely expensive proposition. You can expect to go into significant contractual negotiations and wind up paying tens of thousands of dollars just for one song.

You can go the route of "royalty-free" music, by which you pay a small fee for an unlimited license that allows you use the music commercially as you please. This is not music that's on the charts, but done by companies (some natural, some synthetic) in popular genres. You can Google "royalty free music" and find a number of outlets on the web.

You can contact local musicians and contract with them for an unlimited license at a reasonable fee. If they use their own music or a song in public doman (like a Mozart piece), your dealings would be entirely with them. If they play a copyrighted song, you'll have to go back to the owner of that copyright (the production company) and will again be in expensive negotiation. You would probably have to pay for a recording session if they don't already have a suitable recording.

There are a number of websites featuring independent musicians (such as icompositions.com), many of whom would license you to use their music just for the asking or for credit.

[ten1437]

Yeah I just want to use for a slideshow on my website

[RDKirk]

Yeah I just want to use for a slideshow on my website

If you want to use copyrighted music (I'm presuming you mean commercial popular music) for your website, that's easy and relatively cheap. You can go to either the BMI or ASCAP websites where you will find an online form (BMI) or a downloadable PDF form (ASCAP) to gain a license to play any of their music for an annual fee of $300-400 (depending on the traffic on your site). For a professional who for some reason really wants their music on a website, that's not an unreasonable fee.

[asysin2leads]

Yeah I just want to use for a slideshow on my website

Please allow me to give some constructive criticism. Leave the music off your website. There's nothing that will turn off a client more than having their speakers turned up and all of a sudden, BAM, there's your music. They will close the window in a flash and not come back. If you are SO dead set on having music on your website, keep it off as a default and allow them to turn it on to "enhance your gallery viewing pleasure." I've seen a couple of websites that do this and even offer various genre playlists for the customer to select. I think I have one bookmarked on my laptop, but am on my wife's right now.

[Mark1]

I agree. Make it an option. I allways have music playing when I am on the computer, so when I come to a site that also has music, it really makes an ugly impression. Not really what they wanted, But it is what they got.

Another point is you may LOVE the music, but there will be people that HATE that music. Every kind of music has fans and haters. The problem is you have no idea who is who. So the best approach is to be non offending. That means no music. Or music as an option.

Now as an option, I have seen sites that have 3 choices for music. Instead of an off/on at the bottom of the page, there is a 1/2/3/off. The viewer has a choice to hear a few options or nothing.

[RDKirk]

He said he wanted it for a slideshow on the website.

I fully agree that music generally playing on a website--especially upon its opening--is a mistake. However, it can be extremely effective when combined with a slideshow selected by the viewer.

[asysin2leads]

I fully agree that music generally playing on a website--especially upon its opening--is a mistake. However, it can be extremely effective when combined with a slideshow selected by the viewer.

I agree. The music can really set the mood for the slideshow. I make sure I have the right music for my NILDMTS slideshows.

[gjl711]

... However, it can be extremely effective when combined with a slideshow selected by the viewer.

I agree. The music can really set the mood for the slideshow. I make sure I have the right music for my NILDMTS slideshows.
That assumes that you are only interested in drawing those that like your music selection. I have often seen music selected that I will navigate away from just because I hate the song.

[RDKirk]

That assumes that you are only interested in drawing those that like your music selection. I have often seen music selected that I will navigate away from just because I hate the song.

Once again, we're talking about the soundtrack of a slideshow on the site, not general music played while navigating the site.

The slideshow is a production package, and a finished package would include a soundtrack. Audiences do expect some kind of soundtrack with a slideshow, so that would not come as the unwelcomed suprise that sudden music comes.

[Willie]

There are a number of websites featuring independent musicians (such as icompositions.com), many of whom would license you to use their music just for the asking or for credit.

Isn't it ironic that this is the same thing many on here complain about with photographers giving away their work and how it's ruining their profession?

[polarbare]

triplescoopmusic.com

We have several pieces licensed from them that include distribution rights for CDs and client presentations, etc.
It's not top 40 stuff but they have some good artists on there.

[RDKirk]

Isn't it ironic that this is the same thing many on here complain about with photographers giving away their work and how it's ruining their profession?

I don't complain about photographers giving away their work for free (that is, no monetary compensation). There are some circumstances that I do as well--charity and business complimentary work, for instance.

I complain about photographers--especially supposed professionals-- doing work at a cut-rate. "Free" does not ruin the professional; it's "professionals" undercutting actual profitable rates doing that.

[Willie]

I don't complain about photographers giving away their work for free (that is, no monetary compensation). There are some circumstances that I do as well--charity and business complimentary work, for instance.

I complain about photographers--especially supposed professionals-- doing work at a cut-rate. "Free" does not ruin the professional; it's "professionals" undercutting actual profitable rates doing that.

I wasn't directing it at you. I just used your quote because it seemed appropriate.

I won't get into discussion on what people should or shouldn't charge; it's not the topic of the thread. I just see a parallel here.

[Mossman6]

Go with royalty free music unless your willing to spend a lot of $$. There's lot's of royalty free music out there for a quick fee. Plus with royalty free music you can use it over and over for different projects.

[joel_yyc]

Check out http://www.rippleaudio.com

It's a site a buddy of mine has put together over the last year to provide royalty-free audio. Just wanted to put the word out for him! :D

Joel