using famous song for your own Music Vid?

[abalex]

Hey does anyone know if I can use a famous song(Indie) to do my own music video and put it on public websites like youtube or myspace ? this will be used just to show off my skills as a Music video director. What do you guys think? Am I going to go to jail if I do this?

thanks
g.

[ChuckS]

I don't know about going to jail but accoring to the MPAA you'll burn in hell for eternitiy!

Technically I think its illigal, I doubt it falls under the fair use copyright act. But then again much of the stuff on youtube is illigal.

If you truly want to show off your directing skills see if you can find a local band who's music you can get permission to use. Using a famous song makes it appear that your hoping to gain more from its popularity than your directing ability.

If you choose to use a famous song and your not selling the resulting video I doubt you'll get in any trouble [although you could].

[morten]

this is tricky. technically you can as long as you don't sell the end product but at the same time you can't because by making the video you are implying that you are somehow connected to the band. see what I mean?

If it's an indie band you could contact them and ask if it's ok that you make a fan video for them. if they're cool they won't have any problems with it. if they're not, then you know you shouldn't do it.

mor10

[abalex]

ALright! the band is Death cab for cutie....and yes I think it will be a fan video....still trying to show off my talent.....

any comments....

g.

[David Jimerson]

If you use it for anything you display/release publicly, whether or not you make any money it, you're violating copyright.

[abalex]

Alright...I got it. I think I'm just gonna have to look for a local band, but I'll make sure I can make a fan video for them though....

thanks guys.
g.

[Ryan Patrick O'Hara]

You should ask death cab. I know a student at my film school did a senior fil and had gotten permission from them to use some songs. From what I heard they are not that bad. You might have to pay, I am not sure. But either way a film student did it!

[scharky]

Unfortunatly, for signed bands it's not always that easy. While the band itself may have no problem with you using their song, and most won't as it's free publicity, most record labels will not. Especially with a music video. The reason I can see for all of this is that if is not sanctioned by the record lable, they have no control over how the video looks or what it portrays. Again, I would look for a local band to do a music video. Doing a music video with an established song just seems cheap to me, basically using the mood of a good song in order to make your video look better. Now if you can turn a crappy song into a beautiful music video, well youv'e really got something there.

[JY_Blue]

my understanding is that youtube just signed a bunch of deals with music labels allowing for copyright material to be used in fan videos that appear on their site. Not sure who Death Cab For Cutie is signed, but I'd do a little more research before giving up if you are interested.

[Ming]

Whenever you add your peanut butter to someone elses chocolate you're "syncronizing," and hence would need what are known as sync rights. That said, nobody gives a care for student videos and the like. Technically you're breaking copyright law by doing it but you'd be the rare excepetion if the mattress police came knocking. Now if you start broadcasting it on tv.. or selling something... then you might raise some eyebrows. The thing is.. if you ever get famous which is ironically enough your motivation for doing it -then some greedy dirtbag lawyer might come gunning for you because that old thing had your name on it. We all know money rules the legal system and if you have none, nobody will worry about you. utube is going to get squelshed by the suits eventually so live it up while you can. If you credit yourself, be sure and use a pseudonym.