Anyway to avoid copyrights for music?

[Rylan Zolinski]

Is there any loopholes for this sort of thing? Like say, classical music and underground bands and whatnot... How do you go about on using their music?

 

[Luis Caffesse]

How do you go about on using their music?

Just like anything else - if someone owns something and you'd like to use it - you ask for permission.
No loopholes.

 

[Matthew R. Rodwell]

You can use classical music if you record yourself playing it but if you have a recording of someone else playing classical music you need their permission. Underground bands, if they are unsigned you will only need their permission but if they are signed to a label who holds rights to the recording you will need both.

I wouldn't try to get around this stuff especially if you are trying to get a distributor interested in your work because they are not going to want to touch it without releases from the artist.

Finding people who will score your stuff is easy and finding local bands looking to make it big is easy you just have to ask around.

 

[Jacquot]

Is there any loopholes for this sort of thing? Like say, classical music and underground bands and whatnot... How do you go about on using their music?

You really need to pay for what is other people's property (unless you're the type who gets all their music from Pirate Bay.)

And you never know, it could come back and bite you. Killer of Sheep (a fantastic film --look it up) languished because the filmmaker never got the rights to the music (it was a film school project.) It was projected once in a while here in LA, but could never get any wider showings or distribution. It was finally picked up by someone who was willing to pay the royalty fees. But they could never get a release on one song and that had to all be changed and re-edited (more expense.) Happy ending is that it's now on DVD with worldwide distribution.

Moral to the story: do it right the first time; you just never know......

 

[Jason Adams]

Indi artists are great for this sort of thing. ASK THEIR PERMISSION FOR THE SONG AND MAKE THEM SIGN A RELEASE. That is the closest thing you will get to a "loop hole" These artists are easy to find with Myspace and other Indi band hubs on the web.

I have licensed music from mainstream bands and it is not impossible but it takes time (4 - 8 weeks) and paperwork. You often also have to secure a Synchro license with the Master Use if you plan to use the music behind your footage.

 

[dory_breaux]

If your film is a low profile, free project, you can usually get away with it. I know a guy who used a ton of Santana's stuff without permission and he never had it come back to him, and he was selling his project. If its a free end use project, your probably ok, but its still best to do it legit 100%.

I do not reccomend that you do anything other then what is legal and honist.

 

[Barry_Green]

Hey, when your film's done, do you mind if other people get around your copyright and just take it?

It's really rather offensive that a content creator would be trying to circumvent the legal protections that are there to protect content creators.

Go legit. Ask permission. Try Zoom.

 

[Postmaster]

Google for Royality Free music. This is Film music made just for that. You buy the CD once and you can use it for whatever you like.

Frank

 

[Steve House]

You can use classical music if you record yourself playing it but if you have a recording of someone else playing classical music you need their permission. ...

Just FYI - while pre-20th Century classical music as such may be public domain, unless you playing from sheet music you found in an antique store somewhere it's likely that the arrangment you're playing is under copyright and you'd still need a sync license from the publisher to use it. Sync licenses cover the music itself - melody, arrangement, lyrics, etc - while recordings are covered by master use licenses. Recording yourself eliminates the master license but not the sync license unless you're playing your own original composition or otherwise own the copyright.

 

[Noiz2]

Most classical music isn't "arranged" it was orchestrated regionally. I forget the specifics because they keep changing, it used to be 75 years with a 75 year extension but a lawyer discussing this had said that anything before 1924 was out of copyright. So one would need to actually look it up but 150 years would be safe. A lot of "classical music " has been written since then so before you sit down at the piano check the dates. All the sheet music will have some copyright notice on it but unless it was modified ie "simplified for beginners" that copyright is on the printing, type face etc and has nothing to do with the music.

You could probably get away with stealing the use of music you didn't get rights to but do you really want some band to end up owning your film? There are so many ways to legitimately get music that it's just stupid to use music you don't have rights to.

There is a lot of music under creative commons, royalty free music, production music, local bands, local composers etc. You can get away with running red lights also, until your caught or killed.

And hey what's the name of that film? Carlos is local I'm sure he would be interested in buying a copy..

Just FYI - while pre-20th Century classical music as such may be public domain, unless you playing from sheet music you found in an antique store somewhere it's likely that the arrangment you're playing is under copyright and you'd still need a sync license from the publisher to use it. Sync licenses cover the music itself - melody, arrangement, lyrics, etc - while recordings are covered by master use licenses. Recording yourself eliminates the master license but not the sync license unless you're playing your own original composition or otherwise own the copyright.

 

[Noiz2]

ANd a special note for Canadians. In Canada it's not just a civil issue, it's criminal. So you go and use someone's music with out permission and you can do time.

Just FYI - while pre-20th Century classical music as .... or otherwise own the copyright.