How do you get permission for big label music for festival exhibition? Can it happen?

john threat

john threat

Carbonite Member
Hi,

I've got a film I'm shooting, and some scenes, like cost of our films, works really well with an existing piece of music.

Is has anyone here ever successfully secured festival screening rights for published music?

Is there a process and what is that process?
 
craigbowman said:
I've licensed tons of stuff through ASCAP for all kinds of exhibitions and performances.
Click to expand...

Except to incorporate a piece of music into a film, one needs sync rights for the song and master use rights if one is using an existing recording. ASCAP/BMI/etc doe not issue such licenses. The sync license must be obtained by direct negotiation with the music's publisher while the master use license has to come from the label that owns the specifc recording master. ASCAP can license you to perform a piece of music in public or to play or broadcast a recording, including "recordings" such as films and videos, in public but to use music in a film requires more than just the performance license. The festival liekly has its own own blanket ASCAP license to cover the "performance" of the music in the films it shows ... the problem for the film's producer is to get clearance to use the music in the film in the first place and that has to come from the publisher, not ASCAP.

John ... one of the best approaches is to contact a music rights clearance agent and have them do the legwork for you. You'll probably have better results and at a lower overall cost than you could get on your own even after taking the agent's fee into account. Experienced agents know the markets and they know who to call at the publishers to get you the best deal.
 
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