Sample-based Music Clearance

E

ehg219

Member
So I've looked all over and I can't find any information on this. I didn't know where to post the question, so I came here...

I have a short film that I'm submitting to festivals now. The music is all original by friends, but most of the soundtrack is made up of sample-heavy hip hop beats. Some of the samples are fairly recognizable (a lot of 70's soul records) and there is a rearranged version of "Whiter Shade of Pale" sung by the lead actor.

How big of an issue will this be for festival submissions?

I have some of the music in question and some extra footage at:

http://cambridgecompanion.blogspot.com/

Thanks for any suggestions,
Ethan
 
Hi Ethan,

Thanks for sharing - I really enjoyed your video docs. While I'm not a music lawyer (my advice is worth what it costs), I didn't hear anything that seemed to overtly plagiarize prior works. Yes, a few song segments had familiar melodies but I'd guess your work is distinct enough to be deemed original.

Perhaps others will share their views. You may wish to provide specific blog clips and approximate time stamps to help other prospective listeners so you'll get more feedback. You might also wish to consider letting a former festival judge view/listen to a token clip.

Good luck, Michael
 
You should call the performance rights organizations such as ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC to determine the owner of the songs you have sampled. You need to negotiate sampling license with both the record company and the writer/publisher.
 
I would say call a music lawyer and play the stuff for him and ask him if you have to get clearance. They would know best, they're not too expensive and it's worth it. There are arts lawyers on the internet that work extremely cheap.
 
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