Where's a good place to look for acquiring rights to an old song...?

BrandonC

BrandonC

Well-known member
I found an old Judy Garland song that I'd like to acquire non-commercial rights for and I'm not sure where to start.

Anyone here ever done anything like this? Where would I go to find who currently possesses the rights to it?
 
If you want to use it in a movie, you need Synchronization Rights, and they are obtained from the copyright holder. Harry Fox used to be the clearinghouse for this, but I don't believe they do that anymore. ASCAP and BMI have tools to let you find the publisher for a work, and that is usually a step in the right direction.

Good luck getting those rights, it is probably very unlikely they will be granted.
 
You think so?

Dang...worth a shot.

I need an oldies song to play on a radio and one of hers is perfect in lyrics and in sound...damn rights.
 
I got a obscure Tony Bennett song for use on a local commercial for only 15K. I used BZ/Services 212-924-3000 to obtain rights.
 
I have heard that there are differences if the tune is used as overdub or if it is used inside (and part of) a scene in which case you dont need to pay for rights (cant believe thats true :o)
 
MichaelMichael said:
I have heard that there are differences if the tune is used as overdub or if it is used inside (and part of) a scene in which case you dont need to pay for rights (cant believe thats true :o)
Click to expand...

Totally bogus. If you can hear the song, you need the rights.
 
Perhaps I should scour the public domain...

I've tried all of those websites where you can buy royalty free music, but can't find anything with that scratchy 30's sound.
 
A couple of possible approaches: 1) find a royalty free song you like and give it that "scratchy 30's " sound by drastically reducing bass and increasing treble, and add a "record scratch" effect.

2) go to your local antique mall and buy some 20's or 30's 78 records ($2-$3 each) Drop them on any 78 turntable and record. Many are public domain due to age.
 
Also, the scratchy isn't important (as it's easily addable in post), but the sound is what I'm looking for. And all of those royalty free songs have are more recent sounding music.
 
The urban legends about copyright law are plentiful and sometimes so silly they are amusing. On the other side, the stories of people who have made mistakes in not getting the proper copyright consent are even more plentiful and often sad.

Hire a lawyer and always make sure you are talking to the right people. Even though a song is in the public domain the performance of it mostly likely will not be.

Mostly the royality free songs are pretty awful (IMHO). Your best bet is to find a performer in your town,or on the internet, that will record an original, public domain, or piece you have the rights to. A lot of talented musicians are in the same boat as filmmakers; hungry for work and willing to work cheap if it gets them exposure. Hopefully you can find some where the deal will be mutually beneficial.

Cheers
 
I believe how it works with music is after 50 years any song becomes public domain.Just check the date when it was made to see if it's public domain:)
 
That would be one of the urban legends. With few exceptions the only stuff in PB is from before 1923. Protection since then varies but usually going as long as life of author plus 70 years. You can thank Disney for that.

Here is a fun little link to get people up to speed on copyright laws: http://www.law.duke.edu/cspd/comics/

Cheers
 
I did a quick net search and may be wrong on this one. A few years back, I would have been right, but there have been some changes in copyright law.
Better do a search and find out if ANY old recordings are in public domain.
 
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