I am new to the filmmaking world and am curious about how to go about getting licenses to use music in a film. I understand I need two: one from the publisher and one from the label. How much does this cost per song (given that it depends on the popularity of the artist and song)? Any advice would be appreciated.
Sorry, but no one except the owner can estimate how much it's going to cost. There isn't an average depending on popularity. The licensing will depend on only one factor - the owner of the song.
If you are using a pre-recorded song or another pre-recorded piece of music in your film, there are two rights you need to clear; that is to say, you need to get two different licenses to use the music.
--Synchronization License: This is the right to synchronize a song or a piece of music with your visual image. It must be obtained from the copyright owner of the music, which is usually the publisher. You can find out who the publisher is by using ASCAP's Clearance Express (ACE) at ?url? http://www.ascap.com?/url?. Songs that are not represented by ASCAP might be found at the National Music Publishers' Association "Songfile" website ?url? http://www.nmpa.org?/url?. You will be provided with a contact at the publisher's Business Affairs or Licensing Department.
--Master Use License: This is the right to reproduce a specific recording of a song in your film. You clear this right with the record label who owns the specific recording you would like to use; see the liner notes of the recording to find out which company this is. Alternatively, you can get contact information for record labels by calling ASCAP's Film/TV Department. You will be provided with a contact at the record label's Business Affairs Department. If you?re planning on producing a soundtrack album for your film you will need to negotiate additional soundtrack rights with the publisher and record label at the same time as your master use rights for your film. Don?t even think about waiting till you can scrounge up the funds.
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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
You missed Publishing rights off of there; the copyright to the sheet music and lyrics.
In the UK the absolute cheapest you can get after lots and lots of begging is around ?300 for an older piece of music, that will be for festivals ONLY, anything else is several hundred or several thousand. We managed to get a piece free for festivals but only by getting the band on our side and bitching for months, seriously don't do it, because big labels won't ever let you stream on the web no matter how much you pay them. Go to Myspace and give someone new a chance.
Steve Piper
Coffee Films
www.coffeefilms.com
www.myspace.com/coffeefilms
Steve Piper
Coffee Films
www.coffeefilms.com
www.metacafe.com/channels/coffeefilms
quote:
Originally posted by coffeefilms
You missed Publishing rights off of there; the copyright to the sheet music and lyrics.
Not really. The original question is about getting the license to use music in a film. The filmmaker doesn't need, nor will ever get, the publishing rights. Sync rights and master use rights are the only rights a filmmaker needs when using a previously published work.
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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)
Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I have a related question...
Basically, for an anime convention we have filmed various events that involved music (such as the "masquerade", where cosplayers pose in front of the audience to music from the relevant anime/game, and the "omake", where people perform skits that occasionally include music, along with some random footage of other things like discos, and in one case, a band performing the theme from Metal Gear Solid).
The idea is we'll produce a DVD to sell to the people who went to the convention. Because of the use of commercial music, I assume we'll need some sort of licence - is there some sort of blanket "background use" licence available to us, or would each song need done manually with the relevant labels? In the case of the latter, might it be better for us to simply attempt to edit out any actual music from the video?
Obviously the "background use" licence wouldn't apply in every situation, for example the band covering anime/game themes and some "interesting" renditions of other licenced songs (including Disney) by the people at the omake - is it best to just drop these entirely? I can't help but think it'd be rather expensive to licence anything like that.
Just for some background we're in the UK, and non-profit (although we've not yet set up the not-for-profit company for us to run through, and I'd like to see if we could wangle the "Charity" rate for the BBFC to certify the DVD, for extra authenticity)
