A simple one... the answer to the first question is yes, and the second, you need to contact the copyright holders/publishers for each song that appears in your documentary to obtain permission.

Ben C.

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filmmaking.net
(Incorporating the Internet Filmmaker's FAQ)

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quote:

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you need to contact the copyright holders/publishers for each song that appears in your documentary to obtain permission.

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For my recent film, I got a local band to provide my music, because I had alway heard that using more well-known songs can be quite pricey. Is this true, or is it a simple matter of asking permission.

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"Never ask a man what kind of computer he uses.

If it's a Mac, he'll tell you. If It's a PC, why embarass him?"

-Tom Clancy

It can be anything from nothing to tens of thousands of dollars or more, depending on who owns the music rights and what they think of your movie. I remember Lloyd Kaufman saying that he got some music tracks from famous bands for his movies for a few dollars because they liked him, but it also depends on whether the band actually owns the rights to their songs: often they're owned by the music companies instead, who are almost certainly going to want a lot of money.

This is why I always get music composed for my movies, rather than try to use existing music. It's too much hassle and too much money, whereas having music composed gives people a chance to do something for their showreel for little or no pay.