Copyright Info for creating DVD with music

dvdfan

Hi,

Im making personal DVDs for a bunch of people and part of their request is to have their choosen songs added to the background. I might be providing in the region of 10-20 dvds for sale of each DVD but id like to do this legally.

If i download the song from the internet at one of the legal sites, does this entitle me to add this song to 1 DVD as long as its not replicated and thus if someone wants 10 copies of the same DVD then i should purchase 10 downloads and keep a copy tp prove this or is it up to the person i sell it to to look after the copyright if i provide them with 10 copies and i should just download 1 copy.

This wont be something that could be sold afterwards as it will be personal to that family i.e wedding slideshow with animation and background music. I have alot of licensed material already that i can use however its generally just background music rather than a song from an artist but im unsure of how it works when downloading music.

Last point i had a look on Napster and one or two other sites and it mentioned about US citizens only yet you seem to be able to join, whats the best site to download from from a selection point of view for people living in Ireland?

studiorat

Doesn't work like that I'm afraid. You need to get permission from the publisher...

dvdfan

Ok Thanks Studio Cat so i guess this is a no go since i wouldnt have time to get in contact with a publisher within a short space of time. So is there any alternative? Basically i just want to add someones favourite song as background music for a DVD of some wedding/anniversary/funeral tribute etc and it would only be available to the family concerned?

I presume people who film weddings do this too? Any Ideas?

PaulBrewer

Ultimately if you use someone's copyrighted work in your work and get paid for it, you owe 'em.

Neurojazz

As a publisher of copyrighted works, couldn't they get a blanket license from like the Irish equivilant of the PPL?

refusetolose

just do it and say nothing?

dvdfan

Dont get me wrong i will buy the song, i had hoped i could just download the song and thus the rights to use that song, if i have to buy the rights 10 times to make 10 dvds then thats fine too although it wouldnt be very practical to be approached and asked for a certain song and then to have to contact the publisher everytime so i thought there might be some other more practical way.

Just want to point out that im not trying to avoid the copyright and would be even willing to buy the whole CD just to get the rights if need be but i dont want to put myself in a situation where i can be prosecuted for infringing copyright laws as this will be a legal business.

NeuroJazz, is this similar to where you run a premises and must pay a fee each year for playing music, if so something like this would be ideal and i could just download the music as needed via Napster etc

I presume people who video record weddings and add music to the the tape are in the same situation, any ideas what forum these guys would hang out in and i could ask there, either on boards or another forum.

If this was for a TV advert where thousands of people or possibly more would get access to it id understand needing special permission but this will basically be for 1 family, since i can download a song for napster legally does this not mean i can do what i like with it, burn it to a disc to etc etc?

krd

most people,, especially the wedding video cowboys -- never pay any royalty to anyone.

By buying a recording of music on a cd from a music shop or downloading it from a pay for site like I-tunes. You never at any point in time have the legal right to re-distribute or even play it to your friends. No matter how many CD's or downloads you pay for.

You only really ever have to contact a publisher if the use of the music is for some specific purpose not covered by an agreement with a right agency like IMRO -- something like a television ad -- radio plays "non-profit" organisations like IMRO have sewn up.

The way rights agencies like IMRO record plays and redistribute income is so hokey as to be beyond belief. If you pay IMRO money for the rights to use the recording of some obscure artist -- boyzone and xenomania get paid. Everytime a club runs a night of say something like minimal house, and they pay the IMRO fees. Boyzone and Xenomania get paid -- even though they don't get played ,,, and the people at the club night would run a mile before spending a night in a club that played boyzone or xenomania. The people who've made the minimal house records will never see a penny of the money paid to IMRO

Very popular records that don't get played through the channels that IMRO use for their sampling of plays --- the artist receive nada -- but Louis Walsh will get paid -- fat girls allowed will get paid.


Something very important though -- Publishers do ask for big money if they think you're using their material for a corporate function. Even if it's a room full of 200 hundred company ****, and you just want to play 30 seconds of Queen/Bowies under pressure -- they will ask and expect serious money.

IMRO are just scumbags -- the royalty money is never fairly distributed -- even U2 have had to take a bash at IMRO to try and get a smell of their Irish royalties.

tweeky

krd wrote: »

The way rights agencies like IMRO record plays and redistribute income is so hokey as to be beyond belief. If you pay IMRO money for the rights to use the recording of some obscure artist -- boyzone and xenomania get paid.

On a TV/Radio broadcast of any track only a writer/publisher gets played, in a niteclub/hair salon/Hotel etc. they pay a license fee and that money is pooled amongst all members, In a live venue the band has to submit a setlist to receive a payment. If TV/Radio doesn't play your track or you don't submit a setlist you won't get much money from IMRO.

Everytime a club runs a night of say something like minimal house, and they pay the IMRO fees. Boyzone and Xenomania get paid -- even though they don't get played ,,, and the people at the club night would run a mile before spending a night in a club that played boyzone or xenomania. The people who've made the minimal house records will never see a penny of the money paid to IMRO

Clubs/venues play a yearly license for the music they will play, Bands and gigging DJ's should provide setlists to receive royalties. The additional background and niteclub license monies are distributed with reference
to whatever data the Radio/TV/Venues/Background music suppliers submit and is distributed among the members be they the writers of the Boyzone/Xenomania or Bog the Donkey tracks.

Very popular records that don't get played through the channels that IMRO use for their sampling of plays --- the artist receive nada -- but Louis Walsh will get paid -- fat girls allowed will get paid.

How will the Spa get paid when he didn't write the song! If you wrote it you should talk to them and submit proof/playlist/setlist.

Something very important though -- Publishers do ask for big money if they think you're using their material for a corporate function. Even if it's a room full of 200 hundred company ****, and you just want to play 30 seconds of Queen/Bowies under pressure -- they will ask and expect serious money.

If it is just a piss up surely the Hotel's license will cover it, if it's a theme song for a Political campaign/rally they should pay as it it using music for a purpose beyond it's remit.

IMRO are just scumbags -- the royalty money is never fairly distributed -- even U2 have had to take a bash at IMRO to try and get a smell of their Irish royalties

.

They also had a bash at the PRS, resulting in everybody receiving their royalties much quicker and with far less deductions from foreign agencies.

Neurojazz

YEah, deal with the PRS - i get detailed accounting and zero problems - they are the closest to the source income! - also look at PAMRA, but i think it's all PRS/MCPS linked together - they are NOT middlemen, very official and professional.

dvdfan

Who are PRS, if you can tell me the name ill google it, thanks for the replies, appreciated