All Questions
24
questions
10
votes
3
answers
21k
views
Will using a cover of a song in a film free me from legal obligations?
I want to use the song "Whole Lotta Love" in my upcoming film. Obviously the song is copyrighted by led Zeppelin. So I'm planning to get a few musicians and cover the song and then use it as a ...
- 223
6
votes
1
answer
405
views
Is it legal to arrange music I don't have rights to if it is never performed?
I had the idea to transcribe and arrange the music from the musical Ride the Cyclone for a wind ensemble for my school. I got in contact with the company that owns the license (Broadway Licensing) to ...
- 543
4
votes
2
answers
368
views
Can anyone record a cover of a song I put on SoundCloud?
My friend asked me if he could record a cover of a song that I put on SoundCloud called Gratitude (License: All Rights Reserved).
What legal rights does my friend have? Does he need my permission?
...
- 141
4
votes
2
answers
205
views
Is it allowed to use a copyrighted music track on a video, but without integrating the audio into the video?
It's generally known that if you use a song to create a music video, you must have obtained a master use license to publish the track as a part of the music video, and also a synchronization license ...
- 183
4
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How are royalties handled for modern orchestral music?
I'm curious how royalties are handled for orchestral compositions (e.g. symphonies, concerti, quartets, etc.) in modern times (20th Century and later).
For example, Dmitri Shostakovich's compositions ...
- 253
3
votes
2
answers
5k
views
When is it illegal to play someone else's copyrighted song on an instrument?
I am learning guitar and found out that Justin Sandercoe (from famous guitar teaching website justinguitar.com) has been forced to remove some of his lessons because the song he was teaching his ...
- 133
3
votes
1
answer
141
views
Music law: releasing a song I wrote that is performed by others on Spotify
I'm a UK-based singer-songwriter. I've had a demo of a duet I wrote professionally recorded by two session singers in the US, as my voice wasn't what I wanted for this one. Piano track is essentially ...
- 31
2
votes
2
answers
7k
views
How are MIDI files of copyrighted music licensed?
Anyone with a music studio can easily download a .midi file from the internet, and then use it to produce a musical track. A midi file exists online for almost every song in the world, and you can ...
2
votes
1
answer
713
views
Voice samples from the old movies in the music tracks
I bet most of you have heard - in some music compositions - short 5-10 seconds "injections" of voice-lines from some old movies.
I'm producing a track right now, where I want to insert a ...
- 123
2
votes
1
answer
48
views
Is there a licensing recourse to recycling a riff?
I don't mean covering a song and making a few changes to the arrangement; there are mechanical licenses for that. I don't mean sampling, because this involves recording, and I'm thinking of playing ...
- 121
2
votes
2
answers
396
views
How to obtain a sync license for posting a cover version online?
SoundCloud states:
You'll still need permission from the original copyright holders of a song before you can post your cover on SoundCloud, even if you provided the vocals and played all the ...
- 149
2
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Performing a song with changed lyrics — is it a cover or a remix?
I rewrote most of the lyrics of a song, keeping just a few key phrases from the chorus. Most of the background melodies (piano, guitar) are the same, although there are a few small changes. I plan to ...
- 21
1
vote
2
answers
339
views
Is licensing required to use an excerpt of a song within a recording?
I'm currently recording a cover version of a song for inclusion on a compilation album which will be sold on Bandcamp. Because Bandcamp does not pay mechanical royalties, the organiser of the ...
- 135
1
vote
1
answer
320
views
Is it legal to allow users to upload their own music to an app for baseball walkout songs?
Ballpark DJ and Walkout Song DJ both allow users to upload music from their phone storage to play as walkout music or inning break songs for baseball games. BallparkDJ also allows using Amazon and ...
- 113
1
vote
1
answer
151
views
Who is owed royalties when a song samples a song that has sampled another song?
When I first heard Alessia Cara's song "Here" I thought she had directly sampled Portishead's "Glory Box" which in turn samples Isaac Hayes' "Ike's Rap II". I later found this was not true, but this ...
- 109