Sometimes a client will ask for a well-known song to be included in their work, often to be viewed worldwide and appear on Youtube. In order to play recorded music in public, legal permission is needed from the copyright holders. A music licence gives you this permission. I knew from previous experience that obtaining a music license for a small DVD run could be obtained through PPluk.com.
Applying for a track to be used on Youtube would be a more complicated process. I started by searching Youtube for any golden nuggets of information which might point me in the right direction. Here I found a useful video uploaded http://www.youtube.com/user/Uryens108 The clip pointed me to a number of sites which contain the four main publishers. By doing a simple search in the licensing section and choosing the SYNC licensing option you can obtain the publisher. You’re looking for the publisher and not the artist, I found the track on the bmg.com. http://www.ascap.com/ http://www.sesac.com/ Then it’s just a case of emailing the publisher and asking their permission, useful information to include:
- Name of artist
- Name of song
- The song timing (How much of the song?)
- Nature of use
- Is this an original or cover?
- For-profit or non-profit
When applying for a Sync licence it is also worth asking if the track needs to be cleared by any other publishers. Many bands use more than one publisher for worldwide distribution and it’s worth bearing this in mind. When I spoke with BMG they were very helpful and quick to respond. They informed me that multiple licences were required and gave me a list of publishers to contact. Don’t forget to include a special thanks when you upload the track to Youtube.
Video editorial links
The Secret to producing a successful marketing video
How to get Copyright Permission to use a song on YouTube
How to choose the right music for you next video project
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How can I contact a person who has uploaded videos to youtube to obtain their permission to use some of their work. Im doing a holiday dvd on israel and would like to use some of the material uploaded by a user for personal use.
You could always try leaving a comment on their You Tube channel.