Soundtrack music for web and DVD slideshows

[ptarmigan]

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Anyone know the rules about what you can and can't use for slideshows, copyright, rights of use, royalties etc?

 

Main uses will be my websites initially and family/friends via DVDs- nothing commercial. Also what about things like weddings where the client is paying, guess there are even more issues here?

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[adan]

Pretty much what the rules would be if they were your own creative output - what would you think and expect if someone was using your photos to illustrate a video of their rock song?

 

For non-public distribution (family and friends), you are probably safe. For a web site, that's publication, even if not commercial, and you are treading thin ice, although as an individual the worst you'd probably get is a "cease and desist" letter. For anything where you are being paid, you are basically a micro version of a Hollywood studio - you're making money off someone else's work and you'd better own the rights.

 

"Fair use" says that you can use about 30 seconds of a tune as a sample, if, say, you are running a music review blog or something else. About like quoting from a book in a book review or a writing textbook. Credits mandatory, preferably with a link to the artist's own site, and there needs to be that "critical" or educational character to the usage.

 

There are lots of places to buy royalty-free music. You pay for it once and then can use it all you want. E.G. Royalty-Free Music for use as Production Music, Hold Music and More or https://secure.gettyimages.com/Music/PumpAudio?esource=googCore_Terms&country=usa&kw=pump+royalty_free_music

 

Another alternative is "copyleft" or GNU Public License music (you may have seen GNU public licenses on pictures at Wikipedia, for example) - Basically free acess to the rights to music so long as you don't alter it and pass along those rights to your customers (i.e, your wedding couple could also take the same music and pass it along - unaltered - ad infinitum).

 

The general description of GNU licenses: Applying Copyleft To Non-Software Information - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)

 

Further discussion of the free music philosophy: The Free Music Philosophy (v1.4 - June 17, 1998; v1.0 - February 1, 1994)

 

One band offering GNU music: The TWISTED (HELICES) page Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but there are likely other bands offering it if you search.

 

Myself - I've just learned to use Apple's free GarageBand to score music for video/slide shows. Some examples:

 

Her name is Jennifer on Vimeo

Black Canyon National Park reaches milestone - Rocky Mountain Independent

Dragon Boat: Culinary, cultural and competitive - Rocky Mountain Independent

 

The last two links may go "404" in a couple of months - our little experiment in subscriber-supported web content wasn't sustainable.

[ptarmigan]

Pretty much what the rules would be if they were your own creative output - what would you think and expect if someone was using your photos to illustrate a video of their rock song?

 

 

Andy

 

Thanks. The reason for asking is that I want to do the right thing in the right way - not just to avoid litigation but also because it is 'right' to do so, I wouldn't want someone stealing my IPR or copyright either.