"A wedding photographer's run-in with a rock band for unauthorized use of a popular song on a client's wedding video has cast a spotlight on a practice that makes photographers squirm: their violation of other artists' copyrights."
I make DVD's for a wedding photographer - we have the client supply us with a CD of the music they want. They have to legally purchase the music for their own use and I sync it to the slide show of images they also purchase.
I work in copyright and licensing for a (major) record label and the licensing process for a synchronized video can be quite complicated and expensive. The act of synchronizing the music with images puts it in a different category from just using the music in an audio only context.
Having said that, for something like a wedding video, which isn't being mass produced, the label would possibly grant the use for free. I'm sure that publishers would take a similar stance (with certain exceptions i.e. tracks written by Prince, The Beatles, etc.) In fact, at the label I work for, there is a dedicated person who handles this type of small request. Unfortunately, most people don't know that option exists or how to contact the appropriate parties to get the clearance for use. There's also a lot of royalty free music sites out there where you can pay a couple of bucks for a track and whatever you do with it after that is completely up to you. While that may not hold the same appeal as a well known track that is significant to the couple, if the video is going to end up online, it's the much safer option.
It has often bothered me that photogs, who go to great lengths to protect their work, will often totally disregard the ownership rights of musicians and songwriters. That said, I do think they are in the minority.
Write a Reply
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
Having said that, for something like a wedding video, which isn't being mass produced, the label would possibly grant the use for free. I'm sure that publishers would take a similar stance (with certain exceptions i.e. tracks written by Prince, The Beatles, etc.) In fact, at the label I work for, there is a dedicated person who handles this type of small request. Unfortunately, most people don't know that option exists or how to contact the appropriate parties to get the clearance for use. There's also a lot of royalty free music sites out there where you can pay a couple of bucks for a track and whatever you do with it after that is completely up to you. While that may not hold the same appeal as a well known track that is significant to the couple, if the video is going to end up online, it's the much safer option.