Music copyright

[HappySnail]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but if an artist was giving away tracks of his music completely free does that mean it is free to use it in a film.

I am trying to use a NIN track which is completely free for anyone to download from the official website and was wondering if i would still have to get a copyright licenses, would that cost anything on a free track and if i need to how i would get a copyright license.

Thank you to anyone who knows or can help.

[Drumjim85]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but if an artist was giving away tracks of his music completely free does that mean it is free to use it in a film.

I am trying to use a NIN track which is completely free for anyone to download from the official website and was wondering if i would still have to get a copyright licenses, would that cost anything on a free track and if i need to how i would get a copyright license.

Thank you to anyone who knows or can help.
1) Their new music isn't copy written. They use creative commons.
2) Depending on which license they use is what your answer will be. But more than likely, if you're using it for commercial use, you'll have to get it licensed. If it's just a you tube thing, it's probably fine, but again you'll need to see what it's licensed as.


EDIT - Ghosts I-IV is licensed as Creative Commons BY-NC-SA (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/)

[sallythemac]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but if an artist was giving away tracks of his music completely free does that mean it is free to use it in a film.

I am trying to use a NIN track which is completely free for anyone to download from the official website and was wondering if i would still have to get a copyright licenses, would that cost anything on a free track and if i need to how i would get a copyright license.

Thank you to anyone who knows or can help.

I'm pretty sure in most cases you still need permission to use it for anything other than private use.

[rhett7660]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but if an artist was giving away tracks of his music completely free does that mean it is free to use it in a film.

I am trying to use a NIN track which is completely free for anyone to download from the official website and was wondering if i would still have to get a copyright licenses, would that cost anything on a free track and if i need to how i would get a copyright license.

Thank you to anyone who knows or can help.

I haven't been to the site in question but is there anything on the site that says you can? I would say you can't use it without the permission of the band. I would read through the site and see if there is any language that says other wise. You might want to just email them and ask. Not an expert in the area but I want to say no you can't. Even if it was a free track.

[bartelby]

What track is it?

A lot of the more recent NIN stuff is open to use in any way you like as long as it's not for commercial gain.

For example:
the slip is licensed under a creative commons attribution non-commercial share alike license.

we encourage you to
remix it
share it with your friends,
post it on your blog,
play it on your podcast,
give it to strangers,
etc.


More CC info (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/)

[jons]

What track is it?

A lot of the more recent NIN stuff is open to use in any way you like as long as it's not for commercial gain.

For example:



More CC info (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/)

I had no idea NIN was doing this. I think they just became one of my favorite artists...

[HappySnail]

Thank you everyone. It's a school thing, there's a Film unit that runs in school time but it does get put on a DVD and sold at the end of the year (i assume that counts as commercial gain) and the films quite often get entered into film competitions and festivals so i'll try to check out getting copyright for the songs. I wanted to use some from ghosts I, so it is on Creative Commons but i'll check it out.

[WinterMute]

Academic work is often exempt from copyright by tacit agreement, we are allowed to photocopy chapters from books for academic purposes, and similarly we use clips from films and copyrighted music to teach Post Production techniques.

We assume the line to be drawn at public performance and/or revenue generation, so work that is completed and submitted for assessment needs to reference copyright, but not attain permission, but that work is not posted to our websites.

The NIN tracks are intended for others to use creatively, that's the point of creative commons, and work by schools is often exempt.

However, you are right to be cautious as the work will be sold for gain and publicly displayed.

Email the NIN admins, they usually answer pretty quickly.

[Drumjim85]

so i'll try to check out getting copyright for the songs. I wanted to use some from ghosts I, so it is on Creative Commons but i'll check it out.

Academic work is often exempt from copyright by tacit agreement, we are allowed to photocopy chapters from books for academic purposes, and similarly we use clips from films and copyrighted music to teach Post Production techniques.

We assume the line to be drawn at public performance and/or revenue generation, so work that is completed and submitted for assessment needs to reference copyright, but not attain permission, but that work is not posted to our websites.

Copyright shouldn't even been in this conversation. HappySnail, you need to receive sync rights (http://www.ispgroupinc.com/contracts/film_sync.html). WineterMute, this music isn't filed with the copyright office. There is no copyright for this music.

[iNash]

Apologies to semi-hijack this with a question:

If the eductation world is free from licensing (for non-commercial reasons) does this apply to internal training for a business (again non-profit involved).

Also, I have been seraching online for the answer to this, maybe someone here would know as I know there are people involved in this industry:

Are you able to use less than 10% of a track (usually <30secs) without needing permission (for non profit podcasts/videos etc)

Cheers

[ZiggyPastorius]

I had no idea NIN was doing this. I think they just became one of my favorite artists...

Trent Reznor has been wanting to do this (and has been doing it more covertly) for many years. Now that he's finally able to get away from the recording companies, he's gone way further than anyone else has with this cause/new method of marketing. Some people criticise and say "Yeah, but with as much money as he makes, he can afford to do it, so it isn't that impressive," but then, why aren't all these bands that make a ton more than him doing it? It really is a big deal, and this is a big part of why I love Trent as a musician AND as an artist. He also convinced Saul Williams to go the same route when he produced The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust.

So, one free album (The Slip), one album with nine free tracks, and $5 to get the rest of the album in a variety of formats (Ghosts I-IV), two free live concerts, one raw and one mastered (Las Vegas and The Gift), iPhone apps using his music (Tap Tap Revenge NIN Edition) and a new iPhone app that info is supposed to be released for today, and a ton of multi-tracks that he takes the time to put together himself and an entire site dedicated to remixing his music (remix.nin.com).

Good stuff.

[WinterMute]

Apologies to semi-hijack this with a question:

If the eductation world is free from licensing (for non-commercial reasons) does this apply to internal training for a business (again non-profit involved).

Also, I have been seraching online for the answer to this, maybe someone here would know as I know there are people involved in this industry:

Are you able to use less than 10% of a track (usually <30secs) without needing permission (for non profit podcasts/videos etc)

Cheers

The answer to that is probably no, PRS in the UK deal with the public performance of music, you would need a PRS license to use the music as you are a business. Any part of a song that is recognisable would be subject to copyright laws, you may not use any part without permission. (legally that is).

Drumjim, that was the point I was making, creative commons doesn't fall under usual copyright rules, no point in going tot he publisher as none exists.