Music can make or break a film or TV show. The wrong music can bring an otherwise

good piece of television down ▪ The right music can dramatically enhance

your message

Music creates moods, provides energy And can even tell a story It puts a very particular stamp on a

show. Many iconic series are remembered

mostly by the theme track

Legally ALL music that is played publicly

should be cleared for use through a Public Performing License (PPL).

Yes this includes music used in videos on ▪ Youtube, ▪ Your blog, ▪ Website ▪ And more.

Many people use music tracks on videos▪ They upload for fun on Youtube without

permission ▪ Are unlikely to get caught or slapped on the

wrists If you are using music for your business

or on a regular basis you are advised to read on and research music rights

The main types of music you are likely to use in your production are: Specially Composed Music: Commercial Music: Library Music:

Specially Composed Music: When setting up a new show ▪ The producer and director will commission

specially composed music for the ▪ titles, ▪ credits, ▪ end and beginning of parts.

▪ They choose a composer & work with them to get the style & mood of music they think will suit the new show.

Commercial Music: Those tracks your favorite bands and artists

release▪ That get played on radio and downloaded to your ipod; ▪ That fight to get into the charts▪ The tracks you would most like to use in your project.

▪ These are the tracks that can get you into trouble in TV ▪ If you don’t know anything about music rights!

Library Music: Library music,

▪ Otherwise know as ‘production’ or ‘stock’ music

▪ Is specially recorded & designed for use in TV, films, advertising, etc.

▪ It is safer to use than commercial music & often cheaper.

It still needs to cleared and paid for ▪ But you don’t necessarily need to get

permission in advance to use it as you would for commercial music

In order to use music in any production You need to obtain the required

permission and/or license. How to do this will depend on various

factors But the main thing is to find out who

administers musical rights in your area.

Most countries have an organization which administers copyright licenses on behalf of the copyright owner. You need to contact them and make a

license application.

All types of media production are covered by copyright. Whether you are making ▪ Your own amateur video▪ Running a wedding video business▪ Making a feature film

The law still applies to you so you need to know how your project is affected

"Incidental" music Music that is playing in the background

of a video scene isn't usually subject to licensing.▪ Only if it genuinely happens as you are

shooting▪ (for example, you're at a fair and a band can be

heard in the background).

▪ You can't add music in post-production and pretend it's incidental.

Music which is the feature of a shot Will probably be subject to copyright, for

example, a shot specifically of a band playing a whole song

All music eventually comes out of copyright Although the life of copyright protection

varies between countries and situations. ▪ Music that is older than 100 years has

probably entered the public domain▪ But it's always prudent to check.

Some licensing Allows you to use any music without

getting explicit permission from the composer▪ You just pay a fee to the licensing agency.

Other licensing does require such permission ▪ And you may need to submit a detailed

proposal explaining how the music will be set to pictures

An option is to purchase royalty-free music Which can be used for just about any type of

production. Technically the music is (usually) still copyright▪ But for a small fee you can use it without any

practical restrictions.

The big disadvantages are that you don't have the same selection to choose from, And the musical quality or originality

isn't always the same