Just to clairfy this....for legal reasons

[kazze]

If I were to incorporate free public domain music in a film...I could not use a recorded one. For example, if I wanted to use a Beetovan symphony recorded by the London philharmonic I could NOT do this? I could however take the sheet music and record it myself? Is that the legality of it?

So I couldn't just buy a Beetovan cd and record it onto a film without permission from the London philharmonic?

...and since I have no musical talents and budget, how could I get around this? Are there ways to use such a piece of music without the legal mumbo jumbo???

Thanks!

 

[indietalk]

Correct, unless you get the rights, or the recording is in the public domain.

 

[kazze]

Thanks...I am trying to get the jist of it all....

I looked up public domain recordings and found a website that basically stated...

"There are no sound recorings in the public domain in the USA" (until 2067)

Since I am not a position to hire anyone to record anything (because right now I filming a trial documentary as part of my learning tool).

Does it mean I can go outside the USA?

Or is this refering to major recordings like movie soundtracks? That basically there maybe Joe Schmo who played Beetovan on his piano and lists it as free public domain?

Thanks for the replies....I want to get off to the right track on this project.

 

[knightly]

No, there are old recordings that have become public domain, there's a huge online community digitizing and cataloging these works... I'm not sure what the actual number of years is on it, but there's a bunch of old stuff off of 78's and wax spindles that have been ripped and uploaded:

http://settlet.fateback.com/
http://78records.cdbpdx.com/

And here is the copyright's office laws on length of copyright:

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.html#hlc

So it looks like stuff from the 1800s should be eligible for use, given the copyrights haven't been renewed? (not a lawyer, just trying to read through all the qualifications)

 

[directorik]

Would you post the website where you read that?

I agree with knightly - there are many sound recordings in
the public domain. Maybe not the exact recording you are
looking for, but many recordings are available.

I'd be interested to check out the website where you read that.

There might very well be a Beethoven piece recorded by Joe Schmo
that is it the PD. There might also be Joe Schmo's out there who
would be willing to record a piece for you for free. Check schools that
have a music department - look at the "Music in Film > Composer Ads"
right here on indietalk - ask among your friends and friends of friends
if there is someone who plays the piano.

 

[indietalk]

You can also try to get the rights, I used an old blues song from the 1920's (PD) from a remastered CD with permission in writing.

 

[kazze]

I will have to find that website....I was doing a random google search to find a place where I could look up what is free and came across that one.

That blues song that was re-recorded on cd, how did you contact the musician? Via the back of the cd cover? Just wondering.

Meanwhile fishing though the internet I found some hohum classical music by someone who was charging a one time fee of $10.00 per song. To be frank, it sounded like a high school orchestra but I guess for ten bucks what can anyone expect.

 

[knightly]

A quick google search showed me that same quote, but I don't ever believe anything I read from a .com site unless I can verify their veracity... I'm just paranoid about information that way.

I find .edu, .gov and wikipedia academic to pretty trustworthy sites.

 

[kazze]

I bought a book called Filmmaking for Dummies...yup...anyway they listed websites that offer public domain music - recorded - free. I would find a song I like, ask permission to use it and once granted I would in turn list the recorders name on the credits.