Legal Issues

[hungryhawk]

When Producing a Concert Promo Can I Download the Artists Music via Limewire without getting into legal issues?

 

[Emmett1057]

I think the fair answer is "probably". I'm sure that it is technically illegal, but I doubt anyone is going to come after you for downloading a song or two. And I think you'd have a pretty good reason on your side. I personally prefer to use newsgroups for this. Better quality mp3s, faster downloads, etc.

Emmett

 

[bobbybooey]

I have a quarterly subscription ($25 every 3 months) with Rhapsody that gives me unlimited streaming... I plug my internet PC into my prod PC and record what I need that way... 99% of the time the audio quality is good enough for my needs, and it gives me an incredibly deep resource for imaging.

 

[VODood]

I DID use Allofmp3.com until it was shut down. I paid for the songs.... although pennies compared to iTunes. Allofmp3's companion site is www.alltunes.com Now the Russians have another one, www.mp3sparks.com

Love it. I pay for it, so I'm good. Who cares what the record companies think

 

[salchris]

If you're getting paid by the client to promote the bands music. You get the hooks from where ever you can find them. I-Tunes will give you just the hook with out subscription, however the audio quality is not maximal. I pay for MusicMatch(Now Yahoo Music) yearly and bill my employer. That way I have access to any and all music I'll need for concert promos.

Hope that helps
Larson
KUDL/KYYS-Kansas City

 

[JTVG]

Try searching with http://www.projectplaylist.com/ for concert spots.

 

[FMDawg]

The letter of the law

states that you can not reproduce or use any copyrighted materials without compensating the rights holder. Since artists are rarely the rights holders, and promoters and venues who generally pay for the spot never do, it is technically against the law as someone stated above.

However, I have never heard of anyone being nailed for such of a thing. And think it would be down right stupid to do so today based on all the bad publicity.

just a ps---if your station is presenting or sponsoring it and you're mentioned in the commercial it could always fall under "station promo" which would be a safe zone.

 

[radiorob2.0]

Since you are promoting the artist/act it is allowed, however the artist or management company does have final say. In some cases, the touring group might be different from the original members. Dennis Edwards and the Temptation Revue is an example of where you have to use the music from the revue and not the original release of the Temptations.

 

[chadd]

From what I know is that:

If you OWN the album/song you're downloading, then download to your heart's content.
You've already made the purchase-- it's yours. Just don't SHARE the damned thing with anybody. "They're" after the DEALERS not the users.

Limewire is cool... I'm told... especially when you're looking for a tune that one of your company's stations may already own, technically.

The question is not so much where you get the songs, but are you allowed to legally use them in a spot?

Let's say all those bar commercials with every stoopid teenie-bop under the sun.... are THEY paying royalties to use that? Whether it's an overall ASCAP/BMI fee, or by song? I'll bet Cadillac didn't just take a show of hands whether to use "Rock & Roll" from Zeppelin. They had to spend MUCHO bucks. And why shouldn't they?

 

[JeffMcDermott]

Dennis Edwards and the Temptation Revue is an example of where you have to use the music from the revue and not the original release of the Temptations.

I remember making a spot for a recent concert by Little Texas. They've had major line-up changes since their glory days, and they were smart - they sent me re-recorded versions of the major hits they knew we'd need to use in the commercial.

 

[jimron]

technically no. you would still need to get permission from the license holder of the music/composition/lyrics. sometimes it's the artist, sometimes it's not. they may not charge for the use since it's promoting their concert, but under the law it is illegal to use copyrighted music without permission, regardless of its use.

unless the band had a bad breakup and replaced the person who wrote the lyrics/music, chances are you won't get in trouble.