There’s a lot of misconception presently on what is permitted for background music in your videos.
Copyrights, royalty-free, and permission licensing for music in your videos explained.
Background music licensing for video is pretty straight forward:
- If you created the work yourself, it’s safe to use.
- If you purchased a license for background music that STATES you can use it in your video production, it’s safe to use.
- If you bought a CD or a digital download from sites like iTunes, then you can’t use it.
The fact that YouTube hasn’t removed your video is not an indication that you haven’t broken any copyright laws. As music recognition technology continues to evolve, we’ll see this issue continue to be addressed.
The voiceover track used in this video is available at www.plrmusic.com, with PLR rights.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Ginny,
That’s a great piece of advice, I have seen some great videos with up to date and fantastic backing music, but I just know that the music has just been taken either from a CD or other source without the owner of the video obtaining any kind of license.
But you have laid out everything that anyone could possibly want to know. So No More excuses Guys, do it at your peril.
Thanks Ginny
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Delighted to hear from you. Digital rights are going through big transition. They haven’t kept up with the technology, and there’s still need for more change. I’d expect that in the same way that we saw a clamp down on those who were illegally downloading pier to pier songs were individually sued, we’ll begin to see more and more of this as time progresses.
If you remember, when this happened people were being forced to pay from 750 to 10,000 per song plus legal fees. One person tried to fight, and the courts ruled against her. Damages were I believe over $200,000. Remember also that in many cases these were high school kids being hauled out of class and charged.
There are of course some changes needed to copyright laws. For example I’d love to see a world where mashups (in particular video mashups) are permitted. Right now it’s breaking the law.
I’ve also openly stated that I think that the current copyright LENGTH (which is life plus 70 years) is excessive. Since John Lennon and Paul McCartney shared writing credits on the Beatles material and Paul McCartney is still with us, the Beatles material won’t become public domain until my daughter has grandchildren or great-grandchildren.
G’day Ginny,
You provide a great service, not only by composing and performing great music for internet marketers, but also by providing very important information about the laws enveloping the use of music. I know that it can be a complex issue for many people to get their head around, but the information you so generously supply for free is like a breath of fresh air.
My instrument of choice to de-stress after a hard day is the flute. I have been playing and learning about this wonderful piece of metal for several years, and with my teacher have composed some amateur pieces. People who do not play musical instruments are unlikely to be aware of the amount of time and work that can be involved in composing, which leads many into the trap of overlooking the fact, that like an artist who paints pictures, a composer also needs to receive remuneration for their work.
Keep up the good work
Brian
Hi Brian, Thanks for your comments.
Yes music copyrights, licensing and fair use are complex issues. But hopefully the concepts have been put into terms that are easy to comprehend. Legal advice can only come from a lawyer. And because lately I’ve seen so much incorrect information on FB, it seemed important to clear up some common misunderstandings.
Cheers,
Ginny
There is some grey area when dealing with music licensing if you don’t know what to look for. Thanks for the info.
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