How to Get Permission to Use a Music Performance Clip
Using a copyrighted musical performance for a public performance, film or recording can be challenging. In every case, you must get the permission from the original owner or artist to use the performance. In most cases, this usually involves a single royalty payment to the artist, or several royalty payments if you plan to sell or redistribute the performance in any way. This largely depends on the specific song, its artist, the song's popularity and when the song was originally produced.
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Instructions
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Determine that you actually need permission to use the copyrighted music. Using a copyrighted work for private or personal use does not require permission. Also, if the owner of the music has been dead for more than 50 years, you do not need permission to use the material.
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Locate the copyrighting agency that corresponds with the music you want to use. Locating publishers, composers and artists can be a daunting task, since there are several thousand worldwide. There are three major agencies in the United States; namely, ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc) and SESAC (Society of European Stage Authors & Composers). You can determine which copyrighted song belongs to each particular agency.
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Request permission from the appropriate agency to use the copyrighted music. In all cases, this involves filling out a request form, which is available on each agency's website.
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Pay royalties to the agency for the use of copyrighted work. In many cases, you can negotiate your royalties fee, but in most cases you must, at the very least, pay a royalty fee.
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Tips & Warnings
If you want to contact a music publisher directly, you can search comprehensive the Music Publishers Association (MPA) database. This applies only to US-based music publishers. Many overseas publishing companies are best located through SESAC.
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