[advocacy] Re: royalty free music

[Daniel James]

> My search for royalty free music brought me to you're page. I am
> interested in finding out how to make a royalty free cd of my own
> music. Do you know what I need to do to get a copyright lisence for
> royalty free music.

Normally, you have copyright in an artistic work even if you don't
assert it - no licence is required. However, if you have specific
ideas about who should and should not be using your music, then you
can put that across in a licence.

For example, the licence I wrote gives the right to make copies
without contacting the copyright holder, unless the person who makes
the copies is doing so on a commercial basis. Even then, they can
make copies as long as they ask me first and I agree:

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Personal Music Licence

This music is provided for your personal use, not for resale. You may
make verbatim copies of it, distribute it in any medium, and play it
in public as long as you do not charge money for doing so.

You must preserve the artist name and title of the music with any
copies of the music that you distribute, and make a copy of this
licence available with the music.

Commercial distribution, commercial public performance, sampling,
remixing and derivative versions are strictly prohibited without the
artist's explicit consent. The artist asserts copyright on this
music, and that the music contains no unauthorised copyrighted
material.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

So it is essentially a royalty-free licence, only I reserve the right
to negotiate terms in the unlikely event that a major record label
wanted to release one of my tracks. If a small label contacts you to
ask to use your music, you can always give your consent without
requesting royalties, if you wish.

Cheers

Daniel

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