In Box

Jennifer O'Rourke
November 2006

A well earned congrats for 20 great years!

We've been with the magazine from the first issue and it's been a really fun ride. We've seen the birth of desk top video editing, the emergence of the DV format, the ups & downs of web streaming video (first as all hype in 2001 and now as reality), real-time video editing and DVD burning for everyone. Now we are on the brink of perhaps the biggest technology revolution of them all -- HD!!

Over the past 20 years Videomaker has evolved with the industry and remains one of the most important publications in it. Kudos to Matt York and his vision of democratizing video. Here's to another 20 great years ahead!
Gary Bettan
Videoguys.com aka The Electronic Mailbox

I read every issue of Videomaker cover-to-cover -- several times. The info is top-notch, and is always useful.

Can Videomaker do an article on the "ins and out" of getting permissions to use snippets of commercial music? You hear these snippets in commercials and TV programs (i.e., CBS's CSI programs each use a different song from The Who).

I am working on some short video segments for commercials and really want/need to use pre-recorded music. But, even after visiting the ASCAP and Harry Fox sites -- it's more bewildering than informative. Especially if you're new to this segment of audio. Any light that Videomaker can shine on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
David W Orr
Phenix City, AL

Good questions, David, and let us tell you first off that we do have some stories planned for the near future on using commercial music in your productions. We are also looking into more articles on buyout music and music creation software, so watch for those soon.
Regarding your commercial use question: Bottom line, for any production that is going to go on the air, or in a money-making venture, even a tiny snippet is not allowed unless you subscribe to BMI or ASCAP rules. We put your questions to our "Sound Advice" contributing editor, Hal Robertson. His response follows:

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