Wedding Videos with copyright music

[justicio]

I have read countless forums, threads and blog posts on the topic of using copyrighted music in wedding videos. The answers I always read basically say the same things: either use musicbed or a similar website, find local artists, or license music for around $15,000. However, 99% of the wedding videos from my favorite wedding film makers use music that is not on musicbed or a similar website. For example, Happy wedding films and maru films (on vimeo) are my favorite wedding film companies I have found. Both of them use artists such as Sigur Ros and Still Parade, and even Bon Iver. How is this possible? Are they just using it knowing that most likely nothing will happen? I couldnt imagine them paying $15k to make $4-6k on a video.

[Kevin Mc]

Companies using copyrighted music in their videos, generally have an ASCAP License (look it up) 🙂

[abitofbs]

A basic ASCAP license doesn’t cover you if you’re using copyrighted music in a film or video. It’s a much more complex issue for licensing as explained here:

http://www.ascap.com/music-career/articles-advice/film-tv/How-To-Acquire-Music-For-Films.aspx

The bottom line is that most of these wedding videographers are using songs without licensing and trying to fly under the legal radar, hoping the worst that will happen is that YouTube slaps an ad on their video. But that’s risky when you’re selling a product to someone else using what is essentially stolen content.

Do people do it? Sure. Is it legal? No.

[Joseph]

What Bob said. +1

[Tony P]

I use Smartsound and their extensive library of royalty free music. I have been for years. I have contested and won very time youtube says it belongs to someone else.

[LuckyDude]

Interesting. In Australia and New Zealand APRA, the ASCAP equivalent, can sell you a cheap license that allows you to create up to 20 DVDs of a wedding where copyright music is recorded incidentally because it is played at the event. The DVDs can only be supplied for your client’s private domestic use. You can cover an unlimited number of weddings or similar events.
http://apraamcos.co.nz/music-customers/licence-types/using-music-in-video/videographers/
I’m guessing there is no ASCAP equivalent?

[travisterrell]

It is illegal unless you purchase a sync license from the publisher that owns the copyright.
I am the founder of a new music service that might be able to help though.
http://www.soundstripe.com is a new service that offers top notch video production music for $10/month unlimited downloads! Really good deal if I say so myself! haha
Tell me what you think about it!

[PULSE POSITIVE]

May be my message is too late. But! I am composer and arranger. Here you can listen my wedding music:
https://www.pond5.com/stock-music/58874687/classical-organ-wedding-march-no-2-mac-master.html
https://www.pond5.com/stock-music/60424863/classical-pipe-organ-1st-nuptial-march-clement-loret.
https://www.catooh.com/us/sys/id/Katalog/area/mediaDetails/item_id/436408/
As well I have similar tracks. If it is still interested you, feel free let me know.

[ZombieEatsBrick]

you can make $4K from a wedding video?.. hmm.. interesting. i need to up my game then.

[knb]

At MusicDealers.com, you can get a sync license for music for a wedding video for about $45. I know they were just bought by a larger company and I believe they might lower their pricing even more for videographers. I think it also depends on what the artists that upload music to their platform want to charge.

[SSands]

Pretty good choices 🙂 One site I found recently is https://www.totalmediatracks.com which is ridiculous value if you subscribe (even though a single track is just $29). I paid $99 for a full year with unlimited downloads and the music is awesome. My clients love it! I do mainly wedding videos but their music can also be used in commercial videos.

[paulears]

We have a simple system in the UK – weird that for once the US are less flexible.

Lets face it – so many people cheat on rights payments it's become so common that people take the risk. I find that morally, let alone legally, a problem. I'm a member of a few associations with pro members and the thought of me not doing it properly would sit very badly with the rest.

[LuckyDude]

Digital Juice and Audioblocks also have sizeable sound libraries (not as large as Smartsound’s though) if you are wanting to replace copyright music.

[Author]

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