Hi

Ive seen serveral people filming from an event (these are all private persons) and then they edit their video and add music to it. I have a video myself and i would like to add music, but how do i get permission to use music in a video?

Is it some music that is reserved for videos or have a free license.. The music the private persons have created have music, but i dont understand how they can have permission to use that. Does someone know? Im quite sure that they havent asked any author for any permission though.

One way is to contact the copyright holder directly (e.g. the artist's publishing company). It may be the most time consuming, but you may get the best deal.

I just did a google search on copyright clearing house, and there are companies that will do/have done the negotiating for you. An example is this.

Also, check out creative commons.

Also... if you create the music, you should go through the formal step of copyrighting it yourself. Costs about $10. The web-site (in the US) is the Library of Congress site: http://www.loc.gov/copyright.

What this does for you is, basically, to assert "I made this. I own this." Even if someone disputes your claim, you did make your claim. And, having made it, you can exercise it as you wish.

You should make sure that the video, itself, is similarly copyrighted and that proper notices .. of the video's copyright and your own .. are included as prescribed.

If you wish to give away the work, to allow it to be freely redistributed without royalties a la the various GNU licenses, then you, as the copyright owner, are entirely free to do that.

Hi

Thanks for the answers. I will take with me this knowledge.

Ok, so i do have to contact the publishing company, hm. Im pretty sure that other private people that have just been filming in for example an event havent done that, but there is a chance they have though. Anyway, im guessing it would be illegal not too and i cant afford taking any risks.

I checked out creative commons, but most of it is for non-commercial. Im gonna show this video on a presentation on a college for many people, on a stand on that college and probably several people will see it on the net. I probably have to contact the people, but i cannot pay anything for using their music in a simple video like this.

The team which im a member of is a big project and has many sponsors and here i have a subproject, so i dont know if it would be commercial or not when im not making any money on it. I would open it up freely to everyone, but not to edit it or sell it.