Point On The Music Rights
for a film
This is another issue that strikes you: The music rights, or how to find the music for a film ?
You are in the process of writing a film where the music is. You have already head existing titles and artists specific or you are one of those people who want to find the royalty free music but you don’t know where. In the end, you are one of those who wish to compose a soundtrack but you do not know how to manage (dealer) rights…and well, you know what ? This article is for you.
Let’s move immediately to the good news. If your film is intended only to your family circle, you can do absolutely anything you want. You can take the last song in the mode or a good old Brel, nobody will ask you anything. PHEW !
But if this film needs to break through the barriers of tonton Michel, your parents and your grandparents and your parents, then you have a problem.
ATTENTION : the internet goes beyond your private setting. Therefore, you can’t use any music ! Even for a movie with friends.
We will quickly address the rights of authors in France.
Or a composer or a performer owns the rights to his work throughout his life (normal !), and then after his death, his successors ( heirs) ; (o) the enjoyment for 70 years the minimum ! Why minimum ? Because in some cases, the years of warfare count double, and lengthen the sauce for a few years. A work can therefore always be subject to rights nearly 90 years after the death of its author. Yes, it’s less fun. !
For info, the authors ‘ rights are managed by SACEM.
I can already hear some who will say to me : “Yes, but I don’t want to use that classical music like Beethoven or Mozart. ”
Except that, it is often another artist who interprets Mozart ! That he is still alive, and that in addition he was a producer.
Guess what ? He also has rights. These producers ‘ rights are valid for 50 years after the recording of the disc. These rights are managed by the SDRM. In this case, simply call the producer and ask him for the permission to use his CD. He will answer you : Yes ! Because you will pay money for it !
But do not weep, there are solutions to this ;o) Not tons not more unfortunately.
1) you pay the music rights for the title you want to use.
2) you use the royalty free music.
3) do You compose your own music.
4) You make a film without music
Solutions 1 and 4, we will set aside :o)
Music free of rights :
Even if this solution to find the music for a film seems miraculous, you should know that : who said free of rights does not say unfortunately not totally free. There are CDS sold in stores that are full of pieces of music that you can use as you see fit and as often as you want. There you will find a variety of styles : jazz, rock, salsa, electro, pop, etc…I and the best.
Me I call it music to the meter. Each piece is available in several lengths, ranging from Jingle to the songs of 6 minutes. Some songs are a bit repetitive but this may allow you, for only a few euros, to have a soundtrack not too damn evil.
Today, thanks to the internet, several sites have specialized in this genre :
www.musiquelibrededroit.com
www.musicscreen.be
www.auboutdufil.com
www.audiobank.fr
Personally, I found it a bit expensive. Some pieces are priced between 20 € and over 100€!
Left to spend 100 euros, I prefer to put them in training for the film and the writing or buy me stuff rather than slam into a music of 2 :39 minutes, even if I can use it without restriction and in the whole world !!! No ?!
I prefer to buy a good old CD with 9 or 18 tracks for only 34 euros ! Or I prefer 1 million times more filer these 100 euros….the 3 rd solution.
Has the wise ;o)
See the 3 rd solution : To compose his own music :
Don’t worry, this is not as far-fetched and out of reach as you think. Whether you are making a doc, a short film or a web series, you can compose your soundtrack for the astronomical sum of : O euro ! (Or 100 euros, we were talking about earlier ;o) )
Admittedly, it takes a bit of savoir-vivre and sociability but you can manage to produce your music for nothing, or almost nothing !
ATTENTION : If you have a limited budget for the music will take not too much on the rope. The composers are ready to make efforts and help you. But do not forget that there are also artists…as you ;o)
How ?
There are, by the world of the internet, a countless number of young composers (and not so young) ready to compose for you. It may be that some are going to ask you a few euro (and again) for service rendered, but, come to think of it, you will have your own music sticking perfectly on your images !
Where to find these composers ?
If you are a fan, you need to have in your region of the composers who seek to make themselves known, but I think it comes down to the best solutions is to browse the forums and sites dedicated to cinema, video and music. Some have even created blogs to be more easily contacted, you can also find excerpts of their compositions.
Thomas J. has already said : “you can’t make cinema alone “. To make a film, it is first to go to others, to be of interest to your projects, to involve them in order to be able to federate.
Even if you know exactly what you want such as music, let the author/composer express themselves and take ownership of your project, in short : listen to the !
Once you have found the composer with whom you want to work (or if it is he who wishes to work with you), it will suffice to establish a small contract stating that he gives you the enjoyment of the music for your project XXXX. But be careful, you only have rights to your film, the copies, the teaser etc… The composer remains the owner of his music beyond this use.