Dunshire Bagpipe Forum 7/20/06

Recording Music and Music Violation (my further comments about this topic)

I was asked to record an intro to a song for a local rock band. They just wanted a simple slow air. I thought about making one up, but I came across a very good one that fit the bill and decided I didn't need to reinvent the wheel.About two weeks before the recording date it suddenly dawned on me that there may be a problem with using this tune as it was still under copyright. I got the composer's email address after some inquiries and shot him off an email requesting permission to use the tune. I explained exactly what it was being used for and what the expected revenues were from the CD (not much as this was a garage band). About a week before the recording I received permission to use the tune free of charge. I then felt I should tell the band that if by some freak chance their song turned into a hit there would be a moral obligation to pay the composer something even though we had his permission to use it. They agreed.I discovered that the peace of mind is well worth the effort (what little there was) and it was my impression that this composer was more than willing to allow the use of his tunes as long as he was given the courtesy of being notified and given proper credit.