A
question from Michael:
Hi. I subscribe to your monthly
voice-over newsletter, and I have what I
hope is an easy question:
When getting my first demo CD produced
for commercial work (no jobs booked,
just trying to get into the business),
does my demo CD producer need to have
someone who will write the background
music for my CD, or is it alright to use
non-copyrighted music? I'm just trying
to understand if I should expect my own
personalized music for each commercial
clip.
Here's Jim's answer:
Michael,
Whether you're producing your first demo
. . . or your 10th, it is technically a
violation of copyright to use music from
commercially available store-bought CD's
(like movie soundtracks, etc.). In order
to legally use copyrighted music it is
necessary to obtain permission from the
composer or publisher, and this can be a
very time-consuming and expensive
process.
Hiring someone to compose original music
can get very expensive, so it's not
worth the time, energy, or money spent.
I'm not sure what you mean by
"non-copyrighted music". Unless the
music was published prior to 1948, it is
covered under International Copyright
laws. Even original music is technically
protected under copyright law. Will you
get in trouble if you use a popular song
or contemporary music in your demo?
Probably not, but why take the
chance—and even more important, why risk
using recognizable music in your demo.
After all, your demo needs to present
you in a totally professional manner,
and the last thing you need is for a
prospective client to be listening to
the music instead of your voice.
Over the past several decades, there has
been a flood of companies that produce
music specifically for use in
television, radio, film and commercials.
These companies are known as music
libraries . . . and yes, their music is
protected under copyright. The
difference is that these libraries
include certain "rights" with the
purchase of their CD's. There are two
"rights" issues that come into play when
using music for a commercial, on the
air, or in a demo: 1) the
synchronization right: the right to
synchronize voice, images or anything
else against the music, and 2) the
performance right: the right to perform
the work publicly. Most music libraries
license only the Sync right and require
broadcasters to be licensed by the two
music performance licensing firms of
ASCAP and BMI.
When you start to look for a producer to
put your demo together, you should be
looking for recording studios that work
with voiceover talent - you do NOT want
a studio that deals with music
recording. Not all VO studios will
produce demos because demo production
can take a long time, and the studio may
not be familiar with demo formats. Look
for a studio that has produced demos in
the past and listen to examples of their
work. (for more info, go to
www.voiceacting.com/demoprod). When you
find a studio that will produce your
demo, ask them what they have in the way
of music libraries, and if they have any
charges for library music. You'll need
to take into consideration music fees,
studio time, and any cost of materials
(like a master CD or backup CD's you'll
take with you) as you plan your
budgeting.
In some studios, the session engineer
will be your producer/engineer and will
direct you through the production
process. In other studios, you may need
to bring in your own producer. If you
do, make absolutely certain that the
person you hire to produce for you has a
thorough understanding of voiceover work
and knows the studio process inside out.
The last thing you want is to have a
producer who doesn't know how to produce
- that will cost you a lot of time and
money, and you will probably not get the
best delivery for your demo tracks.
OK, I just gave you a whole lot more
info than you were asking for (so much
for answering a "simple" question) but
hopefully this will help get you on the
right track for producing your first
demo.
James R. Alburger
Copyright © James R. Alburger -
used by permission.
Article
Source:
http://www.voiceacting.com