Tread Lightly: Using Music in your Lesson

There is nothing I despise more than being dragged down into the legalese of copyright infringement, when all I want is to work and create unimpeded. Unfortunately, we reside in a world surrounded by red tape, and one must tread lightly and with severe caution, lest you find yourself lost amidst a mine field.

Infringement of music rights is something of a hot topic right now, what with peer-to-peer sharing and illegal album downloads at an all-time high (a recent study suggests that 58% of all music obtained in the U.S. is done illegally). Now, the reason we’ve decided to take up the reigns and discuss copyright infringement is because we’ve received several questions, usually about music, of such a nature that indicates many MindBiters are mistaken as to what is allowable regarding the use of other people’s material: How much of a song can I use? Is only popular music under copyright? If a work is really old, is it free to use? Can I record myself playing a “Coldplay” song and be safe from infringement?

Well, I hate to burst everyone’s bubble but essentially ALL MUSIC RECORDINGS ARE COPYRIGHTED, and use of a song, any piece of a song, no matter how long or short, must be cleared by its owners to be in accordance with the law. Yep, it’s lame, but true. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: copyright, music | Posted in Video Production and Publishing | No Comments »