Music for performances - Info

[Fitzwilly]

I have been digging around in my email tonight and found another little tidbit I wanted to pass along.

Dan/Fitzwilly


We have all heard the talks at conventions on copyrighted material and the Music Patrol showing up at an event we're doing using music we don't have the right to use. I've never been approached and don't know of anyone in our group that has, but just in case in the future we need to know what to do to use music publicly, below is information obtained from the Sunday School material we use at our church. You might want to file this away for future reference. Something good to know.

"Legally a song belongs to the songwriter/composer who created it and the publisher who markets it. Performance rights organizations (PROs) license public performances (live or recorded) of their members' music. Usually, but not always, PROs give general permission for performances in worship services. We recommend you obtain permission from the PRO
representing the song or the publisher of the song you wish to play. PROs in the US are ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. For a list of PROs in your part of the world: www.iamusic.com . Look at the copyright on the CD or sheet music to discover the PRO or publisher of the song. It is up to you to make sure your church has permission to perform or play a recording of a song. If you choose to show a movie clip, make sure your church has obtained licensing rights to show videos. You can obtain a license from Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (www.mplc.com) , Christian Video Licensing International (www.cvli.org) , or Christian Copyright Licensing International (www.ccli.com) ."

[saphireSue]

I'm music Director for my church. Every year we pay a fee for a "copywrite".sorry minds gone blank on correct title, but bascially it allows us to use the music in our church for performances, and we can use it in print ie bullitin or if you have an over head and need to reproduce it. It does not cover all music. Some performance music will even state how many performance you are allowed to do before needing to pay another fee. I use cds as well. I once has a web. site, but I can't find it now that listed where you could buy royality free music. Maybe some one will have that and can post it.

I haven't noticed in the clown skit books I've looked at, but often at Drama skits that I get at church will often have price listed that includeds a certain amount of performances.