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Who Owns That Vocal? How to Research Copyright Ownership

Paradigm via lawcommentator.com

In many circumstances, musicians and producers notice themselves needing to contact the copyright owners of a particular vocal or recording for permission to apply music for something not covered by the standard licenses available through ASCAP, SESAC, BMI, or the Harry Fox Agency. Activities such as sampling and using music in a video brand information technology necessary to contact and request licenses from the copyright owners of the songs and/or recordings. Simply although we're ofttimes familiar with the artists who performed the songs, information nearly the copyright owners/administrators tin be less readily available. Here are some enquiry resources to help you notice out who owns those copyrights.

Need-to-know info before you become started

Every recording has ii individual copyrights.In many cases, you'll need to contact the both the copyright owner of the musical composition and the copyright possessor of the specific recording you're using.
Many songwriters take agreements with publishers who either administer licensing or have ownership of the songs, so for many musical compositions, yous'll be contacting a publisher.
Copyrights for recordings are often owned or administered by record labels, although in some cases, artists may have retained or regained buying of their recordings. For many sound recordings, y'all'll probably demand to contact record labels or artists/managers.

Copyright inquiry tools

If you lot want to observe out who owns a copyright, endeavor these online resources:

ASCAP ACE Database – This is a get-to source of data near writers, performers, publishers, and alternate titles for copyrighted songs from both ASCAP and not-ASCAP affiliates. This database mostly includes data for compositions, just in addition to listing the writers and publishers/administrators for each limerick, many listings also include the names of performers known to have made recordings of the works. By clicking on the proper noun of the publishers/administrators for each composition, you may exist able to become contact data including the address, telephone number, or electronic mail address. You can search by title, writers, performers, publishers, work ID, or ISWC.
ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code) – This is another option to find the creators, performers, and alternating titles of works, likewise every bit their ISWC number. The ISWC number is used to runway when musical compositions are publicly performed so that copyright owners tin savor performance royalties. Search by the title or creator's name; if you accept problem getting results, try expanding your search past adjusting the filter from "begins" or "exact" to "contains."
United States Copyright Office Public Catalog (online) – This catalog includes works registered with the Us Copyright Office from 1978 onward. Use "other search options" to get advanced search features such as being able to search for title/composer. After searching, y'all can also fix search limits to include a specific date range and blazon of piece of work such as "music" or "sound recording." This volition give y'all important information, such as the engagement a work was registered for copyright and who the copyright claimants are.
Library of Congress Audio Collection via SONIC (Sound ONline Inventory and Catalog) – Like the U.s. Copyright Role catalog, SONIC will give you lot data about audio works that have been registered for copyright purposes. Information in this database includes the publication condition, type, medium, genre, and the names of artists/groups performing on the recording.
Worldcat – Designed to help y'all detect items in libraries near you (including university libraries that may have robust sheet music and recording collections), this database tin also help you find out more than about performers, record labels, and publishers of music and recordings. Using the advanced search, you tin can limit results to merely musical scores and/or sound recordings. The details will include the publisher and authors/contributors, and the responsibility field can help you discover lyricists or arrangers.
AllMusic.com – This website is listed every bit an eastward-resource by the Library of Congress. It provides critiques and ratings for albums, but more importantly for copyright researchers, it provides a "credits" section where it may list many of the professionals involved with creating an album, including the producer, other musicians, and the primary creative person/band. Information available may also include the release formats, labels, and years, but avoid using this as your sole search tool since some of the information may be inaccurate.

Contacting copyright owners

If yous're able to discover the name of the publisher or tape company you need to contact, you should be able to notice their accost, e-mail, and/or phone number online through a quick Google search. Publisher contact data can also be found in ASCAP's ACE Database. Exist enlightened that copyright ownership and administration can change hands, so you may need to contact several companies before finding the ane that can consider your licensing asking.

Still can't find the copyright owners?

If you're unable to observe the actual copyright owner/administrator for a song or recording you wish to use, consider paying for research. There are companies that employ experts at tracking down copyright owners not easily found through ane of the above methods. Existence rejected or unsuccessful at tracking down a copyright owner does not give y'all the legal right to use their music without a license, so make sure to do your homework and have a backup plan in case licensing does not work out. As always, consult an chaser specializing in the music/entertainment business before signing any licenses or other contracts.

Learn more than almost copyright:

Using Someone Else's Music in Your YouTube Video (And What to Do if Someone Uses Yours)
How Vimeo's New Copyright Match System Affects Your Music
Borrowing Success: How to Legally Sample Music

Jamie Davis-Ponce is a professional musician and graduate of Northeastern University'south Master of Music Industry Leadership program with a concentration in entrepreneurship. She has been a music lecturer at Ithaca College, and is securely involved in Boston-area arts and music organizations, having worked with ArtsBoston and held internships at Handel & Haydn Order and Boston Symphony Orchestra. Jamie is currently an administrator in the Professional Operation Segmentation at Berklee Higher of Music. You can view more of her writing on her blog on Music, Concern, and Inventiveness.