Kenny Williams Posted September 15, 2022 Share Posted September 15, 2022 Hello all! I am currently in pre-production for a short film of mine! I was wondering if anyone had experience on securing license rights for shorts? Does anyone know where to begin or where to find out if a song is royalty-free yet? Or better yet is it too much of a headache to even bother with for a micro-budget short? Originally I was looking to inquire about a FRANK ZAPPA song, but if what I found was true that seems like a lost cause. Does anyone have any experience and can point me in the correct direction? Is it worth it? Does it matter what the subject matter is or does the amount of the song matter? As you see I have no experience any would be appreciated! Thank you, Kenny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saul Pincus Posted September 15, 2022 Share Posted September 15, 2022 Plenty of experience here. Best advice: consult an entertainment lawyer or veteran music supervisor for films and television, micro-budget or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Zrike Posted September 16, 2022 Share Posted September 16, 2022 Typically there are two parties you have to contact to be able to use a song in a film (occasionally it is only one if the song was released independently). Look up what label holds the rights to the music. Look up their licensing info online and contact them. They will likely give you a quote after you give them more information about the film. Then you can also ask them who they believe to be the other rights holders. Zappa might not fit within a micro budget, but there's no harm in asking. For reference, I've licensed music for two shorts that I directed. The label was called The Flenser, and I was able to get online right in-perpetuity for $850 each (they were the only rights holders as I believe the musicians themselves run the label). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Drysdale Posted September 16, 2022 Share Posted September 16, 2022 You may find that you can only use the music for a limited time. I know of one short that could only use the music for a year or two, which reduced the screening life of the film. Having the music composed for the film isn't unusual with shorts. There are new or even experienced composers who want the experience of film work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Zrike Posted September 16, 2022 Share Posted September 16, 2022 17 minutes ago, Brian Drysdale said: You may find that you can only use the music for a limited time. That's true. I should have clarified that in-perpetuity is pretty uncommon. Besides the online rights, the two licenses I got included a year for festivals. Most will limit online use to a few years also. Also keep in mind that there is a in-between option: getting someone to cover a piece of music. Often times that is a much cheaper option. You then only have to pay the rights holders for the written music rather than the recording itself (and then you obviously have to pay the cover artist). This is why a lot of ads have covers instead of originals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin Phillips Posted September 16, 2022 Share Posted September 16, 2022 I think you need to find a music supervisor, ideally one who works with both larger shows and still indies, who might be able to help you navigate the process. They could also connect you to folks who could do a cover, a sound-a-like (really best for comedies though), or possibly an original composition that might exceed your intent and expectations with a licensed track Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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