Take donations and give sheet music
Hi, I'm planning on making original compositions of one instrument playing in the background of a popular song. And I'm thinking of posting sheet music (or a video of me playing the song) on YouTube. But I'm also thinking of asking for donations. For those who donate, they could get sheet music for my instrument.
Might I get into trouble that way?
Thank you, in advance, for your help.
Comments
Hi.
This site is not a legal site, so any answer may or may not be accurate.
At any rate, in general, if someone else composed the song or recognizable fragment you are using, you need to get permission from them to use their work. That is a basic description of copyright.
I would safely go with no.
While you are not specifically including parts of the copywritten work, you are certainly requiring that the musician who pays you (you can call it donations all you want) plays that piece with yours.
Using that musician's recording in a video to play your piece to solicit "donations" for the purchase of that piece will certainly be a copyright violation.
In reply to I would safely go with no… by polyneux
Thanks for both your comments. I appreciate it. I certainly don't want to break any rules. I just see lots of people making covers (not even original compositions), giving access to their sheet music/tabs and taking donations. That's why I just had to ask. But who knows; may be they're getting permission.
My follow up question is: does anyone know about CD Baby and possibly Sheet Music Plus? Are they both trustworthy? I'm kind of thinking Sheet Music Plus might not be. But if one of them is trustworthy, I can contact them.
Sincere thanks for all your help.
In reply to Thanks for both your… by Haeven
Haeven, trustworthy, trustworthy....in this times I recommend to double and triple check any licensing agreements and/or conditions for submitting music to a digital/sheet music distributor or publisher.
CD Baby has a good reputation, but I would like to recommend, for music distribution, Soundrop (http://www.soundrop.com) . They seem good guys. They cut 15% from your digital sales/streaming, but they provide free UPC & ISRC codes and, what's most important, they deliver to stores very, very quickly. And they handle too cover song licensing for very neat fees, in my opinion.
Sheetmusicplus...they cut 55% from your sales. I used them for some scores, but well....no sales until now :-F
In reply to Haeven, trustworthy,… by mdi1972
Thanks so much mdi1972, for your help and advice! I appreciate it. I'll check out Soundrop.
And Sheetmusicplus cuts quite a lot. It's a little suspicious. Anyone's got to check how they're getting rights if that's possible.