OT: Big Studios Face the (Sync) Music

johnmeyer wrote on 5/5/2006, 7:55 AM

And you think you have problems getting sync licenses? Great story in today's Wall Street Journal (weekend section, page 4) about how studios can't negotiate music license fees for DVD releases of old TV shows. Their solution? Same as ours: They replace the music with something else. Apparently, the problem is not isolated, and has caused some old shows to not yet appear on DVD, and others to have their soundtracks re-cut to replace the old music. In other cases, if the music appeared briefly, the producers simply cut the scene.

On the good news side, there was an article about three weeks ago about a move in the U.S. to create a sync license system for small producers that would be similar to what is done in Oz.

Comments

DavidMcKnight wrote on 5/5/2006, 9:54 AM

for some unknown reason, I got the Beverly Hillbillys dvd as a 40th b-day gift. The person who gave it to me insisted on watching it, and the great banjo theme music was replaced by banjo music I had never heard before.

Former user wrote on 5/5/2006, 10:11 AM

You will also notice this in syndicated programs. "That 70's Show" has different bump music in the syndicated than what was originally aired on the Fox Network.

Dave T2

farss wrote on 5/5/2006, 1:08 PM

My biggest client has this issue all the time, just moving audio content from cassette to CD. Not having cue sheets for the original work makes the task even more problematic.

johnmeyer wrote on 5/5/2006, 8:33 PM

The person who gave it to me insisted on watching it, and the great banjo theme music was replaced by banjo music I had never heard before.

I just checked at this site: Beverly Hillbillies

and you're right!! Unbelievable. The Beverly Hillbillies without Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt is like a shortcake without strawberries. There's just no point at all without the main ingredient.

TheHappyFriar wrote on 5/5/2006, 9:07 PM

that's actuatly years old. I found that out when we ran the show at the station I worked at. A guy bought the DVD's (they're cheap!) to watch at home & came in to workthe next day complaining the music had changed. :)