OT: CreativeCommons Making Headway OR Where To Find Reasonably Priced Music For Your Video!

Jay Gladwell wrote on 3/15/2005, 3:49 AM
"John Buckman, an entrepreneur from Berkeley, Calif., has used the Creative Commons licenses as the foundation for his new online record label. All artists who sign with his company, Magnatune, must agree to allow free use of their work for non-commercial purposes. The site features 326 albums by 174 artists in six different genres from classical to heavy metal. He said the company makes 50 percent of its money from downloads and 50 percent from licensing fees.

He said his label's songs are attractive because cash-strapped filmmakers can use the songs as they like for free and only have to pay when they start making money. 'As much as musicians are having a hard time making a living, filmmakers and other creative people are having a hard time finding music to use in their works,' he said."

Read the article here.

Visit Magnatune here.

I visited Magnatune and checked out their licensing. Licensing for wedding videos, for example, seemed to be very reasonable, just what people here have been asking for!

His reason for creating Magnatune is interesting reading, too!


Comments

williamconifer wrote on 3/15/2005, 5:53 AM
Very Cool.

3 songs off a CD called Bach's Cello Suites for a distribution of 5 units for an event video (ie wedding) costs $24.00. Brilliant. It says all songs and licencing docs. are done and on your computer in 5 mins.

I new CC was cool but never really looked at the cost for the type of stuff I do. duh, *slaps forehead*

great link Jay.

thanks
jack
logiquem wrote on 3/15/2005, 6:19 AM
Very nice reference Jay. Exactly the kind of good quality moods and themes i was desperately looking for art work. Very usefull. Thanks.
Jay Gladwell wrote on 3/15/2005, 6:22 AM

At first glance, Magnatune appears to be more affordable than Freeplay. Plus, and this is the thing I really like, everything is right there up front on the web site. None of this, "Call us for a quote" stuff. That defeats the purpose of a web site for this kind of thing in my way of thinking.


winrockpost wrote on 3/15/2005, 6:36 AM
Thanks Jay, very useful info, great site.sure hope its a sign of more such programs becoming available.
jetdv wrote on 3/15/2005, 10:03 AM
must agree to allow free use of their work for non-commercial purposes

Define "non-commercial". Wouldn't taping a wedding, editing, and selling the final product still be "commercial"?
OdieInAz wrote on 3/15/2005, 10:32 AM
Check out the web site - all this stuff is defined. Even a special category for single use, i.e. "Wedding Video" etc.

Here's an online quote (picked at random), 3 songs from the album, 10 copies total.

License price: $42

Project type: unit license
Artist: Kyiv Chamber Choir
Album: Praise the Lord
Song(s): Songs by Kyiv Chamber Choir
Music quantity: 3 songs
Music type: Songs by Kyiv Chamber Choir
Units: 10
Price: $42

filmy wrote on 3/15/2005, 10:51 AM
I mentioned Creative Commons a while back (here fyi) and had "musicvid" go off on me. I think it is a really great idea - it spawned at least one film festival sponsored by Duke's Center for the Study of the Public Domain. Grazie asked about Magnatune over a year ago in a thread. As for Freeplay - I used to highly recomend them however over the last few years they got money fever, IMO. They used to be "free" - they spelled it out in no uncertian terms that any music was free in any and all media forever. Than they sort of went to the "if you are a major network or a major studio it is free. However if you are an indy or the like it will cost ya!" attitude. Now I don't mind the fees, I have no issues with that - what I have issues with is the "free forever" part that changed. I would much rather see a service that simply says "here is what is costs" and see that curve be "equal" for all. The Creative Commons idea, IMO, is great in that is really trys to be equal in it's use.
Jay Gladwell wrote on 3/15/2005, 10:53 AM

Define "non-commercial". Wouldn't taping a wedding, editing, and selling the final product still be "commercial"?

Yes, it is, Edward. There is rate card for that under "licensing." it's quite inexpensive, actually.

[Edit] Odie, I just saw your post. You explained it perfectly!


jetdv wrote on 3/15/2005, 11:36 AM
Cool!
farss wrote on 3/15/2005, 1:01 PM
Although it's probably a step in the right direction for you guys stuck in the USA it's a bit more expensive than what it costs down here and it doesn't solve a major issue for the event videographers which our system does solve.
For a licenceing fee of AUD 800 per annum I can put ANY music into a wedding vid. I can make upto 35 copies of that. Only requirement beyond that is that the client owns a legit copy of the music. This solves the problem of when the client demands 'their' song in the video.
For everything else as I'm musically challenged I resort to SonicFire Pro. I've always been able to find some suitable music from them for corporate vids and once I've bought the CD I own the rights to it for my use. The thing spits out a version of the music matched to my vid, I cannot imagine anything simpler. If you need to expand your library it is just a few clicks to buy the music you need.
Bob.
mjdog wrote on 3/15/2005, 1:27 PM
I've mentioned Magnatune many times (under my older username MNJ) and have used them once, but earlier this week I visited their site and notice more music that is of interest to me.

One other site I had hope for was weedshare.com - they're an filesharing "service" that gives payments to artists (like Magnatue) and encourages filesharing with friends. Unfortunately, looking at their license, use is restricted...you can share the files, but it appears you cannot use it for video and the like...

ALL RIGHTS IN THE INITIALIZED FILES, AND THE CONTENT OF INITIALIZED FILES, NOT EXPRESSLY GRANTED HEREUNDER ARE RESERVED. IN ADDITION TO, AND NOT IN LIMITATION OF, OTHER RESTRICTIONS HEREIN AND UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, YOU MAY NOT (a) PUBLICLY PERFORM, MODIFY, OR TRANSMIT ANY INITIALIZED FILE, OR ANY CONTENT OR COPY OF ANY INITIALIZED FILE, IN ANY MANNER; (b) DISTRIBUTE ANY INITIALIZED FILE EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED HEREIN; (c) DISTRIBUTE OR SELL THE CONTENT OF ANY INITIALIZED FILE IN ANY FORMAT OTHER THAN THE ENCRYPTED WEED FORMAT IN WHICH IT IS ORIGINALLY DELIVERED TO YOU, AND IN STRICT ACCORDANCE WITH THE WEED POLICES AND THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT; (d) MODIFY, ALTER OR TAMPER WITH ANY DRM PROTECTION, METADATA, OR OTHER PROTECTION INCLUDED IN OR ASSOCIATED WITH ANY INITIALIZED FILE.
zemote wrote on 3/15/2005, 8:57 PM
i've been using magnatune for quite a while. Great site, great licensing. Searching for creative commons music is just a google search a way. Another great site for finding creative commons audio/music is archive.org.

-zemote