If you're going to make videos of these programs -- whether on DVD or on the Web, or whatever -- as opposed to using the music only in "live" situations, then you're into a whole 'nother can of worms where it's next to impossible to get the rights you're looking for.
Do a search of the forums with keywords like "synchronization" and "license", and you'll find a number of posts on the topic.

Including a thread that I started myself by asking a somewhat similar question, a while back:

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=495614

thanks - appreciate it ... I was wondering how much it would cost to license top-40 songs, say just a few of them, for a live event.. .and/or including that in dvd/web.. each usage costs a separate license I'm sure..

any ideas on ballpark figures if I wanted to use a 1980s top-40s song in a seminar?

thx,

ken

It would depend on how many you're talking about--define "a few."

In any case, you're talking about ten's of thousands of dollars, if not hundreds of thousands, if you including DVD and web play.

Call BMI licensing and ask them! Corporate headquarters is located at 320 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019, phone: (212) 586-2000

Hi Jay, thanks... hmm I didn't know that... ah well it's outta my budget then... I was thinking maybe $2K or so tops, for all rights...for older songs...

Going to one of Tony Robbin's seminars, he plays something like 80+ top-40 songs at his events, which really adds a lot... but he makes a lot more money than I do, like 100 million dollars more lol... :p

ken

The only experience I've had is with one client that licensed the 60's song "hold on I'm comin'" by Sam and Dave for a regional :30 PSA about 10 years ago. I wasn't in on the actual price negotiation, but I remember someone telling me it cost ~$5000 for one year, with annual renewals set on a sliding scale, going up each year if they wanted to extend the license. If the spot had been classified as a commercial (and not a PSA) it would have been more, but I'm not sure how much more.

There were also a whole list of restrictions like only one spot could be synced, no radio (would be a separate license),etc.

Also, there was no broadcast license. The sync license covers just that --synchronization. If you want to "broadcast" the music then that falls under another license, which television and radio stations pay on an annual basis, so it's covered for my clients broadcast use, but, for example, it prohibits them from showing it to a room full of people over closed circuit. That would be considered a "public performance" and disallowed under the general term "broadcast".

There were also some pretty restrictive terms when it came to duplication. Basically we make a limited number of broadcast dubs (which the client or clients agency were to request back from the broadcasters) and a few review copies for internal use only.

I have no idea who they got to handle the license details, but they are a pretty large regional company, so I figure they were cafeful to be legal all the way.

Jim, and that was $5,000 for only 30 second of the song!

I've dealt with this before. They want specifics--What part of the song? How will be be used? Where? What venue? Web? DVD? Television? Radio? On and on!

Public performance and use on DVDs and the Web... the cost would be astronomical!

hmm.. ah well, looks like royalty free "rockalikes" or "soundalikes" for me then.. :p

thanks for the heads-up, it's good to know re the costs..

ken