A short report

A short update on what happens when you try to go legit and ask publishers about having their material on your blog:

Considering I was using other people songs without asking, the response I have been getting has been cordial, although I suspect I have exasperated some people a little.

Without going into the specifics not everyone has got back to me yet and haven’t contacted everyone, as I figured I’d work my way through the list.  For some older songs copyright administration has passed through several players and you go around in circles even finding the right person to ask.

Some people have seen merit in the idea of publicising the music and helping learning and rehearsals, but were concerned about recordings used at Mass.  So am I, but if it is done well it is better than nothing and musicians aren’t always available everywhere.

Some have said that they don’t want their music promoted in this way and that’s absolutely fine as it their choice.

Some are concerned that it is a threat to their livelihood, which I understand in an industry being flattened by copying, but flatters the backings I make rather too much. To that end I have replaced some backing with excerpts.

The lyrics are interesting in that while I have typed some of them up, the vast majority are available on the net with very little looking on the usual dodgy lyric sites as well as many on-line church bulletins. I’m not sure the lyrics without sheet music are much use to a church and I doubt my backings  change that.  If someone can make sheet music out of an MP3 they either have plenty of time or are talented enough to work up a fake sheet anyway. It’s cheaper to buy the music really than spend the time.

To be fair some publishing houses wouldn’t allow the lyrics, but were fine with the MP3’s if I could track the downloads and pay the fees.  I’ve only just figured out how to do that, so I suppose if someone like LicenSing would give me a licence to print the lyrics I could look at putting some of the backings up and paying the royalty.

One body suggested a donation as an alternative, which makes sense as I doubt they’ll get rich from downloads of my backings.

Some of the big players have not got back to me, which is fine because it took ages to remove the lyrics for those have responded with that request. I’m also going through putting proper copyright information on posts in the off chance that they will be OK.

In the mean time it has prompted me to look at some of my own music and to look at other sources of church music. I’ll try not to bore you with further posts of this nature.

cheers

Geoff