Is there any way to use copyrighted music for my PERSONAL USE videos? Non part 107 stuff.

[JustJeff]

Well, the title pretty much asks it all. Can I use music from say AC/DC (or whoever) to add to my drone videos, strictly for personal use? Is that legal? Even if I had to pay a modest fee, that would be okay. And if so, where would I go to find/use that music? Links to websites etc would be greatly appreciated if it's even possible to do. Thanks!

 

[waltermitty]

Sure you can. You simply need to fulfill the legal requirements. Search the web for keywords e.g. "using popular music in my video" to gauge the requirements. You can also use segments free of charge but limited to something less than 30 seconds or so.

I harvest music off Youtube but I only save the audio track... and save to my smartphone for listening during jogs and bike rides. The method varies depending on your computer and software library.

 

[Brian I]

The only way you could say your videos were for personal use would be if you never share them with anybody else, which sounds a bit lonely. As soon as you showed them to anybody else, either online or in person, I'm pretty sure you would be contravening copyright legislation.

 

[Cymruflyer]

If you keep them on your computer and not show them on something like Vimeo or Youtube, then you will be fine. Just don't set up an audience and be showing them in a public setting. You can use what ever you wish for your own private use and you can show friends on your laptop or computer with no worries. There is a way to show them in an educational mode, to larger audiences, but then things begin to get complicated.

 

[vindibona1]

The above replies are correct and provide good guidance from the perspective of using popular music. Have you considered the plethora of music that is either copyright free, or can be downloaded and used for a small fee which provides you a license to use?

 

[hiflyer201]

There are programs to download you tube music. If you use it on a video and post it to you tube it will probably be recognized and noted saying that if there are complaints the music will be removed. Do not even think of using it for commercial purposes.

 

[JustJeff]

The above replies are correct and provide good guidance from the perspective of using popular music. Have you considered the plethora of music that is either copyright free, or can be downloaded and used for a small fee which provides you a license to use?

No, I'm not aware of which websites that you can use copyrighted music for the small fee. Which ones are they? You wouldn't possibly have any links, would you?

 

[JustJeff]

There are programs to download you tube music. If you use it on a video and post it to you tube it will probably be recognized and noted saying that if there are complaints the music will be removed. Do not even think of using it for commercial purposes.

I have zero intentions of using them for commercial use. As I stated initially, I don't have a part 107, and fly STRICTLY for recreational purposes.

 

[vindibona1]

No, I'm not aware of which websites that you can use copyrighted music for the small fee. Which ones are they? You wouldn't possibly have any links, would you?

Here's one that I use frequently. No you won't get AC/DC, ZZ Top or any "popular" rock groups, but many genres, that IMO work better as background music. Bens sounds You can Google these search words for a start "copyright free music downloads".

If I might add something to the conversation, believe it or not, when doing an A/V presentation, usually the element that gets the most attention, directly or subliminally is the MUSIC, not the video. I've always been taught that the sound track should never over-shadow the video track unless the sound track is intentionally the focus, as in Music Videos. I have a strong preference for listening to music tracks without video, unless I want to see the musicians playing.

 

[Cymruflyer]

Do a google search, you will come up with hundreds both pay and no pay web site to use music in your films. Too many to mention.

 

[Zeke]

Speaking from experience, I use Copyrighted music all the time in my clips and post them to YouTube without a problem. I discovered that so far every song I've chosen is deemed "restricted" due to copyright claims, which only means the video can never be monetized or sold. Other than that, there's absolutely no restriction on using such tunes. Have at it!

 

[mavicbopper]

No, I'm not aware of which websites that you can use copyrighted music for the small fee. Which ones are they? You wouldn't possibly have any links, would you?

There are sites that will provide some plain vanilla tunes for a subscription fee. They are OK for general videos of say landscaping or generic events events. You will not get the songs that really add punch to a production because they are well-known hits that evoke memories. The acquisition of such copyrighted material is arduous and costly.

As stated, it's easy to add hits songs to your vids but posting them for broad consumption is not going to work. For limited sharing, you can still use the old technique of copying your vid to a flash drive or DVD and providing it to a friend or family for their non-public/published use. It's kind of what you would do in the 1970s when you wanted to share a photo print.

Their is another way, but I won't go into it on the forum.

The best legal repertoire of music was available on the now defunct ProShow Producer, application. But, now that's gone. Even tough PSP resided on your computer, the music library didn't. And when PS went away, so was access to the library.

 

[username_required]

Something interesting I've discovered, totally not related to the original question asked here, but if you want to make backups of your videos on youtube, just throw some copyrighted music on there and upload it. Youtube might refuse to publish it but you can redownload the video if you need to restore it. I have some videos I uploaded 4 years ago that were not published due to the music, just sitting there.

 

[SkyeHigh]

Speaking from experience, I use Copyrighted music all the time in my clips and post them to YouTube without a problem. I discovered that so far every song I've chosen is deemed "restricted" due to copyright claims, which only means the video can never be monetized or sold. Other than that, there's absolutely no restriction on using such tunes. Have at it!

No, you’re quite wrong. All copyright music makes any form of reproduction or public performance illegal without express permission of the copyright owner. You are allowed to make a copy for your own private purposes but you cannot publish it.

There is also no restriction on selling your original legally purchased copy.

There are hefty fines for those caught and prosecuted and the music industry is actively chasing copyright theft.

Google (YouTube owners) are equally responsible for publishing (making available) copyright music. I would be surprised if they weren’t passing on notifications to the music industry bodies when they see copyright material being uploaded to their servers.

Google can afford hefty fines… can you?

 

[Zeke]

No, you quite wrong. All copyright music makes any form of reproduction or public performance illegal without express permission of the copyright owner. You are allowed to make a copy for your own private purposes but you cannot publish it.

There is also no restriction on selling your original legally purchased copy.

There are hefty fines for those caught and prosecuted and the music industry is actively chasing copyright theft.

Google (YouTube owners) are equally responsible for publishing (making available) copyright music. I would be surprised if they weren’t passing on notifications to the music industry bodies when they see copyright material being uploaded to their servers.

Google can afford hefty fines… can you?

Uh no, YOU quite wrong. Look at the screen shot I provided before shooting off your mouth. YouTube wouldn't permit the use of copyrighted music if it wasn't allowed. What's NOT allowed is monetizing the videos. Perhaps you need to educate yourself before shooting your mouth off.

 

[waynorth]

Can I use music from say AC/DC (or whoever) to add to my drone videos, strictly for personal use? Is that legal? Even if I had to pay a modest fee, that would be okay. And if so, where would I go to find/use that music? Links to websites etc would be greatly appreciated if it's even possible to do. Thanks!

If you want to publish your video with copyrighted music on youtube, here is an up-to-date overview of how it works:

How To Use Copyrighted Music On YouTube - TunePocket

Can I use copyrighted music on YouTube? Yes, often you CAN but you need to understand copyright rules. Learn how to use copyrighted music on YouTube.

www.tunepocket.com

 

[SkyeHigh]

Uh no, YOU quite wrong. Look at the screen shot I provided before shooting off your mouth. YouTube wouldn't permit the use of copyrighted music if it wasn't allowed. What's NOT allowed is monetizing the videos. Perhaps you need to educate yourself before shooting your mouth off.

I’ll forgive your ignorance, you clearly don’t understand copyright law and have made no effort to educate yourself on what you can and cannot do with copyright material instead relying on a screenshot… seriously?

Spend sometime reading the following from Google - the owner of YouTube and maybe you’ll be closer to an understanding of the subject and laws of someone who has spent 31-years in the industry.

Google - The Myths on copyright music on YouTube

 

[retiredNH]

Folks, listen to SkyeHigh, and dump your prior thoughts on copyrights. In a past life, before retirement, I had to deal with copyright issues professionally - fortunately, not with music, but the law is the same.

What's a copyright about? The name gives you a clue - the right to copy. Money has nothing to do with it. If you don't have a right to copy - a license from the copyright holder, you're subject to recourse, usually through the courts. Youtube? As a private entity, they can do what they want. Their enforcement mechanism is to protect themselves, and is biased to be quite conservative. Conservative? See next paragraph.

A lot of the confusion, and all of the subjectivity, with copyrights comes from the "Fair Use" exemption.
Nolo Press's website gives a good summary:

When You Need Permission to Sample Others' Music

If you use "samples" of other people's music, you should first obtain written permission. Failure to obtain the proper permission could lead to serious consequences.

www.nolo.com

What Is Fair Use?​

Fair use is the right to copy a portion of a copyrighted work without permission because your use is for a limited purpose, such as for educational use in a classroom or to comment upon, criticize, or parody the work being sampled.

Factors in determining fair use. When reviewing fair use questions, courts primarily look for three factors:

• You did not take a substantial amount of the original work (say, ten seconds of a song versus 60 seconds).
• You transformed the material in some way (for instance, you added new base sounds to a melody).
• You did not cause significant financial harm to the copyright owner (perhaps you are using a bit of classical music in your heavy metal rock song, which appeals to a different market).

Do not believe the widespread myth that "less than two seconds is fair use." There is no "magic number" like this. Also, some courts apply a fair use rule only to the musical composition copyright, not the sound recording copyright. For example, one judge ruled that any musical sampling violated the sound recording copyright.

You can use the above arguments to defend yourself against a lawsuit for sampling without permission. The problem: You will not know for sure which way the judge will rule. And, most likely you will have to hire an attorney to represent you in court.

Keep in mind that IP attorneys (copyright, trademark and patent) are very well paid...
Keep in mind that the fact that you haven't been hit with a legal notice doesn't mean all is well...it probably just means the stakes for your violation are too small (so far...)