How do get a licence to use music from cd's?

Question

I want to start a small video scrapbooking company from home. I want to add background music, legally, so I can charge people for this service.

Answer 1

Licensing hit songs may be a bit of an issue unless you have a lot of time to wait and a lot of money to spend. You would essentially request licensing for the reproduction rights, which would state exactly when, where, and how you will use the music. I found this on a related site:

"Licensing fees depend on many things - including but not limited to the fame of the song, the fame of the performer, the way the song is used in the production, and the media the production will be presented in.  In some instances we may be able to give a very rough estimate at what a particular fee may be, but the only way to know if you will receive permission and exactly what a fee will be is to start the clearance process. "

Because this can be a sticky legal matter, one other option for you to consider might be to have some original music recorded for your business. You could pay an artist a flat fee for creating some different types of music, and then allow your customers to choose from those selections. It may cost a little more up front, but then you could own the music outright and never worry about it.

One last thing, is perhaps to look for songs that have become "public domain"--meaning no one really owns the rights anymore, and you can use it as you see fit. This happens to songs after about 15 years--but each case can be unique, so do be sure to check. May not get you the latest hits, but it could get you some good music

For more stuff on licensing, you might try some of these links, as almost every popular song out there is registered with either BMI or ASCAP:

http://www.bmi.com/licensing/

http://www.ascap.com/weblicense/

Best of luck to you!