INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC CLEARANCES STEVEGORDONLAW.COM

BASIC CONCEPTS AND DEFINITIONS “MUSIC CLEARANCES”

MUSIC CLEARANCES MUSIC CLEARANCES = SECURING LICENSES TO USE PRE-EXISTING SONGS AND MUSIC RECORDINGS FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS MUSIC CLEARANCES DOES NOT PERTAIN TO CREATING NEW MUSIC (e.g., HIRING A MUSICIAN OR A COMPOSER TO CREATE ORIGINAL MUSIC)

EXAMPLES OF MUSIC CLEARANCE PROJECTS “ELVIS BY THE PRESLEYS” –DOC AIRED ON NETWORK TV—SECURED LICENSES TO USE DOZENS OF SONGS RECORDED BY ELVIS “FRONT AND CENTER”—TV CONCERT SERIES ON PBS FEATURING VARIOUS BLUES ARTISTS— SECURING LICENSES TO USE THE SONGS THAT THE ARTISTS PERFORMED IN THE SHOW (e.g., BUDDY GUY PLAYED SONGS BY HENDRIX, DYLAN AND OTHERS)

“MUSIC CLEARANCES” VS “MUSIC LICENSING” “MUSIC LICENSING” IS SOMETIMES USED TO REFER TO MUSIC CLEARANCES, BUT IS ALSO USED TO REFER TO THE “SYNCH BUSINESS”

NUTS AND BOLTS MUSICAL COMPOSITIONS (“SONGS”) VS MUSIC RECORDINGS (“MASTERS”) VS FOOTAGE CONTAINING MUSIC (“FOOTAGE”)

SONG SPANISH HARLEM BMI Work # Songwriter/ComposerCurrent AffiliationCAE/IPI # LEIBER, JERRYBMI SPECTOR, PHILIPBMI PublishersCurrent AffiliationCAE/IPI # ABKCO MUSIC, INC.BMI SONY/ATV SONGS, LLCBMI

MASTER

FOOTAGE THE BEATLES ON THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW SOFA Entertainment, owners of the Ed Sullivan Show, own footage including the recording contained in the footage.

PUBLIC DOMAIN/SONGS Works Registered or First Published in the U.S. Date of PublicationConditionsCopyright Term Before 1923NoneNone. In the public domain due to copyright expiration Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.com

PUBLIC DOMAIN/MASTERS Date of Fixation/PublicationDuration of Copyright Fixed prior to 15 Feb. 1972Subject to state statutory and/or common law protection. Fully enters the public domain on 15 Feb Feb to years from publication at the earliest 1978 to 1 March years after death of author, or if work of corporate authorship, the shorter of 95 years from publication, or 120 years from creation at the earliest After 1 March years after death of author, or if work of corporate authorship, the shorter of 95 years from publication, or 120 years from creation at the earliest

MFN Most Favored Nations : In the event Licensee grants more favorable terms including, without limitation, additional consideration in any form, to the co-publisher(s) of the Composition or the party granting rights to use the master recording thereof (if applicable) in the Motion Picture, Licensee shall notify Licensor thereof, and this Agreement shall be deemed amended to incorporate same as of the date when such higher fee is paid or such more favorable terms are granted to such third party, and to continue for the duration of the period which such more favorable terms are granted.

PBS Special Rules for Public Broadcast Stations are Favorable for Producers Songs Section 118 provides for a statutory license subject to rates negotiated by PBS and publishers. PBS, on the producers’ behalf—with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting— will pay the federally prescribed fees to the copyright owners. (But Section 118 does not provide for a statutory license for any other windows including home video.) Masters Section 114(b) The exclusive rights of the owner of copyright in a sound recording... do not apply to sound recordings included in educational television and radio programs... distributed or transmitted by or through public broadcasting entities... Provided that copies or phonorecords of said programs are not commercially distributed by or through public broadcasting entities to the general public. (Again, clearances are required for other windows.)

DOCS (SONGS AND MASTERS) OPTION 1: Basic Cable or Pay Television TERRITORY: United States & Canada Term: 3 Years FEE: $1, per song OPTION 2: Foreign Television TERRITORY: World excluding United States & Canada Term: 3 Years FEE: $1, per song OPTION 3: Internet Streaming Services (eg. Hulu, Netflix) TERRITORY: World TERM: 3 Years FEE: $1, per song OPTION 4: Airplane and Closed Circuit TERRITORY: World Term: 3 Years FEE: $ per song (Offer same terms for concert programs) Home Video Royalty: 10 cents PBS Pledge only OR 12 cents for PBS Pledge, commercial DVD and downloads of full programs. Advance: 2,500 units ($300) with rollovers every 2,500 units thereafter Territory: U.S. Term: 7 Years

FEATURE MOVIES (INDIE MOVIE) RIGHTS: Film Festival/One (1) year/ World $500 OPTION: All Media Broad Rights Step Deal: Media: All media now known or hereafter devised Initial Fee: $2500 With Steps of $2000 at $3M, $5M, $8M, $10M, $12M and $15M worldwide gross receipts based in ALL forms of exploitation (including but not limited to theatrical, all videograms/DVD, all TV media, and Internet streaming and downloading). (Factors in determining price – Identity of song or master; use, i.e., foreground/background or over credits; personalities and approvals)

TV Producers will seek buy-outs of all rights in perpetuity Example: $12,000 for excerpts of 2 songs in HBO docudrama Spectrum: MTV will offer $0 for songs by new bands to be used in any of their programs The bands only get ASCAP BMI $ Cable shows will offer a few thousand to a few more thousand for emerging acts Bruno Mars will cost $25,000 and up

“TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS” IN MAD MEN In 2012 Lionsgate, the studio that produces “Mad Men” for AMC paid about $250,000 for the recording and publishing rights for the Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows.” "Tomorrow Never Knows" was used at the end of an episode in Season 5 of Mad Men.

MUSICAL THEATRE No advances 4-5% of Gross Box Office Pro-rated by the number of songs Denials depending on identity of writer

ADVERTISING Price: $0 for current hit song in a promo for homeless dog $5,000 for Billy Ocean hit from 80’s for ten days in five small markets for commercial for car show $375,000 for song and $375,000 for master for national TV commercial for life insurance Other terms: Duration – usually no longer than a year; Media – on-line in addition to TV may cost extra; Identity of song – obscure songs may be cheap Save 50% by re-recording

STAND-ALONE DIGITAL PROJECTS Apps Simulcasting Webisodes and web series Kickstarter videos Digital sheet music Lyric sites Artists Websites Music Webzines and Blogs Ringtones and Ringbacks Video Games

APPS BEWARE BLANKET LICENSES FROM MAJORS: Major Label 1: Advance: $50,000 advance Minimum guarantee: $250,000 for one year. Royalty: 70% of gross revenues deriving from that label's masters. Territory: U.S. only Major Label 2: Advance $350,000 advance payable upon execution Additional $20,000 "content prep fee" also payable upon execution. After the first year $30,000 would be due at the beginning of each month. Royalty: 50% of revenues from that label's masters. Territory US Only Publishing included

OTHER STAND-ALONE DIGITAL PROJECTS Simulcasting (PRO licenses) Webisodes and web series (Similar to TV) Kickstarter videos Digital sheet music (Pennies for downloads) Lyric sites (LyricFind) Artists Websites (avoid covers) Music Webzines and Blogs (Pitchfork - avoid covers) Ringtones and Ringbacks (26 cents) Video Games (buy-outs)

ALTERNATIVES (ESPECIALLY FOR ADS, TV, AND MOVIES) Music libraries (“stock music”) Commission/Work for hire