Purchasing Songs for Bereaved Parents

[George]

You can purchase many of the songs recommended in my "Helping Bereaved Parents" document from PassAlong.com, a music download service. They are all grouped together in this "Show Case:"

http://www.passalong.com/Music/users...aspx?stId=2952 (http://www.passalong.com/Music/userstoreview.aspx?stId=2952)

[Kirk Kief]

This is great, George. Thank you for putting this together.

Just a quick note to photographers, these are for private use and can not be legally used in our slide shows. Sorry if I sound like a 'Broken Record'.

[courtneylambert]

Kirk,
Does the "Fair Use Law" not allow for this snice we are donating the slideshow? I worked for a video production company and the law with that was that if you are going to CHARGE for it, the music had to either: 1 - come from a non-copyrighted source or 2-be purchased by the family and returned to the family after the slideshow is complete. I am thinking since we are not charging it is the same deal. That's what I heard at least from a lawyer for the company.

[Kirk Kief]

The way I understand it, is that the law states that the song can not be reproduced for whatever reason without permission. You need to have mechanical licensing to copy the song for inclusion on the slideshow. Bottom line, we can not use commercially produced music, regardless how we acquire it without permission from the copyright holder. There are actually people out there that hunt for violations, and they pounce on the violators with BIG feet. We can not afford to be pounced on.
Is this lawyer a specialist in copyright law, especially as it pertains to the music industry? I'd love to say it would be fine, but, it's not. I sure wish it was, though.

[Shelly]

Where can one obtain non-copyrighted music??

[Kirk Kief]

Shelly,
We have a full room in the Photographer section of music licensed for our use. It's called the Music Room. It has been licensed to our use for NILMDTS Slideshow useage.
You can also do a google search for royalty free music, as well.

[courtneylambert]

Not quite sure....how do I get to where those songs are listed? I can't seem to find it anywhere on here.

[George]

Courtney,

I'm not sure if you are addressing Kirk and asking where the licensed music is, asking me how to get to the website I mention to purchase music, or how to get to my "Helping Bereaved Parents" document to look at the recommended music there.

For now, I'll assume you are addressing Kirk.

George

[Kirk Kief]

Courtney, unfortunately the Photographer area is open only to our Affiliate Photographers. The Music room is located in there due to the fact that the wonderful artists that have granted us permission for this music has done so with the understanding that it is for the use of the NILMDTS photographers for the slideshows. Let me check with Jessica to see which songs I could bring over to this section for all to use.

[courtneylambert]

I have an affiliate photographer number, does that not get it?

[Kirk Kief]

When you registered on the forum, you probably placed 'parent' in the area that it asked for the affiliate number. Hence, I list you then as a parent. Had you have listed that number, instead, then I would have given you access to the photographer area. I just checked our photographer database, and you are listed there, so I'll change your status. I do not check our database on all new registrations due to the amount of extra time it would take to do that.

[courtneylambert]

ok that would explain a lot! I would so appreciate it if you could do that for me!

[Kirk Kief]

Done. You should now see the photographer section. Good luck on getting any sleep for the next few days!

[Tasha Nicholls]

Good luck on getting any sleep for the next few days!

ROFL.... so true.

[Sandy Viola]

Another song to add to the list? Though there always seems to be at least one verse that doesn't quite fit our grief but the rest speaks for itself. By Michael W. Smith, you can hear it on his myspace...
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=268950032

Here are the lyrics.....

Tell me when the time we had slipped away
Tomorrow turned to yesterday
And I don't know how
Tell me what can stop this river of tears
It's been building up for years
For this moment now

Here I stand
Arms open wide
I've held ya close
Kept ya safe
Till you could fly

Tell me where the road ahead is gonna bend
And how to harness up the wind
And how to say goodbye

Tell me why
Why does following your dreams
Take you far away from me
And I knew that it would

Tell me how to fill the space you left behind
And how to laugh instead of cry
And how to say goodbye

Here I stand
Arms open wide
I've held ya close
Kept ya safe
Till you could fly

Tell me where the road ahead is gonna bend
And how to harness up the wind
And how to say goodbye.

[Bill Tilton]

Kirk,

Just to clarify a point you made earlier about combining music with a slideshow: What you would need is a synchronization license to do that. A mechanical license only allows you to put music selections onto a CD, DVD, etc. As soon as you combine their audio track with video, including slides, you need the synchronization license.

I don't know much about "fair use", but the slideshows we're producing definitely don't fall in that category. My recollection is that short snips of music or text could be used for reference or educational purposes. For example, a website talking about musical styles might include bits of heavy metal, country and western, etc. as an illustration. But entire songs would not fit fair use, I'm sure.

Bill

[Kirk Kief]

I also want to add in that the songs you might purchase on the internet, through the site George is referencing to or others, that these songs can not be used for our NILMDTS Slideshows. You can, however, use these songs for your own enjoyment and comfort, which is wonderful! These are great resources becausr you can purchase just the songs you want.

[George]

To reiterate what Kirk said, my intent was to provide a link that people could use to legally purchase music for personal use without having to search for hours for all the songs they may want to buy.

You do not want to do anything even remotely illegal concerning music. While I disagree with some of the legal points music companies are claiming, you don't want to risk them suing you, and they seem really sue happy. So sue happy, I feel compelled to add this disclaimer.