Piano Guidance
Photo by RODNAE Productions Pexels Logo Photo: RODNAE Productions

Who owns the rights to a song?

Composition rights are usually owned by a publisher, whereas the recording rights are usually owned by the record label. In some situations, however, the artist can retain rights to their own recordings.

What grade is Moonlight Sonata 3rd movement?
What grade is Moonlight Sonata 3rd movement?

She grades the sonata as a whole (including the last movement) at level 10, which is the most difficult level in her rating system. Mar 27, 2016

Read More »
Are Yamaha pianos good?
Are Yamaha pianos good?

They are built to last and sound good even after years of bashing the keyboard. Yamaha's renowned consistency in manufacturing is a big selling...

Read More »
Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide
Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide

Pianoforall is one of the most popular online piano courses online and has helped over 450,000 students around the world achieve their dream of playing beautiful piano for over a decade.

Learn More »

While you can usually find a cover license for a song to buy online, if you ever need to obtain a license for use in a song (such as sampling or using someone else’s music in a video), you will need to contact the owner of the copyrights to the song. These can be hard to track down if you don’t know where to look. In this guide we will give you some tips on where to look for copyrights.

Some Info on Copyrights

Before looking for who owns the rights to a song, remember that you will most likely need multiple permissions. This is because when it comes to song copyrights, there are two different kinds. The first is the musical composition, which represents the written song. The second is the master recording, which represents the recording of that song. If you were going to sample a piece of music, you would be using both the recording and the composition. In this case you would need permission to use both copyrights. Composition rights are usually owned by a publisher, whereas the recording rights are usually owned by the record label. In some situations, however, the artist can retain rights to their own recordings.

Copyright Searching

There are a number of different websites you can use to try and track down the owner of a copyright. Here are some of the main ones: PRS for Music – As the PRO for the UK, they have a large database that you can search for the copyright owners of UK songs ASCAP ACE Database – ASCAP are a major PRO for America, and have a large database of composition rights information for you to search. Some search results also include contact information for the owners. ISWC Network – An ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code) is the number used to register a composition so that when it is performed live, the royalties made from that performance can be traced back to the copyright owners. This network lets you search for a release using the title or artist name. United States Copyright Office Public Catalog – This database shows all the copyrights registered with the US copyright office from 1978 onwards. It will then show who registered that copyright. Worldcat – This database can be used to search any CD releases and see who the publisher and label behind the release. From there, you can get in touch with the publisher or label to request a license. AllMusic – This is mainly a reviews site for music, however they do include a credits section with each release where you can see who the publisher and label are. It is worth noting that not all information on this site may be accurate, however. Once you have found the company that owns either of the copyrights for a song, visit their website and you should be able to find some contact information for them. If you still can’t find the owners of a copyright from these websites, there are services you can pay to track down the owners of a copyright. For more information on copyrights, see our blog on “Mechanical Licenses: Where Do I Need Them“

Who is the best current pianist?
Who is the best current pianist?

The 12 best modern pianists you should know Brad Mehldau (born 1970) George Duke (1946 – 2013) Jon Batiste (born 1986) Martha Argerich (born 1941)...

Read More »
What makes a chord suspended?
What makes a chord suspended?

A suspended chord (or sus chord) is a musical chord in which the (major or minor) third is omitted and replaced with a perfect fourth or a major...

Read More »

Is MuseScore worth the money?

Is Musescore Worth it? Finally, the question you've all been thinking about, is Musescore worth it? Well, most definitely it is! For a free platform that offers so much to musicians and composers (that even some paid notation editors and composition tools don't offer), I'd say it is definitely worth the download.

Written by Ramsey Brown.

Just like how an actor reads a script to play a role, musicians often read sheet music (or a score of music) in order to play their instruments. Music notation let’s a musical performer know what notes to play, how fast or slow to play them, and gives overall instructions on performing the piece of music. Any good music composer understands that the key to setting music onto paper is precise efficiency. Music notation is a very mature and complex skill that requires much labor -- that is until now. Luckily, technology always finds a way to make difficult tasks easier. With advancements in music notation software, creating high quality sheet music is now easier than ever. Though there are many known notation programs on the market, we’ve done our research and found Musescore to be the best of the best. So, if you are looking for the perfect music composing software and scorewriter to start writing your beautiful musical compositions, Musescore is just the application for you. Their interface offers amazing features that easily gives them a competitive edge over other music notation programs. If you’re wondering what exactly Musescore is and how it works, then you’ve clicked on the right article. We’re going to review Musescore’s features, the paid pro version, pricing, and the pros and cons of the online music composing and sharing platform.

Are you sleeping musical texture?
Are you sleeping musical texture?

The song "Are You Sleeping, Brother John?" may take on a polyphonic texture by singing the song as a round. If there are two or more children...

Read More »
What is the rarest instrument?
What is the rarest instrument?

Hydraulophone. The hydraulophone is one of the rarest musical instruments in the world. This instrument is a sensory device that is primarily...

Read More »
How many levels of piano playing are there?
How many levels of piano playing are there?

10 Levels of Piano Playing and Learning Many systems of piano study are organized with 10 levels or grades. When you have reached a certain level,...

Read More »
Which instrument is played with mouth?
Which instrument is played with mouth?

A harmonica is played by using the mouth (lips and tongue) to direct air into or out of one (or more) holes along a mouthpiece. ... Harmonica....

Read More »