paddyc and Mudjack, as an example, I once had to search for a song to be used for a documentary video. There was one by Joni Mitchell called Roses Blue. It was in a songbook, copyright Siquomb Publishing, distributed by Warner Bros. All I had to do was call Warner Bros, and they gave me the number for her legal representatives. I called them and told someone at that office what the project was and asked about using the song and how much it would cost. They called me back after consulting with Joni Mitchell. She planned to redo the song under a new title, I think they said, but in the meantime, I met a band from Denver that had written a song that fit the video even better, so we used their song. So, it isn't really too hard to find a person to talk to. Now, with the internet, it is even easier to find phone numbers and email contacts. Good luck with your project.