Royalty-Free Tunes

Subject: RE: Royalty-Free Tunes
From: GUEST,SteveG
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 02:15 PM

Right here in the DT is as good a place as any. If the song or arrangement is copyright I'm sure it'll say so. Failing that there are thousands of song books out there on Ebay, EFDSS, recordings for sale on the Mustrad website. Take your pick. If you want to find a book on Ebay and then come back to us we'll be able to tell you if it's likely to contain what you're after.

Subject: RE: Royalty-Free Tunes
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Jan 12 - 11:07 AM

Yes, I intend to avoid copying someone else's arrangement unless I pay the royalties (which I will be doing for two or three songs that I did not list).
So my question is where do I go to find royalty-free versions (and feel confident that what I'm looking at is royalty-free)?

Subject: RE: Royalty-Free Tunes
From: GUEST,SteveG
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 03:18 PM

You should easily be able to find royalty-free versions of most of the items on your list. The 3 in the middle I'm not sure of. Problems may arise if you blindly try and copy someone else's arrangement. For instance someone on the folk scene could easily have set their own tune to a traditional ballad and they would have the rights on this.

Subject: RE: Royalty-Free Tunes
From: Paul Burke
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 02:01 PM

Royalty free? Ca Ira, the Marsellaise, The World Turned Upside Down, Yankee Doodle....

Subject: RE: Royalty-Free Tunes
From: GUEST,AJ
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 01:38 PM

The idea is to actually make a recording. Another friend pointed me to the CMRRA for the songs that have rights associated with them.
Songs that I'm interested in but am uncertain regarding the rights include the following:

Maid in Her Father's Garden
Tom O'Bedlam (in some form)
Cruel Mother
As I Roved Out (the "And who are you, me pretty fair maid" version)
May Morning Dew
Smuggling the Tin
The Flower of France and England
Brisk Young Butcher
John Barleycorn is Dead
Haul Away Joe
Maid on the Shore

Subject: RE: Royalty-Free Tunes
From: GUEST,Howard Jones
Date: 28 Jan 12 - 06:53 AM

It might help to know what you want to do with these songs. If all you want to do is perform them, then you don't have to worry about copyright, as this is dealt with through fees paid by the venue to the copyright societies, who distribute these as royalties to the composers. The venue pays, not the performer. If you want to publish or record them then it gets more complicated, although this can often be dealt with by a fee to the copyright society rather than having to deal with individual composers.

"Traditional" is not the same as "not in copyright". There are many songs which have become traditional which nevertheless have identifiable composers and are subject to copyright - "Happy Birthday" being the classic example.

If you have specific songs in mind, it might help to tell us what they are.

Subject: Royalty-Free Tunes
From: GUEST,AJ
Date: 27 Jan 12 - 02:06 PM

Hello,

I'm new to mudcat and am hoping someone can help me. There are many "traditional" songs that are under copyright to individuals (I'm assuming this is because they have written original arrangements to the piece). Where might I find the original, royalty-free tunes? I have specific songs in mind. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks!