Doni Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Hey guys I'm a noob on the forum but I think I've finally found one that isn't full of angry people.. awesome! I've got a question about releasing remixed video game songs... does anybody know the process? I figure I need to contact either the writers of the music or the publisher or the developer.. any ideas? Thanks Doni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Damned Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Actually, you don't really need to contact anyone. So long as you aren't trying to sell it (thereby profiting from it), you won't get in any legal trouble. There's also the fact that many of the owners aren't going to bother wit legal action against fans for showing how big a fan they are. It's bad for your image if you start slapping your fanbase with lawsuits. I'm a noob on the forum but I think I've finally found one that isn't full of angry people.. awesome! You obviously haven't been in Off-Topic or PPR then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doni Posted January 2, 2009 Author Share Posted January 2, 2009 Actually, you don't really need to contact anyone. So long as you aren't trying to sell it (thereby profiting from it), you won't get in any legal trouble. That's the thing... I was hoping to make one of my remixes part of my album which I plan on selling ... but I'm not into taking credit for the arrangement, I just feel the song so much and it's my hope that others will catch that as well. I wouldn't even mind paying royalties to whoever because I just want the song to be part of the overall album I'm doing You obviously haven't been in Off-Topic or PPR then. haha no they have eluded me thus far... does that mean people there are fairly decent or..? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Talk to zircon, IIRC he released one of his FF remixes (Deliverence of the heart, I love that song) on an album and paid royalties or something. You can usually find him in the IRC, or through PM, or he'll just show up in this topic eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doni Posted January 2, 2009 Author Share Posted January 2, 2009 awesome!! Thanks for the info Ima wait for him to see if he chimes in here and if not I'll contact him myself... much obliged!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulinEther Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Michael Gluck recommends using http://www.harryfox.com (And I recommend you read up on some of the interviews lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zircon Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Yep, Harry Fox is the way to go. If you're selling remixes, that's what you need to do. If you're releasing them for free, no need to worry about licensing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doni Posted January 2, 2009 Author Share Posted January 2, 2009 nice x 1000!! totally missed those resources. that is super awesome info. I wonder if contacting the right people and attempting a smmooze over before going to a service like Harry Fox makes sense? Maybe they will say they dont care and will let you get away scott free?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLyGeN Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 does that mean people there are fairly decent or..? this:this: or Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sole Signal Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Or if you can't find your track on Harry Fox, you can contact the Publisher directly. I did that with my "He's A Pirate" remix from Pirates of the Caribbean on my latest album. I contacted Disney and "negotiated" (I use that term very loosely) royalty payments directly with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doni Posted January 3, 2009 Author Share Posted January 3, 2009 Thanks for the help everyone, that was a real time saver one more question if anybody knows.. it's semi related I think How the heck do I contact square-enix? The game music remix I'm looking to release as part of my album is from an old SNES game called "Soul Blazer" originally put out by Enix.. anyways I looked around for quite a while on the square enix webpage and could only find a means of contact through tech-support. I found another forum topic that said to contact them through support@square-enix.com but the thread wasnt about anything in specific so I have no idea if it would be the best place for me to contact them or not anyways if anybody has that info I would be much obliged, and I would tell tales of your greatness throughout the land Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 Generally if you contact a company through support they'll tell you where you should send it instead, or just forward it there themselves. Either way you can't go wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doni Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 Yea, that's been my hope... I did send it off to the support email and I went through their contact form as well... maybe after I get the real deal email I'll post er up here. Thanks again everybody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lie Mf B Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 In theory you actually need a license for distributing a cover of someone else's song even if you're not selling it. This is part of the copyright law. From Harry Fox: "If you are manufacturing and distributing copies of a song which you did not write, and you have not already reached an agreement with the song's publisher, you need to obtain a mechanical license. This is required under U.S. Copyright Law, regardless of whether or not you are selling the copies that you made." This is the same in Sweden, where I live. But in reality no one's gonna hunt you down unless you're distributing massive amounts and get a lot of media attention. The composer may want her/his royalties, but she/he will also be happy that you've covered her/his song. Edit: I also found this on Harry Fox: "The Harry Fox Agency does not process licenses for master use rights or licenses for the use of a portion of a composition. They can only be obtained, respectively, from the owner of the master recording, usually a record company, and the publisher directly." "A new version or arrangement of an existing song that alters the melody or character of the song, or a medley of existing songs, is called a derivative work. You need to obtain permission from the publisher directly to create a derivative work, and include that permission when you apply for a mechanical license." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doni Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 ok, so I never got a response back from the contact email I sent to that I listed above, so I went into a live chat today and the agent was semi helpful. Only problem was I got no email adress or specific person, I only had my information forwarded to the correct department... I'll update when I get more information... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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