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MUSIC series related => Help, support and tutorials => Other MUSIC/MTV Music softwares => Topic started by: DingoDave on November 14, 2010, 12:16:06 AM

Title: Licensing and Music Club Edition / Music 2002
Post by: DingoDave on November 14, 2010, 12:16:06 AM
There has been some misunderstandings around Music Club Edition with people thinking it doesn't have a royalty-free licence. There is a royalty-free licence with a few limitations. When I first read the manual(which is in the disc) I was having difficulty understanding the royalties licence. So I emailed CoLD SToRAGE(AKA Tim Wright, the creator of Music 2000 and Club Edition) to get some clarity.


I emailed him asking: If I create a song from Music: Club Edition using samples the software provides and then publish it or use it in a commercial way, would that be illegal?


QuoteHi David,



Glad to hear you're still getting some good use out of my baby! ;O)







It's actually pretty simple in terms of licensing;

Within the MUSICtm products there are three types of musical 'component'... instruments, riffs and songs.

The demo songs are copyrighted. You can't use these, or any of the riffs inside them for commercial purposes without the consent of the copyright holder.
It's not impossible to sort that out... you just need to find out who they are and ask them for permission and possibly a royalty split.



The riffs that are in the library are free to use in your songs, whether that be non-profit or commercial. It might say in the booklet that you need to contact
Codemasters or Jester to let them know you're doing it, but there is really is no need any longer, that was just so that the companies could possibly ask
to use you as good publicity. Now that the products are longer in the tooth, neither Jester nor Codemasters have any large interest in them, so you're
safe on that score. ;O)

The instruments, which are essentially samples of pianos, drums, voices and so on, can be freely used in your compositions without any issue.

One thing you cannot do (and you will find yourself in deep trouble if you do) is to take the riffs or instruments and try to make a sample CD for other
musicians to use. That is a big no-no as it's essentially just theft... selling the same thing on, but just under a different cover.


So, in conclusion...

If your songs are constructed out of riffs you've made up from scratch OR riffs from the riff library OR both then you're fine... just go ahead and release!

If however you've used any sounds or riffs from the commercial demo songs then that's a bit of a can of worms... if it's just for non-profit release, then
you're pretty safe to be honest, as there's no money to chase, but it you're selling, then you can bet someone will come knocking at some stage.

I hope that's answered your questions?

All the best!

Tim.


So in other words don't take from the demo songs without asking and don't sell or give the samples away. Otherwise, you're all good to go.

I thought of posting in the Club Edition topic, but it was over a year old and some people only read the first page of the topic. I wouldn't want people to not use this great piece of software because they don't think they could not publish their songs. Also mad props to Tim Wright for helping start the MUSIC series. Checkout his website if you have some time to spare http://www.coldstorage.org.uk/ (http://www.coldstorage.org.uk/)