I have spent a fair amount of time searching for a recording of Aaron Copland's 'Fanfare for the Common Man' I can use for a project. I have found some similar work, obviously based on that piece, priced at between US$35 to US$150 for limited use, but as this is such a recognisable piece of music, I'd like to use a more authentic recording.

This is for a short promo for a Photographic Society convention, and will be forwarded to PSNZ affiliated camera clubs, but will also be available on the convention website. I am happy to pay up to the higher of the above fees, if I could only locate a suitable recording.

I've searched sites linked from old DVInfo threads, and spent a couple of hours on Google without luck so far, so if anyone can give me a heads up, it would be much appreciated.

TIA

If you want a recording of the piece itself rather than a 'sound alike' version you're going to first need to contact Boosey & Hawkes, Copland's publisher for the work, to negotiate a sync license for the music. This is in addition to obtaining a Master Use license for any specific recording you decide on.

Thanks Steve. I'm starting to get the feeling that this is not going to work out for me though. The music works really well though, so I will see how far I can get towards a license.

Remember that the copyright law, and especially the licensing rules (and mechanisms) are quite different from one country to the next. If you have a copyright/licensing question in NZ, then you need a NZ solution.

I've always loved the Emerson, Lake and Palmer version of that song. As someone ( in NZ) who composes and records production music...I'll be interested to know how you get on in the search for a version of it that you can use.

New Zealand, as far as I know is a little different - in that it's life +50 years (rather than 70 here in the UK), so you will have fee to pay for the composer - who died in 1990, plus another for the person who recorded it. If you did your own recording or arrangement, then you could cut part of the payment out, but the rights of the original composer would still be valid. As for the exact license method in New Zealand, no idea, I'm afraid.

I'm waiting to hear back from Boosey & Hawkes. It does seem a bit of a complex process, and I really should have started it sooner, but have only just got it into my head that the music would be perfect for my project. I'll be sure to get back with how it pans out.

BTW I did revisit the ELP version, but nice as it is, it just isn't what I am looking for. The project is for a short promotional video for the 2014 PSNZ National Convention that my camera club will be hosting, but while it will initially first be aired at this year's Convention, it will live on Vimeo and the 2014 Convention website for the following year, so I guess that counts as international.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Just to let you know that I have now had a reply from Boosey & Hawkes. A one year license for the music would be £500 sterling. They offered me a Naxos recording of the piece for £333, but I am not clear on whether that was an addition cost. I suspect that it was.

This is more than we can afford for what is just a short promo, so I'll be going with one of the similar pieces I found for a cost of around US$100.

And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is why there is production music. The people who own the "Real Thing" want more $$$ than most people think it is worth.

Trevor: just so i understand... What is that price for: the sync license and/or a professional recording of the piece?

He said £500 for the sync license plus £333 for the master license of the Naxos recording. For a one year license that comes out to £833 = US$1304

It put me in mind of Adobe apps like Photoshop. I've spent a scary amount of money on Adobe products over the years, and for the most part, I choose not to take on a whole lot of paid work, (more than enough to pay for my Adobe apps though). When I had a moan about Adobe's price gouging in non American markets with some photographer buddies last year, not a single one of them had paid for anything more than Lightroom. Yet they all had everything from Photoshop right through to the full Creative Suite. Actually one of them had faked a student/teacher version, and at least paid for that.

I suppose I should have been mad with them, but I couldn't make myself feel angry. It still isn't right, and not by a long long way, but I can't believe all those high profile backing tracks you hear on Vimeo and YouTube have a licence for that music, and if the costs I was quoted are typical, you could hardly wonder why.

Meanwhile I have written to the local boy's college who have some great bands among their students, and asked if they'd like to be involved. Problem being I have left it way to late as I need to wrap this project up in the next four weeks or so, but it won't take long to whip through and tweak the timing as there is absolutely no dialogue.

Software is always a funny one and if I look at the OSX on this very mac is says it is copyright apple 1983-2011.

I have seen similar on other software and windows so does that mean that it is all out of copyright?

my FCP studio package says copyright 2001-2010 and my pro tools 1991-2011 !

...

Meanwhile I have written to the local boy's college who have some great bands among their students, and asked if they'd like to be involved. Problem being I have left it way to late as I need to wrap this project up in the next four weeks or so, but it won't take long to whip through and tweak the timing as there is absolutely no dialogue.That would eliminate the need for the Master Use license for the Naxos recording but not the need for the sync license on the score itself. Remember that with recorded music there are TWO copyrights to deal with - the copyright on the music, ie, the melody itself, and the totally separate copyright on the recording. If you make your own recording of a band playing the Fanfare, you still need to license the actual composition they're playing.

Remember that with recorded music there are TWO copyrights to deal with - the copyright on the music, ie, the melody itself, and the totally separate copyright on the recording.
There are actually several more than that, but various scenarios require different licenses/royalties/fees.

I look at the OSX on this very mac is says it is copyright apple 1983-2011.
I have seen similar on other software and windows so does that mean that it is all out of copyright?
No. Those are the STARTING dates, not the protection period.

I've spent a scary amount of money on Adobe products over the years
Which is why there is an increasing number of products available by subscription. For example there are various suites of Adobe products for various monthly fees, including reduced fees for instructor/student.

There are actually several more than that, but various scenarios require different licenses/royalties/fees.
..

Very true. I only mentioned those two because it's a common mis-belief that the permission of the artist who has recorded a cover is all that is necessary in order to use the recording or if you have the permission of an artist to film and record him performing someone else's composition then that permission is sufficient to allow you to use the recording. Neither is true.