Just Ask
NPR reported last week that a popular guitar teacher on YouTube had his videos pulled after a complaint of copyright infringement based on his use of popular songs as demonstration songs in his teaching videos. But he apparently had not gotten permission to use the songs.
Demonstrating songs in your living room or teaching studio, one on one to students, is different than broadcasting to the public by way of the internet. Demonstrating a song for teaching purposes does not lead to a stellar performance - but it is nonetheless a performance.
A simple email or letter to the music publisher, along with a description of how you intend to use the song, can avoid all this trouble. Either the publisher says “fine,” in which case you go on along your merry way, or they say “no,” in which case you use one of the other hundreds of thousands of possible songs, or the publisher says “yes, if you do . . . ,” in which case you decide what you want to do.
Any recording or sheet music should give the name of the music publisher, which you can then usually locate through an internet search. Your note should give your name, a clear description of how you want to use the song, including how much of it you will be using, and any details related to the anticipated audience, whether you will be making money and if so about how much, and any other useful information about what you want to do with the song. Thank the publisher for their consideration, and give them clear contact information for yourself so that they can get a reply to you.
It’s just too easy to ask permission. It’s way easier than filming videos that can’t be used.
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