Music On Hold

[carlingman]

Any clued up people here on the laws on this.

I am under the impression that you play music on hold without any charge as long as the recording artist has been dead for fifty years.

I have done a google and it is a bit of a minefield in relation to other such licences for performing rights etc.

What I am after is a cheap CD playing a repitition of modern tracks for the cheapest possible cost.

Any links or ideas greatly apreciated.

Music does not have to contain the automated "thank you for holding" as my vector on the phone switch interrupts automatically and covers that and also does not have to be too modern but a bit more up to date than Vivaldi.

[Matthew]

When I phone some of the transport companies up and down the country several have Coldplay as hold music.

[greencreeper]

I've heard everything from the Magic Roundabout theme to Quo's Rocking All Over the World. You've got to wonder. Maybe the cheapo rip-offs like they play in the supermarket would be alright?

[Halcyon]

You may find it useful contacting the MCPS who handle royalties and copyright for reproduction and use of music tracks.
Here they have a section on telephony services:

http://www.mcps-prs-alliance.co.uk/onlinetelephony/

An article I have on Copyright in "Future Music" magazine states:

Copyright lasts for 70 years from the end of the year in which the creator died or from when the work was first made public, so you can only copy, perform, broadcast, etc... the work without permission if you're sure the sopyright has expired.
If you are using music with lyrics, you have to check that the lyricist has and also the author of the orgininal words have also been dead for over 70 years.

This does not mean that if Beethoven is dead as he is, you can use it without payment for copyright.

Even if the composer has been dead for 70 years the recording you are using is protected by a copyright that lasts 50 years. So if you are sampling from a beethoven symphony , recorded by The Berlin Philharmonic orchestra in 1992, you are breaching copyright.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by carlingman

Any clued up people here on the laws on this.

I am under the impression that you play music on hold without any charge as long as the recording artist has been dead for fifty years.

I would guess that the laws are the same for any copyright material, ie if it is no longer under copyright (70 years after the death of the artist) then you can perform it without paying for rights, however as far as I can see recorded performances are copyright for 50 years from the original date of release, so you'd have to use music published before 1955.

http://copyrightservice.co.uk/protec...usic_copyright

[andygrif]

Originally Posted by carlingman

Any clued up people here on the laws on this.

I am under the impression that you play music on hold without any charge as long as the recording artist has been dead for fifty years.

I have done a google and it is a bit of a minefield in relation to other such licences for performing rights etc.

What I am after is a cheap CD playing a repitition of modern tracks for the cheapest possible cost.

Any links or ideas greatly apreciated.

Music does not have to contain the automated "thank you for holding" as my vector on the phone switch interrupts automatically and covers that and also does not have to be too modern but a bit more up to date than Vivaldi.

Bit of an area of expertise of mine this one....

There are two sorts of copyright when it comes to music recordings:

1. Composition & Publishing (including arrangements).

The link you were given to the MCPS/PRS rabble take care of part one. Playing any track in copyright requires a PRS Performance License.

For example a Muzak-style version of The Girl From Impanema, where the composition is orginal but the recording was specifically made for such purposes, therefore not liable for number two licensing. However you might think that playing one of Vivaldi's Four Seasons is also exempt. And you might be right. However, people who significantly alter a composition from its original form are said to be arrangers, and they also have rights to payment from PRS. For example Nigel Kennedy's Four Seasons would be liable to license fees for both number 2 recording fees and number 1 arrangement fees.

2. Recording & Artist.

You also need a PPL license http://www.ppluk.com to handle part two. If you're playing the Nigel Kennedy example, he as an artist and the record label
are set to get payment from PPL on your behalf.

PPL only cover what is known as original artist music...however this doesn't mean that they don't cover covers (if that makes sense). Original artist basically covers things by registered record companies...so any song released (for example) by EMI will expect payment for use, via PPL.

There are some companies that do the Muzak stuff which means you can avoid the more expensive PPL fees, but as they are original compositions (or arrangements) then liable to PRS fees.

There are also some libraries of music that do not change the arrangement of classical works, to avoid just this problem. Naxos is one such example, however that doesn't mean that you can just use their CDs - you would need to get permission (and pay them) for that.

The final option is to look for copyright-free music. In reality there is no such thing, however some background music companies pay an unregistered composer and musician to write three minute durges with no melody (becuase if they had a melody they would be saleable) and pays them a buy-out fee. This practice is frowned upon in the industry, but there's nothing illegal about using it...such a tape will set you back about 20 quid a month and is completely free from any PRS or PPL licenses.

If you go down the route of playing an off-the-shelf CD then you will be paying according to the number of lines you have on the switch.

One final thing, PRS are very hot on companies not paying what's due. As such they like phoning companies, dropping by and generally making life uncomfortable until you pay-up - so it's not worth risking (even a radio in the workshop needs a PRS license).

[Graham]

Originally Posted by andygrif

some background music companies pay an unregistered composer and musician to write three minute durges with no melody (becuase if they had a melody they would be saleable) and pays them a buy-out fee. This practice is frowned upon in the industry,

It's also frowned upon by the poor buggers who have to *listen* to the damn things...!

[Watchman]

Originally Posted by carlingman

What I am after is a cheap CD playing a repitition of modern tracks for the cheapest possible cost.

Any links or ideas greatly apreciated.

Music does not have to contain the automated "thank you for holding" as my vector on the phone switch interrupts automatically and covers that and also does not have to be too modern but a bit more up to date than Vivaldi.

can't help with any of the laws, but for cheap music, how about using the discs that you get free with the weekend newspapers

[Halcyon]

Although the discs are free with the newspaper, the music is still copyrighted.
You could produce your own music, or find someone to make it for you and you'd pay to use it or buy the copyright off them.
Or you can sign up with the relevant organisiations mentioned and get a contract and license to use new music.

[carlingman]

Thanks all, off to do some reading up on the links posted.

Although from first glance I think me first port of call will be to seek out what licence if any we currently have.

Thanks again.