Royalty free music (or do I need it)

Darrell Pritchard

I am about to start the process of creating my first demo to post to the site. I am going to do this at home on the PC. I have no problem mixing my own demo and with the technical part of it, the main question I have at the moment is where to find some decent quality royalty-free music to use in my demo. If you anyone has suggestions I would love to hear them.

Maya Kuper · **Voice Seeker** Joined: 04 Oct 2006 Posts: 97

It's a voiceover demo. It's not for broadcast or sale. You don't need to use royalty-free music. You can borrow music from any source.

Darrell Pritchard · Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007, 14:32 (GMT) Post subject:

Thanks for the help!!! I have one more question. When making the demo, is it ok create your own commercials for real products, for example, Pepsi or Mercedes Benz, or should you make up a fictitious product and make spots for those. I'm just worried that if I were to use real products I might mis-represent myself somehow as having been an official voice or spokesperson, and in our litigation happy world, I would like to keep my money!!!! Wink

Ian Blumfield · **Voice Seeker** Joined: 19 Jan 2007 Posts: 5

Hi Darrell,

If you use copyright music in your demo then you can't play it to anyone or post it on voice123 as it would be classed as a broadcast in the eyes of the royalty collection agencies regardless of whether you are selling it or not. You are using it to earn money which is almost the same thing.

Really the law is that you can't even synchronise copyright music into a production unless you obtain a synch license. Then if you play it to a public audience then you need a public performance license. So really you either need to buy a license or get some royalty free music.

Sorry to put a downer on that Sad

Ian

Darrell Pritchard · Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007, 17:34 (GMT) Post subject:

Well, downer or not, its what I need to know!!! Like I said, I wanna do this the right way, or not at all. Thanks again!

Philip Banks · Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007, 17:46 (GMT) Post subject:

www.yopo.co.uk lots of royalty free music which can be downloaded track by track so you only buy the track you intend to use.

Lynne Alston · Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007, 17:47 (GMT) Post subject:

Darrell, for royalty free I like digitaljuice.com, sign up at their web, they always have some good deals, check out what you like and wait for the special offers.

Lynne

Maya Kuper · **Voice Seeker** Joined: 04 Oct 2006 Posts: 97

The way I see it, a VO demo is like a resume or portfolio.

Let's say that you're an art director for an ad agency. You've worked on campaigns for Kraft, Allstate, and Boeing. Would you put those pieces of work in your portfolio? In your resume? Of course you would!

And if you were an on-camera actor, let's say you landed a commercial for Budweiser and you were a featured extra in Batman Begins. Would you put those clips on your reel? Darn right you would!

A voiceover demo is the same thing. Just because you're producing from scratch doesn't mean you have any fewer rights with it than if you actually did the spot.

Darrell Pritchard · Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007, 19:54 (GMT) Post subject:

Thats very true, but not quite what I was asking. I have never been hired by Kodak to do a voiceover, but lets say I wanted to make a demo with me doing a VO for a Kodak camera. Is it legal for me to do so since I have never been hired by Kodak. Its a ficticious commercial for a product that exists, but I've never actually been paid to promote it. Is that legal or is it a misrepresentation on my part? Again, I just don't want to make it seem like I was a spokesperson for a company Ive never worked for just for the sake of making a demo if thats not legal. Would it be better for me to make up an imaginary product or business and do my own demo around that? Im not sure.

Ian Blumfield · **Voice Seeker** Joined: 19 Jan 2007 Posts: 5

Hi Darrell,

I've just come up with an idea if your interested...

I run a royalty free music company and can maybe help you out, if you would like a subject matter to use for your demo you can use my website and products. I will help you out with some music so you will have your subject and music!

PM me if your interested.

Ian

Darrell Pritchard · Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007, 00:14 (GMT) Post subject:

Thanks Ian, you have mail! Wink

Maya Kuper · **Voice Seeker** Joined: 04 Oct 2006 Posts: 97

Paul Sleboda · Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007, 22:38 (GMT) Post subject:

Don't worry about it.

Sid Whatley · Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007, 01:12 (GMT) Post subject:

Remember what Paul said....."Don't worry about it" and I'll add "Just DO it".

Hail Wilson · Posted: Fri Jun 01, 2007, 03:42 (GMT) Post subject:

Before I assembled my first demo, I recorded different radio/tv stations for the purpose of later listening to and transcribing commercials I felt I would be good at voicing myself. I eventually went to a studio and read four 30 second spots. My take on this is that you're not claiming you're the spokesperson for a product, you're conveying the message: Here is the kind of voice overs I CAN do.
There is music out there. Buy the Car's greatest hits, and throw "Just What I Needed" under you, voicing a Cicuit City CM you transcribed. If you buy the music in the music stores, you've paid the royalty fee, from what I've heard. Cover your ass (CYA) and make sure this is in fact true.

Hail