If you want to use music for your website, in multimedia or traditional media productions you need to know about music licensing. Website designers, video makers, TV show producers and all other creative artists are constantly looking for music in their productions.

It’s important to understand what copyright means, how it applies to music, and how you can obtain the rights to use music for your production. Terms such as “royalty-free music” and “synchronization licensing” get tossed around loosely, and this adds to the confusion. Hopefully this mini-tutorial will shed some light on this.

A Tale Of Two Copyrights: Composition And Master

Copyright is intellectual property. If you own the copyright to something, it means, quite simply, that you have the right to decide who can make a copy. Copyright is the right to copy. Obviously it’s more complex than that but we’ll keep it basic for now.

In terms of music, the key thing to understand is that each recording of music actually includes two distinct copyrights:

1. The copyright in the song itself, or the musical composition, or simply the Composition. This means the rights in the words and music of a song, and is often referred to as the ‘Publishing’ rights. Think of an old-school songwriter sitting at a piano, writing music and lyrics to a song. That song exists before it is recorded. Often musicians (especially in electronic music and hip hop) have a hard time grasping this distinction because they write music while they are producing it - sitting at their computer. Copyright is formed when you write a song, by virtue of the fact that it is new and original and takes a graphic form, such as writing down the lyrics or doing a demo. The copyright in this Composition is owned by whoever wrote it.

2. The copyright in a sound recording, also known as the Master. The Master is a Recording of a Composition. The copyright to the Master is owned by whoever produced it. Often this is a record company. To illustrate this, think of a famous song such as “Georgia on my Mind”. Each record company that produces a version of that song owns their own recording (the Master), but the fundamental rights to the composition remain with the original composer, who owns the Composition - the copyright of the song itself.

Synchronization And Master Use Licenses

Normally, since there are two copyrights involved, two licenses need to be issued to make use of a recorded song:

1. Synchronization License: gives you the right to ’synchronize’ the Composition with images or voice-over in your production.

2. Master Use License: this is exactly the same rights as the synchronization license, except it applies to the Master, the actual recorded interpretation of the musical composition.

Since the composer usually owns the Composition and the record company owns the Master, two different negotiations often have to take place, with two different contracts, for a song to be used in a Production. This can lead to complicated and time-consuming negotiations.

If a single company owns or controls the rights to both the Master and the Composition, this is called a One-Stop-Shop. This means that the company can sign both the Synchronization license and the Master Use license, which is less complicated and more attractive from the point of view of a website designer, an audio-visual show producer - or anyone who needs production music.

Most royalty free music libraries are such One-Stop-Shops since they control both the Master and the Compositions of the music on their website. Purchasing royalty free music means that once you have paid the one-time fee, you can use that music as many times as you want for as long as you want without ever having to pay additional money to the licensor.

It does not matter if one visitor or 100,000 visitors come to your website; or if the music is used for 3 months or 3 years - the purchase fee is exactly the same. If a piece of royalty-free music is purchased for use on a TV show, there is only the one-time fee, it doesn’t matter if the show is presented 5 times or 1,000 times. The TV show producer will never have to pay any additional fee for the music. This saves time and considerable expense.

Royalty free music does not mean however that anyone gives up their copyrights or their rights to administer a song. For instance, if you purchase a music license for a film project which goes on TV, the composer can still collect public performance royalties for the TV performance since these are paid by the broadcaster,and not by you the producer. The music may be offered on a royalty free basis but is not copyright free. The music composer and the publisher remain the copyright owners.

We hope this short article helps you understand the basics of music licensing.

Gilles Arbour
http://www.articlesbase.com/multimedia-articles/royalty-free-music-licensing-copyright-120537.html

Dylan bootlegs are the next best thing to being at a concert.  One of the most interesting things about seeing Dylan in concert is that he constantly changes set lists, arrangements, and even the lyrics of songs.  Each concert is unique and there are fans that follow a tour from city to city to experience this.

Dylan’s life has been described as the ‘never ending tour’ and that’s the way it seems.  If it’s not North America, he can be found in Europe or Japan.  Each and every night, the halls are full of fans that take in every cleverly crafted creation. 

And, each and every night is also recorded by fans as souvenirs of the event and to share the concert with fellow fans around the world.  Eventually, these recordings surface on bootleg CDs that have been made in Europe or Japan.

Technorati Tags: brand new day music

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a navigational system consisting of a number of satellites that enables anyone to know their position on Earth. It works regardless of the weather, day or night, using radio signals that bounce between the receiver on Earth and the satellite in space. It is the only fully functional navigation system that can be used anywhere in the world.

Electronics in general has become smaller and smaller, and GPS technology is no exception. Today, you can find many GPS devices which you can hold and operate in the palm of your hand. Most of these handheld devices are designed to be used outdoors such as when you are traveling, hiking or skiing. The GPS unit can not only provide navigational details such as where you are and how to get to where you want to go, but other details such as local and topographic details. Some even provide details on the weather forecast.

Corresponding to the decrease in size has been the decrease in cost. You can find a good quality handheld GPS system at a very affordable price. One small issue with many handheld GPS is the size of their memory due to the need for them to be compact. By spending a little extra, you can usually get a unit which has up to 16MB of memory, and these types are typically more powerful with extra features.

Bikers, hikers, skiers and travelers use handheld GPS units in their activities and there are many devices specifically designed for particular outdoor activities such as biking, golf and hiking. Handheld units are usually very easy to use and have displays that are simple to read. You can even find some GPS units that are voice enabled.

The many different handheld GPS gadgets that on the market today can make it difficult to choose one. Rest assured there are many that will meet your needs. For example, the Garmin StreetPilot 7500 GPS Portable has a 7 inch screen and a wireless remote. It also features maps of US and Canada included, built in antennae, WASS enabled and a MP3 player so you listen to music on the boring parts of your trip.

A palm sized GPS unit is the Garmin eTrex Handheld GPS. The buttons on this gadget are all on the one side to enable you to use it with just one hand and is specifically manufactured to meet the needs of hunters, climbers, hikers and bikers. The software can be updated for free. Another Garmin is the Garmin GPS III Plus which has great reception even in the densest of areas.

A popular Magellan GPS is the Road Mate 2000. Portable, affordable and powerful, it is extremely easy to read the screen with anti-glare and bright features. It also has a battery with a long life.

Buying a handheld unit is very easy. There are many listed in online stores or at your local electronic store. Make sure you do your home work and buy a well know brand that is known for its quality. It is also a good idea to test drive the GPS unit to ensure that you find it easy to use.

Derrick Bogaster
http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/navigate-outdoors-with-a-handheld-gps-unit-500075.html

HOME THEATER

Nothing beats having a killer home theater system. Big screen TV with high-definition, surround sound where I can plug in my iPod Nano, the latest DVD technology, video on demand, an Xbox 360, a hookup for my digital camcorder - the list goes on and on. Man, I’d love to have an awesome home theater inside my house. I’d never go outside if I did! And there’s just some much stuff to choose from when it comes to building your own home theater. Seating, systems, design, brand names, video games; I could easily spend thousands of dollars creating my dream home theater system. Of course, I don’t have thousands of dollars to spend, but I can still dream about it!

My perfect home theater system would be completely wireless. No cables or cords whatsoever. And it isn’t as far fetched as it sounds. More and more home theater systems are being built and designed to be wireless. That doesn’t just include the home theater itself. That includes other aspects of the home theater like video games, PVRs, DVD players, video cameras and more. Pretty soon, the home theater cable connection won’t even have a cable to connect! Now how awesome is that?

I’d have a big screen HDTV with crystal clear surround sound that would blow my mind. And when I got my home theater installed, up and running, I would plop myself on the couch with a seven-pound bag of popcorn and watch anything and everything that I can. Hey, that’s the point of having a great home theater sound system, to watch stuff! The images would be clear, the sound immaculate and it would all work with only one remote control. Now that’s a great home theater!

Of course, I would have an Xbox 360 or Playstation hooked up to this bad-boy. High-definition games played on a massive, high-def screen? I’d have every video game humanly possible and would completely immerse myself playing them!

A home theater allows you to experience TV rather than just sit and watch it. Imagine watching a hockey game where a hard body check on the boards rattles your bones too. Or watching war movie thinking you’re going to be shot at. Or watching your home-movies on such a screen that it makes you feel like you’re at the event all over again! Or playing the hottest and coolest Xbox or Playstation games! With your own home theater, seating is always at a premium and it’s an experience like no other. And when you want to listen to music, just hook up your stereo system to your home theater. Imagine listening to Dark Side of the Moon on high-definition, high fidelity surround sound speakers? Any music fan will tell you that it would be the ultimate audio experience, and a home theater allows you to enjoy just that!

In the early 1990s, people decided to cocoon, or stay home rather than go out. Not so far after, home theaters got more and more complicated and detailed. Home theaters used to be exclusively for the super-rich, and their home theaters are actually movie theaters right at home, with home theater seating and everything. But with some careful saving and research, anyone can have a great home theater to fit their budget, lifestyle and space. As for me, one day I’ll have an awesome home theater of my own, with a huge TV, amazing sound - all wireless of course! Until then, I’ll just keep on dreaming about it!

Jeff Saunders
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/my-dream-home-theater-system-126860.html

Whether you call them flash drives, jump drives, thumb drives, USB drives or compact flash memory, one thing is certain: USB flash drive technology has soared at universities and colleges in recent years and their uses are countless. Educational institutions of all sizes are increasingly finding unique and innovative ways to leverage the capabilities of these handy little devices featuring their school colors and stamped with their mascot or logo.

8 Ways Your School Can Use Customized USB Flash Drive Applications:

• Recruitment and Admissions

Pre-loaded with video, slide shows, music or other promotional content, flash drives are rapidly becoming an effective tool to enhance university or college recruitment campaigns and many other aspects of the educational process. Your university or college’s custom logo flash drive can be pre-loaded with anything from a video tour of the campus to a presentation of a specific department to enrollment materials. As a result, custom USB flash drives make the perfect gift to prospects attending a recruitment event. It can also be sent as incentives to high demand students.

• Promotion of School Departments, Student Organizations and Event Schedules

Pre-loaded, custom flash drives offer more impact as a promotional tool than flyers, brochures and handbooks. Your college’s or university’s USB flash drives can be programmed to auto-run customized messages or load a specific website when inserted into a computer.

• Donor and Alumni Gifts

Custom logo USB flash drives are a fun and useful gift that will show your donors how important they are to you. The USB drive can be pre-loaded with a video “Thank You from the President,” and a school event calendar along with donation and tax benefit materials.

• Faculty and Student Handbooks

University faculty and student handbooks or other manuals can be pre-loaded onto a flash drive with hyperlinks to important websites.

• Bye Bye Blue Book

With the prevalence of laptops, campuses are increasingly incorporating flash drive technology into the examination and homework process. For example, a USB drive can be customized with the department, teacher or course information and pre-loaded with exams. The flash drives are handed in upon completion.

• Lectures and Presentations

No need to lug around the briefcase; a USB flash drive can easily hold your professor’ lectures for the entire year.

• Graduation Day

Who better to send out into the world with your brand than your bright-eyed graduates? Your college or university flash drives can be pre-loaded with information to help keep the graduate involved in your university. For example, you can include schedules, donation information and links to your alumni

website.

• Community Outreach

There’s always a need to exemplify the many ways your students and faculty are working together to create a bridge between the campus and the community. Flash drives pre-loaded with a video or a slide show can be sold at local businesses to help promote the image of the school

The bottom line is that USB flash drive marketing is one of the rare occurrences when the target of your promotion can continue to use the marketing “tool” everyday. As a stand-alone technology device, USB flash drives offer several benefits to the university or college environment. However, with the addition of your school brand and pre-loaded messaging, custom flash drives serve as a valuable and functional marketing tool that will command the attention needed to strengthen your enrollment numbers and educational processes.

Jonathan C. Burns
http://www.articlesbase.com/hardware-articles/university-flash-drive-marketing-how-flash-drives-are-ideal-for-your-school-117906.html