Covering a song and using it in an advertisement?

[dsmboosted]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

I would like to have a local band cover and record a song by the band "Jet" and use it in one of my videos promoting my website. The video will be on my websites homepage and will play when the customers click to learn more about my business online. Is this legal? I would ideally like to just use the original song from the band, but I am pretty sure I cannot afford the license fee.

 

[Dave1952]

ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC are the major players in the music licensing business. Someone owns the copyrights to the song that you wish to use. It would be wise to pay that person or entity. So research this song to find out who can license it's use. I'm guessing that you'll pay a one-time fee to your cover band and a recording studio, and then an annual fee to ASCAP. It might be cheaper to just license the original song. ASCAP et c. would be happy to speak with you.

 

[eerelations]

OP, posting this question all over the internet was a timewaster for you - the law is the law and doesn't change from site to site.

 

[xylene]

You have to pay for your lame cover...

 

[KrisDouglas]

No that would not be legal. You would still be stealing someone else's music and using it for your own commercial gain. You have to contact whomever owns the song and pay whatever the licensing fee is for covering the song.

 

[Silverplum]

Brilliant, parrot.

No that would not be legal. You would still be stealing someone else's music and using it for your own commercial gain. You have to contact whomever owns the song and pay whatever the licensing fee is for covering the song.

Would Polly like a cracker?

 

[FlyingRon]

Cover or not you need performance rights to use it on a website (this you can get licensed through ASCAP, BMI, SESAC).
To put it in a video, you need to have synchronization rights, this you can not get automatically, you will have to contact the agent.
To use the original recording you will need the rights of whoever has that particular performance (master rights).