Choir Directors' Brag Blog

How To Post To YouTube Legally September 14, 2010

The last post establishes that I am probably safe from law suit for linking your videos to this site but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the original poster is safe. I personally don’t believe they would do more than take your video down but I am not giving legal advice. To legally post a video of copyrighted material to YouTube you need what is called a Synchronization license. Thanks to David Schneider of Harry Fox Agency (HFA) for clearing that up. He said that is the license required for an audiovisual production. For the piece I inquired about he sent me to the publisher (Sony ATV) whom he said owns the copyright. For the mechanical license to sell our cover on iTunes, HFA is the right place to go.

edit: the synch license part of this was wrong. Scroll up for better info. Also from what I can find on YouTube forums I believe YouTube has a license with BMI and ASCAP so if they cover the material you are using, you should be able to legally post choir videos to YouTube. If you are doing a work synchronized to an existing recording of any type or a work by a composer not covered by BMI or ASCAP then there is some question if you are legal.

Safe To Post On YouTube September 12, 2010

Thanks to James Feiszli for posting a link on a ChoralNet forum about a June 2010 ruling about copyright infringement. The skinny is that Viacom sued Google (owner of YouTube) for having materials on their site that belonged to Viacom. It was decided that since Google took the material down when asked that they were not liable.

YouTube has also partnered recently with UMG and I believe Warner to use an electronic search tool to take down copyrighted materials or to place an ad as to where to download the real mp3 of the particular work. That saves us some work. I would love to have them place an ad on my videos telling people where they can download the copyright owner’s music. If I posted it that means I like that composer’s work and I want to encourage them to make more. If your videos are removed there are video tutorials people have put up to help get the video restored. It seems that most of the take downs are audio syncs where someone uses an actual recording of a piece to accompany their video. Bravo Google and YouTube. I think this is a reasonable solution that just needs some tweeking!!!

If YouTube is safe, then posting your links here should also be safe.

s’ Change in Apostrophe September 12, 2010

OK I am convinced. Changed from Choir Director’s to Choir Directors’. This now makes this site belong to all choir directors and not just one. I hope this didn’t effect any links to this site. I once changed the name of a YouTube video and lost the links from all the articles that sent people there.

Copyright Help September 11, 2010

If anyone has already put together a “how to” for obtaining copyright licenses to transcribe, perform, make recordings and post videos on YouTube please comment with a link. Otherwise, I am going through the process and will give updates here on how to do it. Rights to perform many pieces in public are covered by BMI (see link under choral resource). Licenses to make a mechanical recordings or digital downloads of many songs are covered by Harry Fox Agency (See link under choral resource). A license to post something on YouTube??? That has me stumped at the moment.

Tualatin High School Dirait-on September 10, 2010

“Performed during the October 2007 Fall Concert by Tualatin’s chamber choir, the Crimsonnaires. “Dirait-On” is from Les Chansons Des Roses. Composed by Morten Lauridsen.” Northwestprofiles YouTube channel.

Dirait-on
Morten Lauridsen
SATB
pubilshed by Peermusic New York 61846-122
Jwpepper catalogue # 1949080
More info about the choir please…

I have heard that early versions of this had some text setting errors. If you have really old copies you may want to get a new one and compare.

Just Made Me Smile September 2, 2010

The Horlick High School Rebel Men’s Choir sings Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas

Carry On My Wayward Son
transcribed from the original studio recording from Leftoverture
director Ellen Christiansen
Racine, WI

Chicago Children’s Choir September 2, 2010

This is a nice piece with a similar feel to O Sifuni Mungu that was popular a few years ago. I came across this video after watching a video honoring one of the Chicago Children’s Choir directors named Josephine Lee. She is presently the President and Artistic director for the choir. The tribute was one of the best tributes to a choir director I have seen. See it at: http://www.wgntv.com/community/chicagosveryown/wgntv-chicagos-very-own-choir-ravinia-mach19,0,1438485.story

Chicago Children’s Choir Concert Choir sings Balia di Sehu by Eduard Toppenberg

Title: Balia di Sehu
voicing: SATB with rhythm instruments
Composer: Eduard Toppenberg
Publisher: Earthsongs
Director of choir: Josephine Lee?