is it true theres no copyright license need for music over 75 yrs old?

Copyright of the RECORDING of classical music is not free. The recording itself has its own copyright separate from the copyright of the right to use the publishing rights.
 
I'm far from an expert here so please verify elsewhere but I think what they're saying is that the composition itself may not be under copyright after 70 years, although it can be in some specific circumstances. If it is not, you could play the piece yourself or hire someone to play and record it for your project.

The original or other recordings of the written piece of music are different and may or may not be under copyright regardless of the passage of 70 years.
 
So if you make a trailer with classical music it's not a big deal?

If the piece of classical music is over 75 years old AND the recording is as well, then you might be OK but it would still be worth checking. Even if both are over 75 years old, the recording is likely to have been re-mastered and it's copyright renewed.

I'm far from an expert here so please verify elsewhere but I think what they're saying is that the composition itself may not be under copyright after 70 years, although it can be in some specific circumstances. If it is not, you could play the piece yourself or hire someone to play and record it for your project.

The original or other recordings of the written piece of music are different and may or may not be under copyright regardless of the passage of 70 years.

Yes, as Sonnyboo stated, the copyright of the music composition/arrangement and the copyright of a recording of that composition are two different copyrights and potentially three different copyrights if the commonly recognised arrangement was done by someone else (other than the composer). Commonly a music publisher would hold/administer the rights of the composition/arrangement and a record label the rights to the commercial recording. In the case of classical music over 75 years old, the copyright has probably expired on the composition but not always, copyrights can be extended and held in trust for longer or an arrangement of the composition may still be in copyright. In the vast majority of cases any recording is still likely to be under copyright regardless of the status of the composition's/arrangement's copyright.

G
 
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Go with something simple that can be played by one or 2 musicians. There must be a music school in Toronto, perhaps within one of the big universities? Plenty of musicians would love the exposure/credit. And using a piece of classical music is great for adding something that people recognize even if they can't identify it.

In Surviving Family, one of my favorite scenes is backed by a young cellist playing Bach's Prelude to Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007. I'm amazed at how often I hear the same piece of music on (major) television shows.

In my new movie, Detours, we're using a different Bach piece - Sarabande in B Minor, BWV 1002. Again performed by a single musician.

I know nothing about classical music, but in both cases I involved a composer who did.
 
know any film makers that can play a sympphony?

Actually I do but obviously they are the exception rather than the rule. However, there are many aspiring film composers out there who can. Obviously they would be relying on orchestral samples/sample libraries rather than an actual orchestra but in the context of a no/nano budget film destined for online hosting, convincing results are achievable (by some) for remarkably little cost.

G
 
Actually I do but obviously they are the exception rather than the rule. However, there are many aspiring film composers out there who can. Obviously they would be relying on orchestral samples/sample libraries rather than an actual orchestra but in the context of a no/nano budget film destined for online hosting, convincing results are achievable (by some) for remarkably little cost.

G

you know a film maker that can play it all . right
 
you know a film maker that can play it all . right

If you're talking about someone who can play a symphony on a piano (a piano reduction) or has the knowledge and ability to re-create a reasonably convincing orchestral performance of a symphony using MIDI and orchestral samples, then "yes" I do. If you're talking about physically playing all the actual orchestral instruments and building a performance of a symphony by multi-tracking themselves, then "no", as far as I'm aware that's impossible (by anyone, filmmaker or otherwise)!

G
 
If you're talking about someone who can play a symphony on a piano (a piano reduction) or has the knowledge and ability to re-create a reasonably convincing orchestral performance of a symphony using MIDI and orchestral samples, then "yes" I do. If you're talking about physically playing all the actual orchestral instruments and building a performance of a symphony by multi-tracking themselves, then "no", as far as I'm aware that's impossible (by anyone, filmmaker or otherwise)!

G

well a composer can play all the instruments a real one. Thats what we are talking about here tho. Recording your own version. So for a classical piece we are talking about George lucas ing it up. Which ofcourse isnt happening
 
well a composer can play all the instruments a real one. Thats what we are talking about here

This is the first mention I've ever heard of composing new music.
I thought we were talking classical songs that were composed over 75 years ago.

I thought we were talking about using those pre-composed songs to create music for use in a film.
 
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well a composer can play all the instruments a real one.

I think you confusing a composer, who writes music, with a musician who plays/performs music. Most composers have some level of competence playing an instrument and rarely a composer will also be an expert musician but no one, not even a professional musician can play all the instruments in a orchestra competently.

Thats what we are talking about here tho. Recording your own version.

No we're not. A passable recording of a symphony can be made by a MIDI programmer/audio engineer, with no musicians involved. Most aspiring composers act as a MIDI programmer/audio engineer and some of them could create such a recording, as I've already mentioned.

So for a classical piece we are talking about George lucas ing it up. Which ofcourse isnt happening

No, that's not what you've been talking about! You've been talking about using a symphony which was composed over 75 years ago. George Lucas has never, as far as I know, used an existing symphony, he commissions a composer (usually John Williams) to write original music.

G
 
I think you confusing a composer, who writes music, with a musician who plays/performs music. Most composers have some level of competence playing an instrument and rarely a composer will also be an expert musician but no one, not even a professional musician can play all the instruments in a orchestra competently.

I disagree with you here *slightly*. I've met musicians who can play all instruments, competently. However, they are rare.


No we're not. A passable recording of a symphony can be made by a MIDI programmer/audio engineer, with no musicians involved. Most aspiring composers act as a MIDI programmer/audio engineer and some of them could create such a recording, as I've already mentioned.

Yep, agreed. Checkout some of my scores, done completely in midi... with the exception of a real harmonica I played in "Gold of Folly," and the guitar I played in Kickstarter Country.

https://soundcloud.com/justin-russo-8/sets/scores
 
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I disagree with you here *slightly*. I've met musicians who can play all instruments, competently. However, they are rare.

I think we must have different ideas of what "competent" means. Orchestral musicians are trained in one primary instrument and to some level of competence on piano as a secondary instrument. Extremely rarely someone can also play a second orchestral instrument to a fairly decent standard. I once knew a professional orchestral musician who could play a scale on every different instrument in a symphony orchestra and a few percussion rudiments but besides their primary instrument, they were competent enough to perform a symphony on only one other orchestral instrument. That level of competency, across all the orchestral instruments is, as far as I'm aware, an impossibility.

G
 
I think we must have different ideas of what "competent" means. Orchestral musicians are trained in one primary instrument and to some level of competence on piano as a secondary instrument. Extremely rarely someone can also play a second orchestral instrument to a fairly decent standard. I once knew a professional orchestral musician who could play a scale on every different instrument in a symphony orchestra and a few percussion rudiments but besides their primary instrument, they were competent enough to perform a symphony on only one other orchestral instrument. That level of competency, across all the orchestral instruments is, as far as I'm aware, an impossibility.

G

I understand what you're saying.
 
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