how to become a music sampling and copyright lawyer

by Oda Metz 3 min read

What is music sampling and is it legal?

May 22, 2018 · Music sampling typically involves the use of previously copyrighted works. In many cases, the point of sampling is for listeners to recognize the recording that is actually being sampled. The use of these generally recognizable samples warrants both the consent and compensation of the original copyright owner.

Can you get in trouble for using copyrighted music samples?

Jul 30, 2019 · 30th July, 2019 by Bart Van Besien. Yesterday, the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) rendered an important decision on copyright law and music sampling in its ‘Metall auf Metall’ decision. The full text of the decision has not yet been published, but the following is stated in the ECJ’s press release on the relation between ...

How does the law treat music compositions and master recordings?

Dec 20, 2019 · In general, regardless of the length or portion of an original song that is being sampled, giving credit to the original artist is the safest way to stay out of court.”. Simply put, without giving credit to the original composer, it is stealing. Where this issue gets complicated is when an artist uses a melody or chord progression that sounds ...

Where can I find media related to sampling (music)?

Jul 10, 2019 · The realities of sampling today. That being said, plenty of people are releasing music these days with samples that haven’t been cleared. And right or wrong, it’s easy to understand why that practice has become so commonplace considering the difficulty and upfront cost of clearing samples, the shifting cultural attitudes around copyright, as well as changes in …

Can you legally sample music?

You CANNOT sample music without permission, no matter how short or long the sample is. Copyright is copyright. And if the sample is recognizable (hell, even if it isn't recognizable), you're using another person's intellectual property in order to construct or enhance your own.Jul 10, 2019

Will I get sued if I sample a song?

When someone writes a song the songwriter or publisher owns the rights. The same thing goes for recording a song. The recording is usually owned by the artist or their record label. To clear a sample you must get permission from both owners and enter into a sample agreement.

Can you get copyrighted if you sample a song?

In the context of music sampling, copyright infringement occurs when an artist samples a track without obtaining permission from the copyright owners. Some of the possible consequences include “statutory damages”.

How do I get into sampling music?

Sampling music in the digital era requires little more than a personal computer, software, and access to audio files.
  1. Choose digital audio workstation (DAW) software. ...
  2. Import a music file. ...
  3. Cut out a brief excerpt of the audio file. ...
  4. Loop your sample. ...
  5. Repeat as needed.
Feb 24, 2022

Do artists pay for samples?

Sample deals from major labels typically require advance payments to cover royalties, so they are recoupable after the sale. Often, companies will allow you to purchase their sample for a fee that is a one-time fee.Feb 13, 2022

How much do artists pay for samples?

Many small labels cannot afford the steep sample clearance rates. While there are no standard fees, the music publisher usually require: an upfront "advance" payment (which could be anywhere between $250 and $5,000), and. a percentage of the song income (usually between 15% and 50%).

Do rappers pay for samples?

Some artists have to pay 50% of all the recording royalties just to use a sample which may be a few seconds long. These three amounts all vary widely, though. In order to pay the least possible amount, use as short a sample as you can.Jul 23, 2019

Is sampling music stealing?

Besides the legal factors, sampling is viewed by some outside of the music industry as stealing or a production quality that isn't creative. But sampling is simply not stealing. If used in the incorrect way, at worst, it's copyright infringement, which is implicitly different than theft.Mar 3, 2020

How long can a sample be legally?

You may have heard of "fair use," a copyright provision that permits you to use 10, 15 or 30 seconds of music without copyright obligation. That is, you understand that you can use a short section of a song without paying a fee.

Is micro sampling legal?

Micro-samples are essentially unrecognizable and more flexible to work with than longer samples. For this reason, music producers can rework the sampled audio in their music without breaking any copyright laws. Microsampling is also great for building playable instruments.Oct 31, 2017

What genres are most famous for using sampling?

In 2019, music in the hip-hop genre was most likely to contain samples, with 32 percent of hip-hop songs in the top 100 songs United States containing a sample in that year. R&B also had a significant proportion of songs including samples, with 24 percent of the most popular R&B records featuring a sample.

Where do producers get their samples?

The Best Sample Site Rundown
RankSiteRecommendation
1SpliceBest Paid
2ConverseBest Free
3CymaticsRunner-Up Paid
4LoopermanRunner-Up Free
5 more rows

How Does Copyright Play a Role in Music Sampling?

Music sampling typically involves the use of previously copyrighted works. In many cases, the point of sampling is for listeners to recognize the recording that is actually being sampled. The use of these generally recognizable samples warrants both the consent and compensation of the original copyright owner.

Does Owning a CD of the Original Artist Allow Sampling of their Work?

Owning a copy of the music itself, in any physical form, does NOT constitute ownership of the music’s corresponding copyright. Having a copy of a song only encompasses ownership rights relating to personal use.

What Is the Process for Gaining the Right to Sample Music?

When dealing with songs and other musical recordings, there are typically two types of copyrights one must deal with. First, there is the copyright for composition. Composition includes the original writing and arrangement of the song. Second, there is the copyright for the sound recording.

How Can a Lawyer Help Me?

If you looking to use music samples in your work, it is best to consult an experienced business attorney . An entertainment lawyer can determine what composition and sound recording copyrights you need to gain before having authorized use of the sample.

Can you take samples from other musicians?

Many musicians take samples (or sections) from the copyrighted works of other musicians. If you plan to commercially release your music, you probably will need to get written permission from the copyright owners of any music that you are sampling. Otherwise, you could be sued for copyright infringement and prevented from distributing your music.

Why do you need to get sample clearance for music?

Music often plays a key role in ads that urge consumers to buy a product or use a service. If you are creating this type of ad, you may need to get not only sample clearance but also permission to use the music from the artist who created it if they can be identified. This rule is meant to protect the artist’s right of publicity, and it applies when an ad could create the impression that the artist is endorsing the product or service.

Does fair use protect copyright?

You should be aware that fair use offers a defense only to an infringement claim based on the copyright in the song. It does not shield you from an infringement claim based on the copyright in the recording of the song.

What is music sampling?

Music sampling is roughly defined as lifting a piece of recorded music (a “sample”) from an existing recording and using it in a new recording. Often, a few bars containing a drum beat will be repeated in “looped” sequence to form the backbeat of the new recording. At other times, the sample may be of vocals, other instruments, or even a nanosecond of background noise. The sample may then be manipulated in different ways and combined with other sounds and sound effects to make a new creation. What is common to all of these incidents is the use of someone else’s recording to produce a new one.

Is music original copyrighted?

v. Triolet Systems Inc., the Ontario Court of Appeal highlighted that “the reproduction of a part which by itself has no originality will not normally be a substantial part of the copyright and therefore will not be protected.” Therefore, if the piece of music being sampled is not in itself original, there will be no copyright infringement.

What happens if the rights to use the music sample have not been cleared?

If the rights to use the music sample have not been cleared, the music user runs the risk of liability for copyright infringement. How does one know when copyright is infringed?

Is sampling a form of art?

Sampling has become a very popular art form in today’s increasingly digital music production world. Other people’s music is used more and more in new creations, and the prospective music user will benefit from the knowledge of copyright law and from a framework within which to legally obtain the rights to use the desired music.

What are moral rights?

Moral rights belong to the author of a copyrighted work, and include the right to the integrity of the work, and the right of association (to be or not to be associated with the work). These rights are prescribed under S.14.1 of the Act, and are read subject to S.28.2 of the Act. While there are no Canadian cases dealing with the infringement of moral rights with respect to music, a few points still bear relevance to this article.

Can the EU apply its own laws to the reproduction rights of music producers?

Finally, the ECJ judges that the EU member states cannot apply their national legislation on fundamental rights to the exclusive reproduction rights of music producers. These reproduction rights are, after all, fully harmonised at EU level, so there is no room for applying national legal rules.

What does it mean to sample a song?

In short, ‘sampling’ means that you reuse a fragment from an existing song (for example, a beat or a piece of text). Sampling is a frequently used technique in contemporary music. The question is whether the use of a ‘sample’ is permitted under copyright law. Of course, the safest option always is to ask permission from ...

What is the ECJ decision on phonograms?

In yesterday’s decision (judgment C-476/17), the ECJ states as a general principle that producers of phonograms (record companies and other ‘music producer s’) have the exclusive right to authorize or prohibit the copying of phonograms or parts thereof. This means that even for the use of a particularly short music fragment, permission must in principle be sought from the rights holders. It seems that the ECJ makes no distinction on the basis of the length or even the originality of the fragment used (the original song must of course be original to enjoy copyright protection, but the use of even a very short non-original excerpt could constitute a copyright infringement). We have to wait for the full text of the judgment to get more clarity on this (the decision itself has not yet been published).

Is a sample considered a reproduction?

Such use of a sample is not considered a ‘reproduction’ in the sense of copyright law. The ECJ refers to artistic freedom to justify its reasoning: if an unrecognisable use should also require permission, there would be no proper balance between the artistic rights of new users and the copyright protection of existing works.

What is the ECJ's reasoning?

The ECJ refers to artistic freedom to justify its reasoning: if an unrecognisable use should also require permission, there would be no proper balance between the artistic rights of new users and the copyright protection of existing works. It is remarkable that the ECJ uses the criterion of unrecognisability ‘to the ear’.

What is the ECJ opinion on copyright?

In other words, the ECJ is of the opinion that there should be no external check on copyright law. EU copyright law, through its existing exceptions, already inherently offers guarantees for a fair balance between the rights of new users and the rights of copyright owners. This consideration also occurs in two other ECJ judgments of the same day. The ECJ also emphasises that the legal exceptions to copyright law are exhaustive. Therefore, the ECJ declares an existing exception in German copyright law invalid for not being in line with EU law.

What is the EU copyright law?

EU copyright law, through its existing exceptions, already inherently offers guarantee s for a fair balance between the rights of new users and the rights of copyright owners. This consideration also occurs in two other ECJ judgments of the same day. The ECJ also emphasises that the legal exceptions to copyright law are exhaustive.

What is copyright music?

Under U.S. Copyright Law, musical compositions and sound recordings (i. e., the performance of the composition fixed in a tangible medium, like a CD, vinyl record, etc.) are protected property interests, which come with a bundle of rights, including the exploitation, licensing, reproduction and duplication of the works.

What song did Drake sample?

If you grew up in the 1990s, like myself, it didn’t take you long to realize that Drake’s 2018 hit, “Nice For What,” sampled a portion of Lauren Hill’s 1998 song “Ex-Factor. ”. Although most would credit the idea of sampling to rap and hip-hop artists of the 1980s, the concept has been in existence for decades, dating back to even the 1940s.

Can you use a copyrighted recording?

Recordings, on the other hand, are strictly prohibited from being used unless the copyright holder gives written permission. The copyright holder may charge whatever he or she wishes for the use of a copyrighted recording. For this reason, artists often re-record melodies and lyrics because it can be done more cheaply.

What happens when an artist can't get approval to use a sample?

When an artist or producer can’t get approval to use a sample, or they don’t have enough money to license the sample, they may re-record elements of the music such as the melody or the lyrics to create the effect of sampling the music without using the master recording.

Is Weird Al Yankovic copyrighted?

For example, Weird Al Yankovic’s parody songs may qualify as fair use, but he still receives written permission to parody copyrighted works, because the process of being sued for copyright infringement can be time consuming and expensive, even if the court were to decide in his favor.

Can you use music without permission?

Music copyrights protect recordings differently than the music contained in a recording. The words, melody, rhythm and harmony combined together may be used without permission, but still must be credited and paid. Recordings, on the other hand, are strictly prohibited from being used unless the copyright holder gives written permission.

What is fair use?

Fair use is a set of exemptions to U.S. copyright law that allows copyrighted work to be used for educational purposes, news reporting, and other informational context without payment or permission. It also allows for commentary on a piece of work, and an additional exception for non-commercial work.

What were the early rules for sampling hip hop?

According to Fact, early hip hop sampling was governed by "unspoken" rules forbidding the sampling of recent records, reissues, other hip hop records, or from non- vinyl sources, among other restrictions. These rules were relaxed as younger producers took over: "For many producers today it is no longer a case of 'should I sample this?' but of 'can I get away with sampling this?'. Thus the ethics of sampling unravelled as the practice became ever more ubiquitous."

What is a sample in music?

In music, sampling is the reuse of a portion (or sample) of a sound recording in another recording . Samples may comprise elements such as rhythm, melody, speech, sounds, or entire bars of music, and may be layered, equalized, sped up or slowed down, repitched, looped, or otherwise manipulated.

When was sampling invented?

The term sampling was coined in the late 1970s by the creators of the Fairlight CMI, a synthesizer with the ability to record and play back short sounds. As technology improved, cheaper stand-alone samplers with more memory emerged, such as the E-mu Emulator, Akai S950, and Akai MPC .

What is the origin of sampling?

Sampling is the foundation of hip hop, which emerged in the 1980s. The sampling culture of hip hop has been likened to the origins of blues and rock, which were created by repurposing existing music. Guardian journalist David McNamee wrote that, in the 1980s, sampling in hip hop had been a political act, the "working-class black answer to punk ".

Who created the sound collage?

Foley, the reproduction of sound effects, had existed since the 1920s. In the 1940s, French composer Pierre Schaeffer developed musique concrète, an experimental form of music created by recording sounds to tape, splicing them, and manipulating them to create sound collages.

What is a sampler?

Samplers. Main article: Sampler (musical instrument) The Fairlight CMI, a sampler and synthesizer released in 1979. The designers coined the term sampling to describe its features. The Guardian described the Chamberlin as the first sampler, developed by the English engineer Harry Chamberlin in the 1940s.

What is a sampler instrument?

Main article: Sampler (musical instrument) The Fairlight CMI, a sampler and synthesizer released in 1979. The designers coined the term sampling to describe its features. The Guardian described the Chamberlin as the first sampler, developed by the English engineer Harry Chamberlin in the 1940s.

Going Without Sample Clearance

Pre-Cleared Samples

  • Sometimes an artist can purchase a disc of music that has been previously authorized for sample use. This means that you have the right to use the music on the disc for samples without paying any fee beyond the cost of the disc. To make sure that you are following the terms of use, you should look for license information on the CD. It may impose restrictions on the way in which yo…
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Challenges For Small Recording Labels

  • Getting sample clearance can be an uphill battle for artists who are relatively unknown in the industry and who have not signed a contract with a larger company. They may need to provide the copyright owner with a recording that shows the extent to which they will use the sampled music. This can be a waste of time if the copyright owner then denies permission. Moreover, paying for …
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Use of Samples For Advertising and Promotions

  • Music often plays a key role in ads that urge consumers to buy a product or use a service. If you are creating this type of ad, you may need to get not only sample clearance but also permission to use the music from the artist who created it if they can be identified. This rule is meant to protect the artist’s right of publicity, and it applies whe...
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Introduction

What Is Copyright?

Who Owns Copyrights?

Copyright Infringement

Gaining Legal Access to Music Samples

  • The easiest way to deal with the possibility of infringement is to avoid the risk of litigation and “clear” the rights with both streams of copyright ownership to use the desired sample legally. This is done by researching who owns the copyright in the musical work and who owns the copyright in the sound recording, and then obtaining a license to u...
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A Word About Moral Rights

Conclusion