This article will illustrate on the exploited music rights if songs are used in a wedding video montage. This will ensure that the wedding videographer is knowledgeable in how to license music for the use in wedding videos. It also discuss on the possible cost of music licensing that the wedding videographer will be negotiation with the music publisher or any licensing body.

Synchronization Music Rights –> This is the right to use music in videos, pictures or even in films. In this case, you need to get a synchronization license directly from the music publisher. Depending on the music publisher decision, some may charge for a “fee” (hundreds to thousands of dollars, ouch!), however some a free.

If you are concern with legalities, to avoid a potential lawsuit, always protect yourself, you need to ask or contact the music publisher directly and asked that you need a documented synch license.

Master Recording Rights –> This is the right to use the sound recording of the music. Depending on some cases, independent music publishers are also recording producers and they own the both the music (lyrics and music) as well as the underlying sound recording. You need to ensure that you have to asked permission directly to the owner of the sound recording. The name of the license is “master recording” license. Depending on the owner of sound recording some may charge you “hundreds” to “thousands of dollars” for the use of sound recording. Some maybe “free”.

Public performance rights –> this is the most confusing rights exploited in wedding video. “Public performance” results when the music in the video is being shown in “public” or “transmitted to the internet”.There is no public performance when the music is being shown only at home. But this is the case today, no one controls the music videographer client, as a result, their wedding videos may be uploaded to You tube, to their website, or shared with friends. Friends will share with other friends, increasing chances of “public performance”. Sounds odd, but this can happen.

As results, wedding videographer should file cue sheet to ASCAP to report the songs that are being used in his project. This will ensure that the authors and publishers of the music can get share of public performance royalties in case the wedding video (with their music) will be shared with the public.Some wedding videographers simply do not believe on this. Of course, this will increase chances of a lawsuit since when the music publisher caught the video on the You tube or in the client’s website without paying performance royalties. The songs can be removed from You tube or in the website. At worst, if the video is continually exploited publicly, the wedding videographer will be liable due to failure to secure public performance rights of the song.

Music publishers rely on performance right societies to collect royalties on their behalf, for example the wedding videographer will send the cue sheets to ASCAP and negotiate for performance related payments. Of course, it is nonsense that you will be collected a performance payment of $10000 for a $500 wedding video. You will be charged based on your usage.

The sad truth is: “As long as you license a song that is copyrighted (I mean not in public domain), you always be liable to pay performance royalties (Fact: there is no free performance fee for a copyrighted song) if the song is publicly performed whether you get the song from royalty free websites, or supposed to be free license music websites” Performance right is a right granted by law.