Music can be the make-or-break element in any video product. The skill with which this tool is wielded can make all the difference.
For example, a trip to YouTube or other video sites will reveal a number of homemade videos in which the creator obviously just chose a piece of music that he or she likes, without considering its relevance to the content, or its role in creating the mood of the piece. In other cases, music choice may be more appropriate, but the images are not synchronized to the rhythm of the music, or splashy transitions interfere with a calm piece of music. The music you choose, and the way you apply it, can help create emotions, guide the pace and tone of the images, or do all sorts of other things. Imagine imagery of your kids playing in a pool on a summer day, slowed down just a bit, and the sound replaced by dreamy music. This technique will only enhance the effect with time – years later it may bring a tear to your eyes!
Unfortunately, copyright can be the source of major headaches. Maybe you want to make a video that incorporates your favorite song from that period in your life. Often the musician will have no objection – but the labels are struggling with declining music sales and they persist in the notion that your use of “their” music further detracts from sales rather than creating interest. How often have you watched a movie and then paused through the credits to find out what that really great song was you heard in one of the scenes?
If you make a home video that uses commercial music, the “copyright police” are unlikely to come after you. However, if you decide to publish the video on YouTube, or worse, use commercial music in a web video that promotes your business, you can wind up in hot water. Fortunately there are a number of “royalty-free” sites on the internet (use the search term “royalty free music”) whose creators will allow you to download their music and use it any way you wish. Typically there’s just one minor catch: they tend to be “copylefted” – copyrighted under the “Creative Commons” movement. Usually this means you can use the music – even burn it to CDs and sell it for a profit – but any derivative work must be released under the same “copyleft.” And you typically have to give credit for the music – a small price to pay for someone who has offered his or her creative talent to support yours. Check the creator’s web site to ensure you fully understand their licensing rules.
So great – you’ve got all this music to choose from now! The catch I referred to earlier is that no matter how much of the creative work in the finished product is yours, a video that incorporates Creative Commons licensed music can never be fully yours. You can’t sue someone if they use your video for their own purposes or “mash it up” into another product. Something to bear in mind.
If you’re thinking of entering your work in a video contest, this can be an issue. Read the fine print in the contest rules – often entering the contest means you will have to give up your rights to the work, and transfer these rights to the contest sponsor. No problem right? Unfortunately, you don’t have the right to transfer the license for your Creative Commons music, because of the requirement to maintain the same “copyleft”! So use royalty-free music with care, and don’t get disqualified on a technicality.
