I mentioned in last year’s blog on post-production processing that the sound track can be tricky. Especially when the client wants music that they’ve heard from other media sources (such as the radio, TV, concert, CD, etc.) These sources are almost always copyrighted and the owners can (and probably will) track down violators and demand compensation.

Beware, The Music Industry Has Their Ways!

Last year, I know someone who came up with a slick idea to digitize a 1960’s record album and used about 30 seconds of it on a YouTube video. YouTube recognized the song, identified the copyright holder, and gave them a warning! So, you can’t be too careful about copyright violation.

How Much Will It Cost For A Music Track?

The cost for a music track depends on the service. For example, TripleScoop licenses 3-5 minute music tracks for $60 to professional photographers (this is my class). However, for small businesses, such as real estate listings, their licenses run $120. Large businesses will cost even more.

I once had a client ask for a specific song and I had to track down the copyright owner. It happened to be a big Hollywood outfit, Universal Music Publishing Group. They quoted $1500 per month to play this track in a small business marketing video! Needless to say, this expense was not in the client’s budget.

In addition to the cost for acquiring a commercial music license, there’s also the time required for the post-production part of it. This can be significant and includes searching for suitable music, getting a quote for the license, getting the client’s approval, purchasing the license, and coordinating the audio track with the video. Sometimes, several iterations are required until the client approves the finished video.

Are there penalties if you get caught by the copyright owner? Yes, and they’re covered by U.S. federal law under Title 17 US Code Section 106. Damages can include fines and court expenses.

The Path of Least Resistance Often Works Best

The challenges above are among the reasons that a client’s voice track works so well. First, the client owns the copyright on their own voice recording. Also, it personalizes the video to their prospective clients.

How to Record Your Own Voice Track

Clients often take my draft video and practice their narrative with it. Then record their voice using a cell phone (e.g. using Voice Recorder/Voice Memo) and send me the .M4A (MPEG-4 Audio file). Such a choreographed voice track works well for my post-production work. When appropriate, I can add a 15 to30 second stock music snippet to the introduction and end.

You will find examples of sound tracks in the videos posted to my portfolio page.