# Help with my short film's score



## ACP (Oct 7, 2013)

Hello everyone, this is my first post ever in this forum!

Excuse me if I this is not the right part to post this, but the Identifying Music Section only includes doubts with pieces, and I'm searching for another thing. In case a moderator wants to move this thread, please do it.

I'm making a short film and I want to use classical music so I don't have to pay neither composer or copyright. The idea of the film is dark, about alienation, a descent to madness. But I'd also like it to sound beautiful and memorable.

I was looking for something similar to this, but classical.











Thank you very much. I'm sure you know much more about this than I do.


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## Stargazer (Nov 9, 2011)

Well I can try to help. Keep in mind though, that many classical performances are still under copyright. It's a strange grey area in my mind, the actual pieces themselves are in the public domain, but the performances and sheet music can still be under copyright.

If you don't mind singing, here's one by Mahler that is all about alienation:





Might be worth checking this one out:





Or how about a bit of Bruckner? One of the slow movement masters!


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## ACP (Oct 7, 2013)

Stargazer said:


> Well I can try to help. Keep in mind though, that many classical performances are still under copyright. It's a strange grey area in my mind, the actual pieces themselves are in the public domain, but the performances and sheet music can still be under copyright.


Thank you very much for your recommendations!

If the auteur/creator/composer of the piece has been dead for 70 years, there's no problem with the use of the music.


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## hreichgott (Dec 31, 2012)

There's no gray area. Performances are covered by copyright separately from compositions. To use a recording for free without asking for permission, both the performance and the composition must be in public domain.

These days many performers do donate performances to the public domain, or license them with a Creative Commons license that allows for similar use. You can check imslp.org or soundcloud for recordings in this category. If you find a performance you like that's under copyright you can always ask the performer for permission.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

If you are only using a few minutes of a lengthy classical recording you can claim it as fair use. Unlikely to be challenged unless you are generating significant income using it.


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