# Asking permission for usage of classical recordings in a videogame



## Seeolitol (Oct 30, 2011)

Hello.

I am making a video game. The only part of its development that I feel is greatly outside my abilities, is creating the soundtrack. I am somewhat familiar with classical music, and I have some specific classical pieces and recordings in mind that I would wish to use in my game (in an edited form). My budget for the music is very tight.

I assume that the price of asking an orchestra to record a piece of music & transfer its intellectual property to me (as is standard for soundtracks of motion pictures), is at least an order of magnitude greater than the price of just asking an orchestra for permission to use an old recording of theirs in my game (and related promotional materials). I assume that, because in the latter case, they do not lose their ownership of the intellectual property of that piece, and also they do not have to go through the effort of recording it, as they have already recorded it.

So I am thinking of contacting some orchestras and asking them for permission to use an old recording of theirs in my game (in a form edited by me).

1) Do orchestras normally own the intellectual property of their recordings (the kind that are used on classical music CDs), so that I can ask this from them in the first place? (if not, then who does?)
2) Do orchestras do that kind of deals at all?
3) How much should I propose to pay (eg for a recording like THIS movement)?

Again, unlike the traditional high-budget film/game soundtrack recording method, where the orchestra goes through the great effort of recording the piece and then signs away its intellectual property to the recording, asking for permission to use an already recorded recording would neither involve any effort on the part of the orchestra nor would they have to sign away their IP, so I'd expect it would be orders of magnitude cheaper. However I haven't heard of this kind of deals so I'm slightly nervous.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Seeolitol said:


> [...]
> 1) Do orchestras normally own the intellectual property of their recordings (the kind that are used on classical music CDs), so that I can ask this from them in the first place? (if not, then who does?)


Traditionally, the music on commercial CDs is owned by the record company. Some orchestras, e.g. in Chicago and Boston, have issued recordings from concerts and own the copyrights. Recently there has been a minor trend toward self-publishing; the London SO has done that, and several solo musicians and chamber music ensembles have done so.

The chances are still high that you will have to deal with a record company. Good luck with that.


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## Kopachris (May 31, 2010)

A Hilltroll72 said, most commercial recordings are owned by a record company, in which case getting permission to use old recordings _might_ cost more than making your own. It all depends.


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## BalloinMaschera (Apr 4, 2011)

http://www.royaltyfreeclassicalmusic.co.uk/

http://www.royalty-free-classical-music.org/


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