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panopticon
13th March 2006, 10:24 AM
So I had an odd business proposition the other night at the club where I VJ (no, not that kind, though I did get that kind too...). A guy came up and asked me if he could buy a DVD with my visuals and the music that the DJ was playing. After staring at him blankly for a moment, I told him that I was working on a demo disk (which I am), but I hadn't really considered seriously the idea of working with a specific DJ on it. The guy I work with is well known locally, and gives out a new mix cd that he does every 6 months or so with the newest club hits.

So my question is, I'm sure others have done this, but how well does it work? Do you sell them, or give them out as promos? For my actual demo reel, I was going to use music that I've made (which is a bit more experimental/industrial/glitch than is played at the club on those nights), but do you think it'd be better to just do a full dvd using music that promoters actually like? My main concern is that the music on it would no longer be popular in about a year. Any idea what the legal issues on this would be? Am I posting this in the completely wrong place?

--[panopticon]

Amukidi
13th March 2006, 12:07 PM
If you sell any DVD that has unlicenced tracks on it, then you are in clear breach of the musician's copyright. The fact that you've put them to video is irrelevant and you ought to seek clearance before you go any further. If you are making genuine showreels or demos, then as long as you put the usual guff about "For promotional use only etc" and give them away free of charge, then nobody will bother you.

asterix
20th March 2006, 03:23 AM
Or bypass it... make up a t-shirt and give it away with the shirt :) for strictly personal use only.