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What are the legalities of djing?
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| HeXpŁŘi± |
| I've always wondered how the legal stuff works for Djs. They're always playing each others music and sampling music from other popular genres. Do they need each others permission? What's to stop me from putting a little spin on some Tiesto or sampling his stuff and selling it. Obviously laws are different in different countries so this must compound these issues. Can anyone shed some light on this? |
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| Spacey Orange |
| quote: | Originally posted by HeXpŁŘi±
I've always wondered how the legal stuff works for Djs. They're always playing each others music and sampling music from other popular genres. Do they need each others permission? |
Depends.
| quote: | | What's to stop me from putting a little spin on some Tiesto or sampling his stuff and selling it. |
US federal law (copyright law), maybe Alaska state law, and Tiesto himself.
| quote: | | Obviously laws are different in different countries so this must compound these issues. Can anyone shed some light on this? |
No. |
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| d-miurge |
| djs are the gimp. |
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| tribu |
| quote: | Originally posted by HeXpŁŘi±
Obviously laws are different in different countries so this must compound these issues. Can anyone shed some light on this? |
Copyright law is International Law, which means it knows no boundry. Thus, copyright laws applicable in the USA are also applicable in Belize, Bolivia, Burundi, and all other countries (including those that begin with the other 25 letters). I believe you must swear to recognize and uphold international law to become a member of the United Nations, so if you're in a country that is not a member nation, you are fine (world Bank participation is also contingent on such an agreement).
As many Canadians will know, however, the way a country prosecutes the law (if they do so at all) is entirely subjective to that nations authority. |
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| HeXpŁŘi± |
Ok so what about the fact that all these djs are always using each others material? They use each others stuff so much in fact that most the time i don't know who wrote the original. Do these guys actually contact each other every single time they want to mix a track that belongs to someone else? I mean it just sounds like they'd have to go through so much trouble. It just seems like they must have some alternative form of contracts that allow for a broader range of use of material. Either that or Corsten, Tiesto and 1000 other djs must be doing a hell of a lot of paperwork.
Just for the record i am not a dj in any way, shape or form. Just curious about these things. |
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| tribu |
| quote: | Originally posted by HeXpŁŘi±
Ok so what about the fact that all these djs are always using each others material? They use each others stuff so much in fact that most the time i don't know who wrote the original. Do these guys actually contact each other every single time they want to mix a track that belongs to someone else? I mean it just sounds like they'd have to go through so much trouble. It just seems like they must have some alternative form of contracts that allow for a broader range of use of material. Either that or Corsten, Tiesto and 1000 other djs must be doing a hell of a lot of paperwork.
Just for the record i am not a dj in any way, shape or form. Just curious about these things. |
Those DJs you named (Corsten, Tiesto PVD, especially) never do any paperwork. Those who own their own labels have their lawyers contact the lawyers of the label that has released the tune they want to remix.
When a tune is signed by Label X, most of the time, they fully own the song, all the samples, vocals, etc, and are the main beneficiaries of the sales. Any remix not offered by the owning label (such as in the form of a remix contest) must be okayed by them, usually through their lawyers. In the cases of independent artists (those not signed to any label), or independent singles (same thing here), the lawyers, label, or remixing artist would contact the original artist with their request, which, as always in the business world, would lead to a contract.
Often, artists would let a huge name like Tiesto or Ferry remix their tune for free or cheap because money isn't everything. As several TA artists with professional releases under their belts will tell you, exposure is almost more important than money. Consumers are more likely to buy your song if they know who you are, and even more likely if a famous DJ has remixed it or spins it consistently (Don't ask me why this is, I can only refer to it as The Lemming Effect).
In the case of DJs, the same rule applies. Most DJs don’t buy the records they spin (again, talking about the marquee names - Tiesto, Ferry, etc) but they receive them as promos, or promotional copies. These copies are often released to DJs well before they are released to the public so that the DJ can contribute to the hype surrounding the single's release by playing it as much as possible. This ensures, again that the tune will be purchased when and if it is released. If the DJs do buy a record, it seems to be an unspoken agreement that if DJ X buys Record Y, then he also buys the rights to spin it in a set: Doing so provides exposure and thus, increased sales for the original artist.
If you're really interested in who originally produced a song, I reccomend www.discogs.com , easily one of the internet's most valuable resources.
I hope this has been somewhat helpful. |
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| HeXpŁŘi± |
Most definetely helpful. Thanks for shedding some light
on this subject tribu.:) |
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| tribu |
| quote: | Originally posted by Nou
Also, I would like to point out Tribu that most DJ's usually do buy their records, unless you are a fairly big name, or somehow got into a really good record pool (which usually being a fairly succesfull name is a pre-requisite). |
And I'd like to point out that getting onto promo lists for several labels, from the biggest to some medium and small level ones (I'm speaking mostly from trance experience here) is not too hard if you regularly DJ in any major city. Often clubs themselves will get on promo lists and distribute their records to their residents and shufflers (DJs who irregularly play at clubs) as they see fit. :D But Nou hit the nail on the head in the post above, as usual... |
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| tribu |
| quote: | Originally posted by Nou
the DJ's on promolists, 90% of the stuff they get is crap. :p |
Can't argue there. |
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