Mechanical License and Print License question

Brian Spratt · From: Oklahoma, USA

Mechanical licenses are easy and fairly inexpensive to acquire. They cover the reproduction of copyrighted audio - a "cover version" essentially. It does NOT however cover any printed reproduction such as tablature. That requires a "print license" which is far more expensive and often impossible to acquire as it requires a direct negotiation with the rights holder. In other words, you can't just go to the Ken Fox Agency and put a "print license" in your cart and check out like you can with a "mechanical license".

So... how does anyone who's not a giant like Hal Leonard legally produce tab and tracks packages? I don't see how it's possible. The "print license" creates such a barrier to entry that it seems literally impossible to do this legally.

How does anybody do this?

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

I have never heard of a "print license" for creating original tab of music.

Care to site a source of info?

h
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Brian Spratt · From: Oklahoma, USA

Sure...

Harry Fox Agency is the big player in connecting the public with licenses, and this is from their FAQ:

https://www.harryfox.com/faq

"What is a Mechanical License?
A mechanical license grants the rights to reproduce and distribute musical works embodied in sound recordings via CDs, records, tapes, ringtones, permanent digital downloads, interactive streams and other digital configurations. If you want to record and distribute a musical work that you don’t own or control, or if your business requires the distribution of a musical work that was written by others, you need to obtain a mechanical license."

My comment: note above says nothing about print media.

https://support.easysong.com/hc/en-us/articles/360047682313-What-Is-a-Print-License

"Whenever you rearrange, print, or display the sheet music, notes, or lyrics of a song that someone else wrote, even if it's just a small portion, you need a print license."

"How do I get a print license?
Print licenses are custom-negotiated directly with the copyright holder upfront and can be quite complex. For help with this process, check out our Custom Licensing services or contact us. Alternatively, you can attempt to locate the copyright owners yourself and request permission."

My comment: I did contact them and it's $300 just to attempt to negotiate a custom licensing contract with no guarantee of success or outcome.

https://www.trackclub.com/resources/types-of-music-licenses/

"Mechanical License:

Mechanical licenses are frequently used if you want to reproduce and distribute a copyrighted song that is not your own in an audio-only digital or physical format. You'll need a mechanical license when producing cover versions, remixes, or recorded copies of preexisting songs. With a mechanical license, you are given permission to replicate and distribute the musical composition to the general public."

"Print License:

You'll need a print license when you want to reproduce and distribute sheet music or printed lyrics of copyrighted songs. This license is usually used by publishers, sheet music companies, and music teachers who want to duplicate the composition or lyrics of a song in a printed format.

Example: If you're a music teacher and want to distribute sheet music to your students, you need a print license from the copyright holder of the composition. This ensures that you have legal permission to share the copyrighted sheet music."

Google will turn up plenty more similar explanations:

https://brentwoodbenson.com/copyright-and-licensing
https://blog.songtradr.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-music-licensing/

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

But,

Tab isn't sheet music.

Never the less. I learned something new today.

tnx

h

Brian Spratt · From: Oklahoma, USA

Well.. keep reading and you'll find plenty of things like this:

https://unison.audio/music-licensing/

"Print licenses come into play when someone wants to reproduce and distribute sheet music for a song. This could be anything from a full orchestral score to a simple guitar tablature."

Brian Spratt · From: Oklahoma, USA

It would be great to hear from guys like Doug Beaumier, Herb Steiner, or Mike Headrick on this.

Mike Headrick · From: South Pittsburg, TN, USA

easysong.com is the best thing to happen to licensing, in my opinion. Usually, you'll get your clearance within 24 hours, and it comes in your email. This credible service is associated with CDBaby.

Brian Spratt · From: Oklahoma, USA

Thanks for chiming in Mike. I was probably overthinking it. It sounds like the basic mechanical license offered at easysong.com (the same kind as songfile.com) is the way to go. I'd still love to hear from others with different experiences.

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