For this trimesters remix, I chose to remix a track by a Melbourne band ‘Nectar’, called “Only Music Here”. For the process of releasing this track, I would need to take action on receiving the right authority and permission, along with any other licensing needed to legally publish it.
Getting permission from the band would be entirely up to them as it is their original track but, in the case they say yes, conditions would need to be met in terms of royalties, release date, credits, and any other legal documentation. Contact with a record label is obsolete as the band is not signed to one, making communication easy. But most importantly, consultation between APRA AMCOS, the band and myself will ensure legal coverage. Both parties would need register with them contribute all the necessary paperwork. A mechanical license would be needed for this release, as I have remixed and used notable samples from the original track.
Also, during this trimester, I helped produce a soundalike of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”. This situation is quite similar to my remix, as this is a recreation of an already existing track. Again, I would need a mechanical license to legally release this song. Gaining a mechanical license for this track may prove a challenge as the fame and success of Fleetwood Mac may impact on what they will accept.
The same processes would take place for my jingles, as in my advertisement there is a cover of Elton John’s “Rocket Man” and in terms of it being an ad there are a lot of parties involved. Much more legal work and agreement would need to met in order to publicly release this. APRA AMCOS, The Australian Copyright Council, Samsung (the company of the advertisement) myself, Elton John and his label or team would need to on the same page with total agreement on royalties, and distribution before any further measures can be made.
Some good details here but a few misconceptions also. You don't need permission to record a cover, just to go through the correct process of securing a mechanical license. Although there could be legal difficulties if Fleetwood Mac feel that you are misleading people by misrepresenting that your recording is actually Fleetwood Mac (only an issue because it is a soundalike rather than a normal cover version). The Elton John track could be problematic if he doesn't want his songs to be used for advertising purposes but there wouldn't be an issue if you were just releasing this as a cover (provided you apply for the mechanical license).