Is it legal?

[gpayne]

I have Microstudio and have used it to create karaoke songs using the original music and eliminating vocals. However, I do so only for personal use as I do not know for sure what the legal issues are. None of the karaoke CD+G's I have bought are by the original artists and so I fear the vocal reduced versions I make are not legal for use in my shows as I do not have permission to use the audio. I would buy it anyway becuase I would like the ability to do it even if just for my personal use. This might not be the right forum for this question but does anyone have any thoughts on this.

gpayne

[admin]

If you buy an Audio CD, do you use the songs in a public performance? You can.

If you take the tracks from that same disc and vocal reduce them, there is no difference.

[gpayne]

Originally Posted by admin

If you buy an Audio CD, do you use the songs in a public performance? You can.

If you take the tracks from that same disc and vocal reduce them, there is no difference.

Thanks for that reply. I use to create many of my own karaoke songs but decided not to use them in my shows for fear they would not be legal. I personally like the karaoke songs I create better as the audio is better. Now that Vogone does even better at reducing the vocals I will be creating and using more of my own creations.

Thanks

gpayne

[orerockon]

Originally Posted by gpayne

Thanks for that reply. I use to create many of my own karaoke songs but decided not to use them in my shows for fear they would not be legal. I personally like the karaoke songs I create better as the audio is better. Now that Vogone does even better at reducing the vocals I will be creating and using more of my own creations.

Thanks

gpayne

That's some pretty terrible advice. If no one makes a profit from it, you certainly can. If you do profit, or if the establishment profits (e.g. you are charging the establishment for your shows, you accept tips, they have a cover charge for the audience) the answer is absolutely not, according to any and all reasonable interpretations of either US Copyright Law or the Digital Millineum Act.

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by orerockon

That's some pretty terrible advice. If no one makes a profit from it, you certainly can. If you do profit, or if the establishment profits (e.g. you are charging the establishment for your shows, you accept tips, they have a cover charge for the audience) the answer is absolutely not, according to any and all reasonable interpretations of either US Copyright Law or the Digital Millineum Act.

Then I guess what you are saying then is every DJ is operating illegally!!
You are forgetting the fact that those establishments where DJ's and KJ's play their music are paying license fees to ASCAP, etc for that very right, so I guess the advice isn't so terrible after all.

[orerockon]

Originally Posted by ddouglass

Then I guess what you are saying then is every DJ is operating illegally!!
You are forgetting the fact that those establishments where DJ's and KJ's play their music are paying license fees to ASCAP, etc for that very right, so I guess the advice isn't so terrible after all.

If you read the original question, I am not saying that any KJ operates illegally. I am saying that using a devocalized original recording (aka "sampling") in a show from which you or the establishment earns a direct profit from your performance without obtaining permission from the copyright owner of the recording is demonstrably in violation of US Copyright laws. By all means, please do not believe me. You can do a Google search and find this out for yourself. Paying blanket performance royalties to ASCAP does not cut it in this case. Those royalties apply to performances using backup tracks that you or the establishment purchased and own outright. It does not apply to recordings that you doctored yourself, regardless of whether you own them or not.