Can anyone tell me where I can find a link to a list of songs that are not copyrighted and are not subject to ASCAP or BMI licenses or fees?

Hello,

This link might get you started.
http://www.pdinfo.com/

Thanks.

Stephen...sadly, I can't imagine finding enough music that isn't covered by ASCAP or BMI to be worthwhile.

If you're worried about a venue that doesn't pay licensing fees, these guys will negotiate, if you contact them. Fees are set by number of musicians, number of nights, number of seats, total business, etc.

A pain but unavoidable, in most cases.

Russ

Jenkins thanks for the link. Russ, you hit the nail on the head. I checked out pdinfo.com and you're right nothing worthwhile to play. I don't have original material and I sure won't spend 3 hours playing the music of Stephen Foster So I should contact BMI and ASCAP ? I'm assuming it's the venue's responsibility? Currently he is not paying.

Steve...you can go on the ASCAP website and request a rate sheet. You can generally negotiate down from the rates. the New York office will put you in contact with reps for your state. You counld do that, and tell the owner what you find out. The owner can also contact other club/restaurant owners in the area, who can generally help with making the right contacts.

If the venue already has music but isn't paying fees, I'd be careful. You could inadvertantly trigger a request for back fees/fines.

Good luck!


R.

Hi

Yes, if the club/resturaunt hasn't been in communication with ASCAP/BMI, I would leave it alone, not only for the sake of that club, but all of the club's in your area.

This a part of the problem of Pensacola, FL. A few years ago a local returaunt owner blew the whistle on himself and this area. He contacted ASCAP/BMI to see if he needed to pay royalties. You can guess what happened. They said yes, he had to pay. He was one of the first to drop live music. Then ASCAP/BMI started poking their noses into other small clubs, who have enough trouble making it as it is, and telling them they need to pay up. The result, just recently a place I had played shut down live music along with other places battling it out with BMI, etc.

I think it's really a shame, because I think the people that have the most to get out of this is the people that work for ASCAP/BMI. They have earn their salary, while everybody else loses, the club, the musicians, the patrons. I can bet you the artist's they are trying to protect don't need the few cents they may get out of this. At the same time I believe that it really takes away from potential revenue for recording artist's. If someone hears a tune and likes it, they would have a tendency to go out and buy the CD. If they don't hear the music, they won't.

My thoughts on the subject.

Scott

ASCAP and BMI have already discovered this owner and his establishment. They are putting the pressure on him to purchase licenses. Apparently, they heard he was featuring music on weekends. Until he gets licensed you either have to play originals or non licensed music.

The bebop players used to take tunes like Whispering, I've Got Rhythm and a ton of those old songs and put a new head on the chord changes and then improvise. Maybe the old Real Books would handle it. Or are those tunes copyrighted now?

You could always specialize in blues, boogie and new age original's. That actually could be fun.

Scott I was originally looking for and hoping to find tunes of the type you're describing. I didn't do an exhaustive search but in the search I did not find much that I'd want to be playing at a 3 hour gig.



Russ thanks for your phone contact and the suggestions you made. I have told the owner of the venue, what you suggested. The rest is up to him.