Karaoke Forums

Just a question, I know I can't use iTunes, or downloaded music for DJing. What about CDs that have been ripped into my system? I am not talking about Karaoke, I am talking about professional music (you know what I mean). Can that be used commercially? What about Spotify? I have a few friends in the business that use that. By the way, if you are just going to yell at me, please don't respond. I have been yelled at enough, thank you.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

You can music that you paid for from any source. No music companies are suing DJs.
I use songs that I have downloaded occasionally from Itunes in my DJ business. I also subscribe to Prime Cuts which supplies me with a ton of music every week. I'd be pretty damned surprised if Apple filed suit against me for using a song I paid for at a wedding, but I guess it's an individual choice. Same way I feel about karaoke downloads that I purchased from tricerasoft.com, I'll use them if I want to.

What do you use to play them, or do you just use iTunes. Some here said I can't do that. And BTW, Thank you, very much.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Why not? If you paid for them and own them, you are 100% clean.

I forgot who it was, but they said that iTunes itself could not be used commercially.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Don't quote, but if the club you are playing in are paying their Publishing fees, ASCAP/BMI/SESAC then you SHOULD (again should) be ok for REGULAR dj music. Not necessarily karaoke.

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LIKE Lonman on Facebook - Lonman Productions Karaoke & my main site via my profile!

Well, iTunes doesn't play the G files, so that wouldn't be an issue.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

I use Karma for both karaoke and DJ music - it's $99 for a lifetime license and free updates plus very easy to use. You can convert your itunes music to mp3 and then just load them onto your hard drive. By the way, Karma is a free download with everything activated, the only limitation is only 3 items per time in your active playlist. You can try it out, latshawsystems.com

Oh cool. I will definitely check that out. Thanks. I like user friendly stuff.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

We have a Promo-Only subscription. We get a disc every month for new music. It's generally pretty spot on as far as what's going to be hot coming up. It's rare when I have to buy extra new music to complete what they don't send me. The subscriptions are not expensive.

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Birdofsong

We do the same and have for years..they've been great with the music they send. Tho, I guess there are other good ones out there.

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SoundChoice Certification coming soon!

You can find Apple's (I_Tunes) Terms of use here:

http://www.apple.com/legal/terms/site.html

Here's some exerpts:

All text, graphics, user interfaces, visual interfaces, photographs, trademarks, logos, sounds, music, artwork and computer code (collectively, “Content”), including but not limited to the design, structure, selection, coordination, expression, “look and feel” and arrangement of such Content, contained on the Site is owned, controlled or licensed by or to Apple, and is protected by trade dress, copyright, patent and trademark laws, and various other intellectual property rights and unfair competition laws.


Except as expressly provided in these Terms of Use, no part of the Site and no Content may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, publicly displayed, encoded, translated, transmitted or distributed in any way (including “mirroring”) to any other computer, server, Web site or other medium for publication or distribution or for any commercial enterprise, without Apple’s express prior written consent.

Now what written consent completely means, ie cost for the written permission, I don't know.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Those are the terms of use for their website.
The actual terms of use for the music can be found here: http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/us/terms.html#SERVICE

The first rule:
(i) You shall be authorized to use iTunes Products only for personal, noncommercial use.

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KNOW THYSELF

I probably shouldn't wade into this, but I'm going to.

Apple can impose terms on you regarding your use of iTunes products by agreement, but their only recourse is to stop selling to you. They don't own any enforceable rights in the sound recordings. Nobody owns a "public performance right" in a sound recording, so it wouldn't matter whether you played it for private or public consumption. The underlying musical work carries a public performance right, but as long as the venue has paid the appropriate charges to ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC, and gotten a separate license from any songwriter not represented by one of those three for any other songs, you should have no problems.

n.b. The above is not intended to be legal advice, but rather information, and if you have questions, you should consult an attorney licensed in the jurisdiction where you are.

Thank you for that.

I doubt Apple cares if you play it on a DJ night, either. This is my big problem with amateur lawyers giving their interpretations of what rights are and are not. Even a real one puts on a disclaimer, you see.

Most of this stuff has not been clarified by case law or codified into criminal law. Which is exactly the fault of the music publishers and record makers. Maybe they want us all to operate in the gray area -- maybe they feel they make more money that way. Seems like a terrible way to run a railroad. They should be pressing to clarify, not pressing to sue.

So when someone tells me "it's illegal to play an iTunes for DJ" or some other "it's illegal to do that" I say "you don't know diddly, there's no law".

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[color=#ffff55]Mickey J.[/color]
Alas for those who never sing, but die with all their music in them.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Well, I am pretty sure Apple isn't running around looking for people to stop selling music to. THAT would be a bad business move.
Thank you Mr. Harrington.
Personally, I hate iTunes, but it's cheap and easy. My problem with them is every time they update my library gets doubled and I have to redo the damn thing. They do, however, have a nice cross fade gadget that makes nice song segues.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Well we decided to go the same route with DJ music as Karaoke, buy the CD. I found a great site for used CD's, the only problem is they don't seem used. I've gotten nearly 60 from them and all are in like new condition. I got the Eagles greatest hits for only 2.49 + shipping. Check them out.

http://www.gohastings.com

Jon

It's down for maintenance. But I will be using DJ music mostly for filler between singers, so carrying around that many CDs is a bit much. My CD collection would require me to hire a roadie. . My whole CD collection is on a hard drive, plus all my iTunes downloads. One thing is a bunch of karaoke disks, but not a ton of music disks. But thanks.

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I am the ONLY SANE 1 HERE

Thats why we went computerized. All the rules that come with it are worth it. Makes the job easier, and more professional...

Jon

I didn't re-post the entire post as it says that no part of the site may be copied, etc.
without Apple’s express prior written consent.

and Timberlea did just that!

So was he wrong for doing that?

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I like everyone when I first meet them. If you don't like me that's not my problem it's YOURS!
A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet