Voice samples - legal question.

Condor · Post by **Condor** » 28/10/2006 - 17:59

Hi there!

I have severeal questions about voice samples and creating some voice effects.
So, here is the first question:

1. Is it legal to use voice samples/quotes from doccumentaries, movies etc ?

I found that most of psytrance tracks are using sampled vocals from doccumentaries/sci-fi movies. So, I just want to do the same.

Thanks.
Branko Balsic.

Chris Abbott · Post by **Chris Abbott** » 28/10/2006 - 18:37

My advice here is the same as always:

1) It's not legally safe: not only have you got the copyright owner of the broadcast to worry about, but also the person "performing".

2) If you don't make any money out of it, it's not worth suing you so companies tend to turn a blind eye, or worst issue a "cease and desist".

3) If you do make money out of it, and they find out, you're in deep sh*t.

And the reason these people are doing it is because:

a) Musicians are almost always astonishingly naive when it comes to copyright, and

b) Their music is often crap so the only way they can make it interesting is to borrow something a lot better from somewhere else.

Chris

Analog-X64 · Post by **Analog-X64** » 29/10/2006 - 1:30

The Verve for their song "Bitter Sweet Symphony" sampled a small symphony Melodie from a Rolling Stones album and that tune became the Bitter Sweet end of The Verve. Rolling Stones sued The Verve and won ownership of that song, and than to add insult to injury the Rolling Stones gave permission for the song to be used in Car Commercials and they reaped all the royalties because they owned the song.

Condor · Post by **Condor** » 29/10/2006 - 11:07

heh, thanks

Let's make stuff more interesting and represent the case as commercial (ab)use.

What about this. I found sample on a website that does not say if that sample is copyrighted.
What to do then, should I reject the sample or kill myself with seraching for original sample

And does the duration of sample count as legal? Less then a second sample is often unrecognizable.

Well, that is pretty much about the leaglity of samples.
I also need some help about making some vocal effects, I think I came to right palce.

Thanks

Chris Abbott · Post by **Chris Abbott** » 29/10/2006 - 11:29

Condor wrote:heh, thanks

Let's make stuff more interesting and represent the case as commercial (ab)use.

What about this. I found sample on a website that does not say if that sample is copyrighted.
What to do then, should I reject the sample or kill myself with seraching for original sample

And does the duration of sample count as legal? Less then a second sample is often unrecognizable.

Well, that is pretty much about the leaglity of samples.
I also need some help about making some vocal effects, I think I came to right palce.

Thanks

In English Law at least, all recording is copyrighted. The main variable is how obvious your steal is, and how likely it is that someone will (a) notice, and (b) chase it up.

The source of the sample is irrelevant: there was a disclaimer once on an illegal C64 CD-ROM compilation which summarised to:

"I found this on the Internet, therefore I'm entitled to distribute it freely". Which is utter crap.

Just because someone else is giving it away doesn't mean they were entitled to.

As I said, the main variables here are: how recognisable is the source, and how high-profile is the usage? You can get away with quite a lot, but it's always a risk. Usually a calculated one.

There's also the ethical issue of trying to improve your work by putting other people's into it without asking. I can't say it seems to bother most people, but I think it kind of sucks.

Chris

io · Post by io » 29/10/2006 - 11:41

The copyright laws for using portions of already existing recordings is very vague and varies from country to country.

In psytrance, people use samples from movies/documentarys etc successfully because there are no real money for the sueing part to be made. An artist or label never becomes a millionaire from an album, so the copyright holders couldn't really benefit from it in any way.

Analog-X64 · Post by **Analog-X64** » 29/10/2006 - 13:25

At one point when sampling became main stream and everyone was suing everyone else for stealing. There was discussion about how many "Bars" of recording was legal with permission or not. You check into that and see.

Also since law changes from country to country it complicates matters. Maybe the Laws in Germany vs USA but I think you would still be accountable.

Ever heard of the song "Frontier Psychiatrist" by "The Avalanches"?? Listen to the song and believe it or not every single sample on that track was cleared.

Same thing with "Future Sound of London" and as a matter of fact, FSOL had plans for a grandure album made up of millions of samples however the logistics of getting each sample cleared was a nightmare and too costly so the idea was scrapped.

If you're doing this for fun and personal reasons and dont plan on making money out of it or releasing a commercial CD. I dont see a problem borrowing a sample here and there.

Tonka · Post by **Tonka** » 30/10/2006 - 9:37

Chris Abbott wrote: Their music is often crap so the only way they can make it interesting is to borrow something a lot better from somewhere else.

Chris', new avatar:

Chris Abbott · Post by **Chris Abbott** » 30/10/2006 - 10:21

Tonka wrote:
Chris Abbott wrote: Their music is often crap so the only way they can make it interesting is to borrow something a lot better from somewhere else.
Chris', new avatar:

I'm there, dude...

Condor · Post by **Condor** » 07/11/2006 - 8:28

Soory for not writing soon people. Here is my problem, and it does not consider legality

I'm using FL, and there is one thing with voice that I just cant do. I do not know how to explain this effect, so i give you 3 second sample of 'Dumonde - Kalt' with that effect.
http://upload2.net/page/download/gk0sHA ... 1.mp3.html

Effect is before 'Jetzt denke ich nicht mehr nach, ch friere', that damn windy 'jetzt' effect.

Thanks!

Romeo Knight · Post by **Romeo Knight** » 07/11/2006 - 23:01

Condor wrote: Effect is before 'Jetzt denke ich nicht mehr nach, ch friere', that damn windy 'jetzt' effect.

Sounds like a backwards reverb with a resonance filter.
Do as follows:
Reverse the voice sample.
Add a fat long reverb and bounce, render or record it.
Reverse the result again.
Now you can cut or mix the rising reverb sample with the original sample.

Condor · Post by **Condor** » 08/11/2006 - 14:23

Haha, yep that's it Romeo

Thanks man, you saved me.

I've made it in hurry, l, but with bit practising I can get it perfect... (http://upload2.net/page/download/1Toubg ... d.mp3.html)

Heh, and I tried with long reverb and one reverse and couldn't get the results, even when cutting what I want to make "windy"... Damn second reverse &%#$&#

Thanks! I'l guess I'll harass you people with this effect in future c64 remixes. Blame Romeo!

Thanks again Romeo!