6 replies to this topic

[Seabiscuit]

...how easy is this to get into properly? I have always enjoyed arranging music for flute and recorder choirs, and wondered how to go about taking it further. How do you deal with copyrights associated with different pieces? How do you make your arrangements available to a wider audience? Thanks!

[kenm]

How do you deal with copyrights associated with different pieces? How do you make your arrangements available to a wider audience?

1) Choosing only composers who died more than 70 years ago.

2) If possible, using old editions but in any case avoiding editorial additions.

[Brynfan]

I thought that if you did your own complete arrangements then copyright laws didn't come into it. I know I've done several arrangements of popular songs (from the last 50 or so years) for male voice choirs. Hopefully I'm correct, but if not, I'll ge the copyright police knocking on my door

[Alicia Ocean]

I thought that if you did your own complete arrangements then copyright laws didn't come into it. I know I've done several arrangements of popular songs (from the last 50 or so years) for male voice choirs. Hopefully I'm correct, but if not, I'll ge the copyright police knocking on my door

No. You're not correct.

[barry-clari]

I thought that if you did your own complete arrangements then copyright laws didn't come into it. I know I've done several arrangements of popular songs (from the last 50 or so years) for male voice choirs. Hopefully I'm correct, but if not, I'll ge the copyright police knocking on my door

No. You're not correct.

You do really need to get permission from the copyright holders. Very often, they're most helpful though.

[Brynfan]

I thought that if you did your own complete arrangements then copyright laws didn't come into it. I know I've done several arrangements of popular songs (from the last 50 or so years) for male voice choirs. Hopefully I'm correct, but if not, I'll ge the copyright police knocking on my door

No. You're not correct.

You do really need to get permission from the copyright holders. Very often, they're most helpful though.

Better take my name off all those arrangements then and claim ignorance of where the arrangements came from (so and so knows so and so who sings with rival choir who were given it by someone else, sort of thing) if anyone official turns up to a rehearsal

[Seer_Green]

I thought that if you did your own complete arrangements then copyright laws didn't come into it. I know I've done several arrangements of popular songs (from the last 50 or so years) for male voice choirs. Hopefully I'm correct, but if not, I'll ge the copyright police knocking on my door

Yes, I'm afraid you're quite wrong in that assumption. To make an arrangement of a piece which is not in the public domain (composer died 70+ years ago), then you need permission. There are some exceptions to the 70+ rule too - for example, if you want to arrange something which has been edited or where the copyright has been renewed or transferred, then the composer's date of death may not come into it. I came across someone once arranging pieces from 'The Beggar's Opera' - obviously John Gay died well over 70 years ago, but the problem here was that they were arranging them from an edited edition where the editor was still very much alive.