Can a Person Legally Rewrite a Song, Use Karaoke As the Ba
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Last updated: Friday, August 5, 2011
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Well here’s a question I just had to answering straight away:

Question: For example, if you hear a song on the radio and think it would be more fun (Yankovic) or even more useful with different lyrics and you decide to do the following:

1. Rewrite the lyrics for your purpose (teachers do this often in the classroom to popular TV theme songs)

2. Purchase the karaoke version of the song (this will provide the background track needed)

3. Record your original words over the purchased karaoke version of the song

4. Burn it on a CD with new title and on the label giving credit to karaoke company and original artist

Is it possible to distribute? Can it only be heard on YouTube, TeacherTube, etc.?
What are mechanical licenses for cover bands to make CDs? Does anyone have info on that? I am asking this question for a friend who IS a musician as well (not sure how stealing and schooling work in the same instance – byron) but wanted to cover all the bases and google was no avail :) Thanks for the honest answers so far – piracy is not an option for this person due to their profession.
Sorry not byron (no one here with that name) but ALAN…no cheating and I am pretty sure that anyone who writes music, plays music, records music, and edits music is a musician :)

Answer: NO< I am a musician,Lets give you some schooling.all music and vocals are copywrited. If you take away the lyrics and use the music for profit, its is illegal. Now if you ask the artists permission to use his or hers material. and you will pay a fee usually in the thousands.As a example when you Hear songs used in comercials. A hefty fee has been paid to use this tune. And residuals are paid to the artist every time it is played.I know I have a few songs out there that have been used. One is used in a PBS documentry. up to this day .I recieve a chk about evey three months.Not much. two others I sold out right,losing all my rights to the material. I can not record them .Or technically preform them. But i do . Just never tell people it is my material.If you create a song using music from a named artist. and put it on Youtube.It a open format. as long as you say that this is a parody. or the Like.Hope this cleared up any confusion.But again what you can get away with is another thing.
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Comments
3 comments have been left so far »
  1. Juan Barajas
    August 5, 2011

    Yes people do it all the type but I would change some of the beat like 1 sec of it then it’s not considered plagerised. And goodluck with your cd

    Leave a reply
  2. mark l
    August 5, 2011

    no, its all good

    Leave a reply
  3. byrde94
    August 5, 2011

    Not legally.

    You are stealing their music.
    Giving credit to the karaoke company and original artist means nothing.

    you don’t have to believe me, ask a copyright attorney
    (which is a LOT cheaper than paying a lawyer later, to protect yourself, after you have been sued)

    You are using someone’s music.

    you have to get their permission FIRST, and work out a royalty deal.

    I know that I will get a lot thumbs down for this answer, from pirates that steal music,
    but my answer is correct.

    You can’t even give it away free

    You do NOT own the copyrights to the music.

    Leave a reply

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