Underscore is written by John Bickerton, Creative Director
UniqueTracks Production Music Library
Notes from UniqueTracks 
I've started a blog at UniqueTracks. I use the blog to post about our new CD releases and things of interest to media professionals. Lately I've been writing about podcasts and the legal implications of using music in podcast productions.
Here are a few excerpts from the blog...
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Royalty Free Music for Podcasting
As you may know, there is right now a lot of legal wrangling going on over what music is legal to use [in podcasts] and what is not. ASCAP and BMI, the major performance rights organizations in the US, want to license and in a sense, control the use of music in podcasting. They want to treat the new format like radio, where the podcaster must buy a license to use commercially available music in their podast.
If you have any experience with this, or can point to some links, please post a comment, I'd like to build up some more information regarding the use of music in podcasting.
Did you know that UniqueTracks production music can be used royalty free in your podcast? Using royalty free music relieves you of having to obtain permission or licenses from BMI or ASCAP . You become legally licensed to use the music in your podcast (in as many issues as you'd like).
One good method is to pick a tune that can become the "theme" music for your show. You can use our tracks as your theme music or as transition music between topics. With our licensing, a small one-time fee provides you with a legal-to-use track that you can use in as many of your shows as you wish.
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Podcast Music Licensing and Performing Rights Organizations
I found this description and discussion of podcast music licensing very informative. If you do any type of internet broadcasting, you may be interested in how Performing Rights Organizations are looking at this latest internet broadcasting technology.
Should Podcasters have to pay a fee for the right to play copyrighted songs during a Podcast? Yes, says ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. There's also a good discussion of how much that licensing will cost.
What is a podcast?
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A listing of student film festivals
From the Director in the Classroom Film Festival Resource.
Up-to-date and detailed, this site has an ever growing list of student film festivals. The festivals are sorted by region, with contact info, guidelines and links to each festival page. A great resource for high school and college-age filmmakers, there are even some listings for middle school students.
The list is presented by The Director in the Classroom...
Director in the Classroom examines how filmmaking engages learners. The program gives students the tools, skills and confidence to take creative control of their research and presentation projects and to engage learning using video production.
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New Sound Effects Series
UniqueTracks is developing a 4 volume Sound Design and Effects series for the fall of 2005. Chief designer is Ric Viers who was a key designer in the creation of the voluminous Sound Ideas Effects Library (the gold standard in sound design and effects). We are all excited by Ric's contribution to the UniqueTracks Library.
A link to our blog here. Trackbacks and comments are welcome.
click to get our RSS feed for the blog
If you use an RSS aggregator like Newsgator, please subscribe to our RSS feed. I try to post something once or twice per week.
New Yahoo Group about using Royalty Free Music
We've started a Yahoo group called "royaltyfreemusic" which, as its title suggests, is devoted to discussing soundtracks and their use in professional media productions.
The advantage of a Yahoo group is that the community of people that join can freely interact with each other.
You can:
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Ask technical questions about the gear you're using.
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Post a "business card" of the services you offer (with link to your website if you desire)
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Recommend specific vendors or deals on equipment that you've come across.
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Put up a web page of your current production, then ask members of the group to critique your work.
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Post links to articles of interest for the group.
I archive all underscore newsletters in the group and I've added some free loops to the "files" section of the group.
Click to join royaltyfreemusic
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When you join you'll receive 10 fully-licensed rhythm loops which you can use in your production work.
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Published by John Bickerton
Creative Director, UniqueTracks.com
(c) copyright 2005 UniqueTracks.com
PO Box 150414, Van Brunt Station
Brooklyn, New York 11215
USA
