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Research > Guides > Music Copyright > Permission to use copyrighted music

Permission to use copyrighted music

"Searches of the Copyright Office catalogs and records are useful in helping to determine the copyright status of a work, but they cannot be regarded as conclusive in all cases. The complete absence of any information about a work in the Office records does not mean that the work is unprotected". from: How to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work U.S. Copyright Office.

How to Request Permission to Use Copyrighted Music:

For music published in the United States after 1922, request permission to use the music by contacting the publisher, for printed music, or a music licensing agency, for recordings. If published between 1923-1967, it is possible that the copyright was not renewed so that the work is still in the public domain. You can investigate the status of a piece of music through the U.S. Copyright Office, and by contacting the publisher of the music.

How to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work:

To research the copyright status of a work of music, first read the Library of Congress guide How to Investigate the Copyright Status of a Work. The Copyright Office will provide a complete search report on the ownership of copyrighted works. See the list of fees for all of the services provided by the Copyright Office.

Search the Copyright Office Archives:

The Copyright Monographs Database is a collection of records of works registered in the Copyright Office since January 1, 1978, under Public Law 94-553. The records represent a variety of works including monographic literary works, works of the performing and visual arts and sound recordings, as well as renewals of previous registered works of all classes. New records and new index terms are added weekly.

Process for requesting permission to use copyrighted works:

For sheet music and scores, contact the publishers: Music Publishers Association.

An extensive directory of music publishers to find contact information. Search by imprints for publishers that are no longer in existence or handled by larger companies.

Directory of Publishers' Copyright Policies and online permission forms.

We have compiled this directory from the MPA publishers' list above. The publishers in this list include all include copyright and permissions information on their Web sites, as well as music rental when available.

Sample permission forms

If forms are not available on the publisher's Web site, use these forms devised by the Music Publishers Association.

For recordings and non-print uses, contact the licensing agencies:

There are two types of licenses for uses of musical compositions. These include mechanical licenses that authorize the manufacture of records, compact discs, and cassette tapes for a specific copyrighted musical composition, and synchronization licenses that authorize the use of a copyrighted musical composition in combination with motion pictures, television, videos, and computer programs.

International Copyright:

How to search for copyright outside the United States:

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, revised in 2000, has an excellent guide for looking up copyright information for other countries and international agreements. The online version of the New Grove is available to all Multnomah County Library cardholders. Login using the barcode on your library card.

Type "Copyright" in the search box for international copyright organized by country. The print version of the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians is available in the Multnomah County Central Library, Art and Music Section on the 3rd floor of the Library.

International Copyright Relations of the United States; Copyright Office Circular no. 38A

International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers International list of music licensing agencies; search by country.

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