Legalese digital song remake

[gilesgoat]

This is an odd question but "maybe some of you knows" ..

Suppose I re-do "a chiptune version" of a VERY FAMOUS song ( which despite being quite old seems still someone could not find precisely holds the rights ) ..

Would that fall under "re-doing a cover version" so "no (C) issues" or are you still into some legalese shit ?

Also "I don't know really this one too as well" .. if you put ( or try to put ) a video on YT/whatever showing you playing a version of something .. does that still count as "public performance" you should pay rights and/or you get simply the video taken down for (C) strike ?

I am just curious at what point you end in trouble "for a couple of bleeps" ..

[Dio]

Melodies are fully copyrighted. It doesn't mattter whether you play it on chiptune, bagpipes or bass guitar, if you're performing a famous melody you need to cover PRS, and if you're including it in another product you need a licence.

PRS has some exceptions for very small scales - the youtube video would probably fit into that, as long as it's not monetized. Basically if nobody notices nobody will care, if it turns out to be Baby Shark you'll be in trouble. As you say, it might just be taken down.

[gilesgoat]

Melodies are fully copyrighted. It doesn't mattter whether you play it on chiptune, bagpipes or bass guitar, if you're performing a famous melody you need to cover PRS, and if you're including it in another product you need a licence.

PRS has some exceptions for very small scales - the youtube video would probably fit into that, as long as it's not monetized. Basically if nobody notices nobody will care, if it turns out to be Baby Shark you'll be in trouble. As you say, it might just be taken down.

I see ..

Was just planning to do "a small thing for fun" on my Z80 thing and put up a small video ... but given the song I have in mind is waaaaay more famous than Baby Shark ( and much older ) I think I'll have to keep it for myself then ...

[Dio]

People have been writing demos with 'famous' music included for years. If you're not selling anything, I think the chance of problems is highly unlikely. Worst case would be a takedown notice, I'd guess. (Very possibly an autogenerated one).

[Foozwah]

Yeah, if you're not trying to monetise it there should be absolutely no issue.

Otherwise the weird sucking vacuum sound we'd all be hearing is the millions of pop/rock/metal/folk cover versions on YouTube played on every instrument and combination of instruments possible suddenly all vanishing into thin air.