Using song previews in a commercial smartphone app

[LivingVisual]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
New York

I'm wanting to create a smartphone app which is built around allowing users to hear song previews. I'm wanting to show previews of songs in chunks of 30 seconds or less (i.e., users will never be able to hear a full song). Am I able to do this without fear of legal issues arising?

 

[Just Blue]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
New York

I'm wanting to create a smartphone app which is built around allowing users to hear song previews. I'm wanting to show previews of songs in chunks of 30 seconds or less (i.e., users will never be able to hear a full song). Am I able to do this without fear of legal issues arising?

Depends. What songs are you thinking of using?

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?
New York

I'm wanting to create a smartphone app which is built around allowing users to hear song previews. I'm wanting to show previews of songs in chunks of 30 seconds or less (i.e., users will never be able to hear a full song). Am I able to do this without fear of legal issues arising?

An unauthorized use of songs (regardless of the length of the preview) is almost always infringing on the rights of the copyright holder. Some courts have found even 6 seconds can be too much to use safely. You need to acquire permission for both the sound recording and the musicial work before you use them.

edit to add: I just read BlueMeanie's post and she asks a good question. If the works are in the public domain (created prior to 1923, for example), then it would be permissible.

 

[Just Blue]

An unauthorized use of song previews is almost always infringing on the rights of the copyright holder. You need to acquire permission for both the sound recording and the musicial work before you use them.

But what if OP is using VERY OLD music...Like Mozart? Is that "owned"?

 

[Just Blue]

An unauthorized use of songs (regardless of the length of the preview) is almost always infringing on the rights of the copyright holder. Some courts have found even 6 seconds can be too much to use safely. You need to acquire permission for both the sound recording and the musicial work before you use them.

edit to add: I just read BlueMeanie's post and she asks a good question. If the works are in the public domain (created prior to 1923, for example), then it would be permissible.

you did the edit as I was posting ...Thanks for addressing my comment.

 

[quincy]

But what if OP is using VERY OLD music...Like Mozart? Is that "owned"?

I edited my post to reflect the question you posed in your post.

Mozart, as long as it is not a copyrighted version of the music, can be used. It is in the public domain. The trick is finding a version that is not rights-protected.



(we seem to be posting over each other again )