Replying to **I need info on Music Licensing and its Penalties**

Hey everybody,

So recently a friend in the film industry that has been watching myself and the rest of the Shadow Puppet Collective grow, called me to warn me that "I'm playing with fire" by using music without a license in things ranging from webisodes to full films. However, I am wildly uneducated on music licenses and the penalties concerned with them, and was hoping someone on NS could shed some knowledge on these subjects.

First off, I understand that if I was actually distributing dvd's I would really need licenses for the music I was using; however, how dangerous is it for me to be doing occasional movie premieres in which I profit, but am still on very much the amateur level?

Secondly, where do webisodes stand regarding movie licenses? They are for free online, can you still get in trouble?

Finally, where does 'creative commons' type music stand.... or to better phrase that, is there some music that you can use without a license. For example, Pretty Lights lets you download music for free off his website, does that mean you can use it without a license? A slightly different example would be the creative commons section on t61.


If anyone has any information please help me understand this all!
Thanks so much NS

Matt Mulligan