Ask HN: How do some platforms legally play copyrighted music? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How do some platforms legally play copyrighted music?

Hello,

I was curious recently - we started advertising on TikTok. I've never used TikTok before and was surprised that they have copyrighted music on their platform.

I'm assuming they probably have some special agreement with media companies - but it got me thinking; is it possible to (legally) play short snippets of famous copyrighted music on websites?

Is there any way that smaller websites can play short snippets (10-20 seconds) of copyrighted famous songs on their website?

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In the US, there is no exception to copyright based on the length of the clip used. In practice, though, copyright holders often ignore infringing uses if they are short and not commercial in nature -- but they don't have to, and they can change their minds at any point in the future.

If you're talking about using clips in an advertisement, though, copyright holders are much less likely to look the other way.

> Is there any way that smaller websites can play short snippets (10-20 seconds) of copyrighted famous songs on their website?

Yes. The legal way to do this is to buy a license. Usually, BMI or ASCAP are the entities that deal with this. You should contact them for terms. You might also want to consult a copyright attorney for authoritative advice rather than listen to an internet random like myself.

I see - thanks for mentioning BMI and ASCAP; haven't heard of them before.

> You might also want to consult a copyright attorney for authoritative advice rather than listen to an internet random like myself.

Yes - sent out a few initial emails to some lawyers that offer a free consultation; let's see if they respond.

Thank you!

I don't know the exact limit but a tiny sample is allowed as part of another presentation. The YouTuber Techmoan has mentioned and respects these limits and plays audio during his equipment tests.

Playing full songs without a license can get your content (or even your domain or hosting) yanked over a DMCA violation report. Large infractions can result in lawsuits from media rights holders.

Yeah, I would definitely want to avoid this.

I just want to play short snippets of famous songs on the site. 10-20 seconds typically.

> The YouTuber Techmoan has mentioned and respects these limits and plays audio during his equipment tests.

I'll have a look

Fair use never applies to commercial.

In Canada you can pay SOCAN to get a general license for copyrighted content. It's not all content, but they have pretty good coverage.

Much easier to just find public domain stuff for an ad.

I won't be running ads - this is a feature for a very niche audience lol

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