Sample clearance ? what are the steps..

I'd like to find out how people have obtained sample clearance for there work. I've just finished listening to The Avalanches CD Since I left You, and read the article in SOS about the group and there process of making this music.

So my questions are:

Who do you contact ? Record co, Publisher, Harry Fox Agency, Artist

Is there a written form to use?

Do you just phone the record company and say "I'd like to use the first 4 seconds of track 4 side 2 ...is that OK?

If you write the record company or publisher...how do you explain what your after??

Any help appreciated,

S

The first step is to get clearance from the publisher of the work. Most of the major publishers have web sites where you can search their catalogs and find contact info for the liscensing dept. You can easily start a dialog through email. Once you make the initial contact, they are going to request:
1. Label / Artist info
2. Distribution numbers and territories.
3. Producer info
4. What part of the published work is being used i.e intro, hook, chorus and how it is being used in the new work.
5. They will request a copy of the new track, etc.

Then they will decided whether or not to grant permission and how much to tear yo a$$ up for.

good luck

Actually bro the avalanches dont really clear shit...

Look at all the top name producers pete rock, madlib, Lord finesse, beatjunkies

They all sample and some of the sources are really obscure.

The thing is they dont clear samples, In this game if you dont clear samples..
You will get a record company on your ass eventualkly, but what usually happens Is they tell you to take your record off the shelf and then by the time you made your money you dont care cause the next album is coming out...
And if they threaten to sue, you usually settle out of court, b/c first off they wanna make money off of you..
By pulling the shit of shelves they cant make any money off you..
So if your shit is billboard worthy then they will let you keep it on the charts in turn for royaltie percentage or awards or publishing rights..
Anything..
But it always is best to keep your shit a secret.. If it is not obvious...
Trust me Ive contatcted many clearing agencys for the Record companies and the form and the request usually take 6 months to 3 months for basica artists to get everything cleared, thats not sensible for a track to take 6 months to clear when you need it to fit in trends now..
And you usually have to pay an upfront fee when your an artist starting off its hard to pay the cost of sampling upfront fees..
Only artist on labels usually can do it..

Also when you sell beats to an artist with samples in it if you are smart you usually have the artist sign a contract that states when you sell a beat its the artist responsibility to find out what samples where used and Get them cleared thus clearing the producer in all responsibilities, and making it the responsibility of the record company and the artist to clear all samples and find out what samples where used even if the producer does not tell the,..

If u selling a beat dont worry about clearing sh-it . the record label does the headache stuff.

Well, I can agree with alot of what Freedom says, we all know obscure things are safe and frankly fair game -hometown record fodder, wee little lables, high school band concerts, Burl Ives etc.....

But to be sure, the Avalanches do say in the Sound on Sound article (UK Mag) that they could not use one prominent sample on there disc Since I Left You ( a Rogers and Hart record or something)..and DID get permission from Madonna to use the bass line from her tune Holiday.

So, even if your going to put your music out there modestly, the issue is real, which is why I was asking for rescources.

And in the meantime have been lead to these sites that were very helpful:

http://www.copyrightkids.org/permission ... ordcompany


Any other info welcome -

S

Yes true but In all actualltiy what was the the date on the last avalanches record..


It takes a long ass time to get shit cleared unless you have an entertainment lawyer who also charge 25,000 a week....

Well my advice do your shit then release it ....

Danja mouse release the GREY album with Jay-z and and beatles remixes of the white album..
He realeased that shit without giving a **** knowing he would cause a stir......
The beatles lawyers got on his ass and stopped all copies from being sold...
But because off all the publicity...
Danja mouse got a record deal that is not cross collaterlized and is worth upwards of 6 milloin plus...

So what Iam saying is put your ass on the line if oyu know what is good for you..

well....that's sort of Guerilla sounding... and perhaps even brilliant from the angle of publicity -

Put it out there and let them chase your ass down....I don't have much to take, cept my MPC.

Almost like wardrobe malfunction on National TV -

I believe the Avalanches Since I left You was a 2001 release -