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imovie music licence

I need to confirm that I have the right to use music for a video I created for a client using iMovie and for which Youtube have flagged a query when they tried to upload it.


I have found some posts dated 2012 and 2014 stating that it is ok to use the music within iMovie for personal and commercial use. Is this still the case in 2020?


Secondly, is it possible to find out who composed the music available within iMovie in order to credit them?


Thanks in advance for any advice on this.


Posted on Jun 15, 2020 8:58 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 15, 2020 9:54 AM

Hi, Boniwell_Graphics,


Your rights would be determined by the iMovie license. To read the iMovie license, open iMovie and

click on iMovie/About iMovie/License. The last paragraph of section 2G provides in part as follows:


"Except as otherwise provided, all Media Content included in the Apple Software may be

used on aroyalty-free basis in your own video projects but may not be distributed on a standalone basis (andaudio Media Content may only be used for your own personal, non-commercial use)."


Sections 2A and 2F also appear to be pertinent.


The above Section 2G quote would appear to preclude commercial use of the iMovie audio content. The

part in the last sentence in parentheses has been added recently. Read through the entire license agreement to see if you can fit into an "except as otherwise provided" category. In general, monetizing another's work of art has been one of the more problematic issues in copyright and license law. However, as always with legal issues, you would need to consult legal counsel

for a definitive opinion.


In addition to the "commercial use" issue, there could be a "personal use" issue for content published on social media or other websites. In other words, it might not be "personal use" if others can access it on the internet. Again, that would be a matter that would require consulting a lawyer for a definitive opinion.

You Tube has a library of songs that it says may be used in your You Tube projects. You might check

out one of those and see if they would be suitable. Some of them aren't bad. Also, sometimes a You Tube copyright flag will contain conditions that are acceptable to you, such as only requiring attribution, or prohibiting

publication outside of the USA.


As for finding the identity of the composer or license holder, the You Tube copyright flag query should identify the holder of the license. Also, you might be able to find some of the iMovie audio content on iTunes, or through an internet search, where you

could get the song information. While attribution always is good, doing so does not necessarily get around copy rights.


-- Rich


 

3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 15, 2020 9:54 AM in response to Boniwell_Graphics

Hi, Boniwell_Graphics,


Your rights would be determined by the iMovie license. To read the iMovie license, open iMovie and

click on iMovie/About iMovie/License. The last paragraph of section 2G provides in part as follows:


"Except as otherwise provided, all Media Content included in the Apple Software may be

used on aroyalty-free basis in your own video projects but may not be distributed on a standalone basis (andaudio Media Content may only be used for your own personal, non-commercial use)."


Sections 2A and 2F also appear to be pertinent.


The above Section 2G quote would appear to preclude commercial use of the iMovie audio content. The

part in the last sentence in parentheses has been added recently. Read through the entire license agreement to see if you can fit into an "except as otherwise provided" category. In general, monetizing another's work of art has been one of the more problematic issues in copyright and license law. However, as always with legal issues, you would need to consult legal counsel

for a definitive opinion.


In addition to the "commercial use" issue, there could be a "personal use" issue for content published on social media or other websites. In other words, it might not be "personal use" if others can access it on the internet. Again, that would be a matter that would require consulting a lawyer for a definitive opinion.

You Tube has a library of songs that it says may be used in your You Tube projects. You might check

out one of those and see if they would be suitable. Some of them aren't bad. Also, sometimes a You Tube copyright flag will contain conditions that are acceptable to you, such as only requiring attribution, or prohibiting

publication outside of the USA.


As for finding the identity of the composer or license holder, the You Tube copyright flag query should identify the holder of the license. Also, you might be able to find some of the iMovie audio content on iTunes, or through an internet search, where you

could get the song information. While attribution always is good, doing so does not necessarily get around copy rights.


-- Rich


 

imovie music licence

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