How do i go about requesting permission to use licensed material, i.e. songs??

Question

I am making a low budget movie and I need to use two songs that are copyrighted, how do I go about getting permission to use these songs?

Answer 1

two parts to this,

you can get the mechanical rights from Harry Fox Agency as they represent non-performance rights for most composers. They charge for use in advance with a minimum of 500 units. That takes care of the composer.

If you plan on taking music off a CD rather than performing it yourself, then you need to get permission from the record company. RIAA does not handle recording permissions, you have to go to the record label directly. Indies and small labels are usually pretty cooperative. Majors usually won't listen to you, prefering to sue for statutory damage ($500 per distributed copy) after the fact.

Answer 2

the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) should be the place to contact. BEWARE: Bands charge HUGE amounts of money for songs to be used in movies, even independent low budget ones. Some can cost a quarter of a million dollars or more.