NPR Webinar Slides/Reporting Incidental Music
July 8th, 2009 by Phil JohnsonI gave a webinar about SoundExchange reporting to NPR stations this past Tuesday, which was well attended. Many questions were asked and answered. Thanks to all who participated and my apologies to those whose questions I didn’t have time to get to.
The slides from my presentation can be viewed here.
Also, an important clarification has been made to an FAQ about how long a song recording can be played before it has to be reported. After further consultation with the legal eagles here is our official answer from the revised FAQs:
Q: Is there a threshold length for how long we can play a sound recording before we have to report it?
A: There is no simple threshold length to determine whether a song/recording needs to be reported. In short, all recordings play should be reported. However, there is an exception for performances that are brief AND incidental to the other program content. “Brief” means playing any one recording for less than 30 seconds (as long as it isn’t played in its entirety). “Incidental” is much more vague, but generally refers to musical transitions, performances during news, talk and sports programming and background performances. Again, both conditions must be met to meet the exception; simply playing less than 30 seconds of a recording is not enough; it has to also be incidental or secondary to the main program content. This leaves lots of room for grey areas. When in doubt, report it. For further clarification or questions, refer to your own legal counsel.