Choosing a band charts website – Why licensing is important.
A website offering legal band charts would clearly display the words ‘fully-licensed’. Otherwise it is a certainty that they are selling illegally. At go-charts.com we have obtained licenses for all charts in our catalogue. Subsequently we pay royalties through the Publisher of each song.
Why do you need licensed charts?
Arrangers must obtain licences from the mechanical copyright owner (s) via their representatives. The process of licensing can be time-consuming and owners often deny permission. The rights normally belong to a song’s composer(s)/lyricist(s). It is their property and so they can do what they want with it. Go-charts charts are 100% legal because we pay royalties of normally 50% (+20% VAT) to the Publishers.
If you’re tempted to buy illegal charts, then please stop & think. Publishers are more and more on the case with illegal use/copying of their material.
Why choose go-charts for fully-licensed musical arrangements?
As an owner and performer of a go-charts.com musical arrangements chart, it is worth appreciating this: Half the price you pay is your ONLY contribution to the copyright owners. So you have the right to use it as many times as you want.
Performing Rights are an entirely different thing. Every venue/cruise line buys a PR licence, which gives you permission to PERFORM your songs. However PRINT licences are the arrangers’ responsibility. For you to use unlicensed printed music is an offence.
Here Are A Couple Of Links To Study:
https://copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/p13_permission https://copyrightservice.co.uk/copyright/p01_uk_copyright_law
Selling & Buying:
Selling (and buying) an unlicensed chart, without paying copyright fees, is illegal. This is the same principle as if you copied and sold an Elton John CD. However the difference is, copying a CD, no-one would know! But you would be actually using a chart that people can SEE musicians playing on stage.
Why licensing is important. It only takes an administrator from a major Print publisher to be in your audience to hear a song they know is in their catalogue. As a result they are likely to quiz you about it. Subsequently they could warn you to stop using the chart altogether, and there can be huge fines for continuing the break copyright law.
Please only buy legally-sold charts! go-charts catalogue
The quality of go-charts musical arrangements is highly thought of throughout the world. Please check out the endorsements page!