Copyright Services

Copyright services cover sync, permissions, reprints and all licensing enquiries. Our team has specialist knowledge in the complex area of copyright and aim to make the licensing and rights clearance process as straightforward as possible. The catalogues we represent contain many well known pieces of music including Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, Stravinsky’s The Firebird and Tippett’s A Child of Our Time. We also encourage you to make use of our free advisory service to help you find the right music for your film/TV/ad.

Permissions

If you want to reproduce an extract from a piece of music in a book, magazine, journal, CD booklet, dissertation or thesis, you will need permission to do so and there may be a charge involved. In order to help us process your enquiry as quickly as possible, please supply us with the following information:

  • Composer
  • Work
  • Length of extract (if applicable)
  • Number of extracts/works in publication
  • Order number (for printed editions)
  • Publication
  • Publication date
  • Selling Price
  • Territory

Upon receipt of this information, we will assess your enquiry and, if necessary, refer it to the original publishers for their approval. If your request is granted, we will issue a licence detailing the correct copyright line you are required to use and the terms under which the licence is granted. Fees will also be discussed and are payable upon receipt of invoice.

Exams

We know that examiners often require a copy of the music during grade and diploma exams. In certain circumstances we allow a single photocopy to be made provided that it is destroyed after use and the correct copyright line is credited. Please contact us as soon as you have the date of your exam in order to ascertain what the situation is with your chosen repertoire.

Grand Rights (licensing for opera/ballet)

Whenever music is used in a musico-dramatic context (broadly defined as opera, dance/ballet and musicals), copyright fees are negotiated and collected directly with the publisher rather than through PRS for Music or IMRO. MDS Hire & Copyright acts exclusively on behalf of publishers and has a wealth of experience dealing with all the major opera houses and dance companies in the UKand Ireland.

In order to provide quotes for fees, we need to have as much information about performances as possible including venue, seating capacity and ticket prices. We would also recommend that you send your initial enquiry to us at least three months in advance of your proposed performances.

Sync

MDS Hire & Copyright is able to licence some of the most well known and loved classical works in the repertoire including Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, Stravinsky’s The Firebird, Ligeti’s Atmospheres, Morton Feldman’s Rothko Chapel and Arvo Pärt’s sublime Spiegel Im Spiegel. As well as being able to offer clearance of publishing rights, we are also collaborating with an ever growing number of record companies in order to offer master rights thereby creating a one-stop-shop for production companies and ad agencies. Please contact us to see how we can help.