Marching Music Downloads, RIP

[Jeff Ream]

34 minutes ago, greg_orangecounty said:

Replace Nate Boudreaux with this guy.  At least he knows how to get the product out so people can see it. 

til they go after him

[drumcorpsfever]

So does this mean that sink rights are no longer going to be needed? Will this open the door to allow music to be played that previously could not have been?

[drumcorpsfever]

So does this mean that synch right are no longer going to be needed? Will this open the door to allow music to be played that previously could not have been?

Edited January 3 by drumcorpsfever

[combia1]

2 hours ago, drumcorpsfever said:

So does this mean that synch right are no longer going to be needed? Will this open the door to allow music to be played that previously could not have been?

Synchronization rights aren’t needed for audio-only recordings. They aren’t needed for live broadcasts. They are only needed for the production of not-live recordings where the audio is synchronized with visual content.

[KVG_DC]

So. If a corps is planning on doing an "official release" on their social media platforms as many are doing now, yes they'll be constrained by sync rights.

Otherwise, no they won't, unless the do edits to their video to cut portions like Tom Blair had to do sometimes for the DVDs 

[Jeff Ream]

14 hours ago, drumcorpsfever said:

So does this mean that sink rights are no longer going to be needed? Will this open the door to allow music to be played that previously could not have been?

sync rights arent going anywhere...or any rights...unless legislation is crafted and passed that changes it

[combia1]

An individual corps obtaining synch rights for their show is easier than DCI getting the synch rights for the entire Top 12 for a DVD or any other AV product. This all because of a “favored nations” clause. I’ll explain. 
 

For the sake of easy math, let’s say every Top 12 corps uses 5 compositions in their show. That’s a total of 60 synch rights that DCI has to obtain, vs the 5 that an individual corps would have to obtain. 
 

Now, let’s say one composer or rights holder wants $.50 per DVD or stream, and another wants $.45, and another wants $.47, and so on. Let’s say 59 of those 60 rights holders ask for between $.45 and $.60 but there is one rights holder (let’s say the Beatles) and they request $2.00 for that one song that was used. The Favored Nations clause stipulates that ALL rights holders get paid the same, and it’s whatever the highest amount is. So now all 60 of those rights holders will get $2.00 instead of the $.45 they had asked for. 

So you can see how expensive the licensing for DVDs can get for DCI. It becomes cost prohibitive and in a lot of cases in the past where audio has been blocked out, it wasn’t because DCI couldn’t get the synch license, it’s because the financial demands of a single rights holder would make it financially unworkable. 
 

This is also a nightmare because there is often a lot of back and forth negotiation. Imagine DCI working with 60 different rights holders and their lawyers? Pretty sure Dante would agree that’s one entire layer of hell!
 

Now, since each corps only has to negotiate with the five rights holders for the songs they used, you can see it’s technically easier to do since you arent dealing with 60 songs. Negotiations and finances are just easier to work through.

Edited January 3 by combia1
Spelling

[combia1]

In the past, each corps was responsible for securing the Permission to Arrange and PERFORM the music. This does not give permission to record and distribute. DCI would secure those recording and distribution licenses. Now, if each corps wants to be able to distribute an AV recording of their show on physical or streaming media, they can secure those synch rights to do so. 

[greg_orangecounty]

On 1/2/2026 at 12:12 PM, Jeff Ream said:

til they go after him

I’m aware that’s not possible. It’s just an expression of my disappointment in Nate Boudreaux’s leadership & problem solving skills. I fear he may be an empty suit.

Perhaps he’s done some good things and I just don’t know about it? 

[Jeff Ream]

22 hours ago, greg_orangecounty said:

I’m aware that’s not possible. It’s just an expression of my disappointment in Nate Boudreaux’s leadership & problem solving skills. I fear he may be an empty suit.

Perhaps he’s done some good things and I just don’t know about it? 

possible...we don't know. i think we're also finding out maybe things weren't as great as we thought under Dan. and remember, Nate, like Dan, serves at the pleasure of the board, who too many have their own prioritized interests they are more concerned about than the activity as a whole. I'd love to see some OC and All Age people have more of a voice.