How Much would a mix CD cost?

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mingus51

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Hello,

I'm assuming that it's illegal for a DJ to make a mixset using
other artists songs and then sell the CD on his/her website, correct?

However, I see Mix CDs in stores, and on websites, etc.. Sometimes not even from well-known DJ's.

On Average, how much does it cost to "License" (if that's the correct term) 12 or 13 songs and make a mixset?
Is that all you have to do?
Would you pay the artist or the label?
And what if it's a re-mix? Do you need to contact the orginal artist AND The re-mix artist?
Would anyone even care, given you may only sell 10 or so CD's?

What's the skinny?

Respectfully,
 
Thanks SHONDRAE,

That's interesting: So in that case, if a "budding" dj makes a mix CD with some well-known songs and takes it to discmakers and only presses 4,999 of them, it's all good?
But not legal, right?

Has anyone kept it on the level (legally), and if so, how much did you pay (in royalties, license fees) for say 12-13 track mix CD?

Cheers.
 
How I see it, after you pay all those fees, it wouldn't even be worth to sell it. You'd be lucky if you broke even.
 
Thanks JiggSaw, for your response.

I don't intend to do this myself...call it curiosity...

You mentioned "all the fees", can you be more specific?

That's what I'm after, a dollar figure like

It will cost $500 to license a Bedrock track for your mix...
or it will cost .05 per CD you sell....

Anyone?

Cheers
 
Well, I go on common sense. I can't really give you concrete facts like SHONDRAE can. But I think you would pay them a flat out cost instead of per cd, since mixtapes like that don't go into retail stores. You would have to get a music lawyer (I guess) to go do the research to get the songs you wanna use cleared. This is how most "new" DJ's get started. They sell out the trunk of their car and sell through "mom and pop" stores. If you are real hot, you will make a lot of money and be able to clear anything you want later. Take DJ Clue, DJ Kayslay, and DJ Green Lantern for example. DJ Clue is now with rocafella, kayslay with columbia, and green lantern with shady records. Now they are making millions of dollars and artists want to "give" tracks to them to help "promote" their album. Believe it or not, some artists bootleg their album on purpose. And they get lots of money for doing so (AZ - Aziatic and 50 Cent - too many to name). But like SHONDRAE was saying the risk is yours. If you are making a lot of money off the mixtapes and the record companies aren't seeing any of that money, they will come down on you faster than a drug dealer running from the police. :p
 
Oh yeah, there wouldn't be a set amount you'd be charged. It all goes on the record label and how "hot" that track is at that certain time. Here's an example. If you wanted to use Nelly's "Air Force One's" right now, you wouldn't be able to even buy a pair of air force one's for 2 years. Unless of course you had a "personal genie". :D
 
Thanks again Jiggsaw...

Yeah, call me overly cautious, but I want to keep my Karma (and bank account) clean. At best I'd sell three or four CD's (at my current talent level) but as I get better and better, so do my mixes so whose to know when all of the sudden your mixtape "takes off"....(I mean who would have though the White Stripes would chart in the top 10 either)...crazier things have happened...

Seems to much trouble to backpedal from there....

I appreciate it.

Cheers.
 
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