In Defense of a Gentleman
In late 2011/2012 I got the kick to start posting videos to youtube. In the production of these videos I used various songs for the background and one in particular has proven to be an extraordinary gentlemen that my humble blog must speak. Unfortunately for you, I’ve been listening to Oscar Wilde, Jules Verne, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and so this post will probably have a late 18th century tone.
To continue: I made videos and used songs in the background. Now we’ve all heard of grandmothers getting sued for illegally sharing music and so it should come as no surprise that as a general rule you need to have the artists permission before using his or her songs in your video. What happens if you don’t? Well, if you’re monetizing (putting an add on the video) then they can flag your video for not sharing some of the proceeds and instantly stop the monetization. If you’re just putting it out there, as a general rule these days no one cares. Why? Because some songs are used in response to other works. Major sections of the music industry have recognized that derivative works are productive and do help the original artist.
Over course of making videos I have received permission from ThePianoGuys to use their songs and a gentlemen called Ronald Jenkees. Let’s start off with ThePianoGuys. They were this awesome St. George little group that was so accessible, creative, and clever in what they produced and how they shared it on youtube. In September of 2012 they signed with Sony and now getting permission to use their music must be coordinated through Sony’s music bureaucracy. In their defense, Sony does make it easy, they just charge the normal industry standard fees that independent content creators can’t generally afford. This also applies retroactively which means that if I had uploaded a video using their work it’ll get flagged by Sony for violation. Sony is the one company you don’t dispute in the industry. As a result I no longer use ThePianoGuys in my videos. I’ve sadly noticed that my interest in what they’ve been producing has dwindled as well.
Ronald Jenkees has thick glasses and looks like the kid you’d pick on in junior high school. But if you let that get in the way you’ll be one of the dumbest people on the planet. Thankfully one’s attitude in junior high school changes after leaving the institutionalized intermediary holding pen. I’m so glad I’m not the same person I was then, because if I was I would be the one missing out. Ronald Jenkees has an incredible ear and an incredible talent. If you’re going to start listening to him, may I suggest starting with Disorganized Fun? It was one of the first songs he’s written/performed that caught my ear in a big way.
In January of 2012 Ronald gave me permission to use his songs in my videos, and today he still stands by that. Over the course of his musical career he’s given lots of people permission to use his music. This permission is how I heard about him. I was watching a show on JupiterBroadcasting.com and was enthralled with the sound. It’s like a chocolate fountain with nuts–wether or not that’s physically possible.
Ronald has proven to be a true gentleman. Up until this morning my last email exchange from him was in 2012 when he gave me permission to use his songs. I didn’t even reply to say thank you (I can be a prude). This morning I wrote him about my current dispute with youtube and one of my videos. Turns out, I wasn’t the first one to write, but he took the time to write several replies in our exchange. I’ve learned from his blog that he cares more about keeping his word to folks like me then then he does about his contract. He plans on getting out of it as soon as possible. This is the mark of a gentleman in this industry.
Tip of the hat to you Ronald. I’m going to keep listening.
