The Music Thing.

Before I post another slideshow I wanted to take a quick moment and explain the music thing.

You may have noticed that all of my slideshows use the same music. There is a reason, and it isn't because I am lazy or unable to think of or even find another song. The reason is a legal and an ethical one.

It is illegal to use music in the slideshows, on my website, blog or in any other capacity without the permission of the artist, their managing group, music publisher, and everyone else connected to the creation of that piece of music. Buying the song on iTunes does not constitute this permission. When you buy a song on iTunes, or on CD or whatever, you are doing so for your own personal enjoyment. For me to buy that song and then put it on a slideshow that is then heard by how ever many of you it is that read this blog, is linked to those images in a way the musical artist did not approve of, and to essentially market my business with is illegal. And, in truth, it is unethical to do so. Just as I create images and they are copyrighted, and I don't want anyone using them to promote something else or using them without having paid for the right to use them, so is the case with music. Musicians are artists too, regardless of the fact that they get paid way more than wedding photographers.

Many people are using popular music and getting away with it. Why? Because they are the little guy and chances are the big record companies aren't going to come after them. But is it not wrong just because no one is watching? The answer is no. To use popular music involves getting a very complicated set of permissions and synchronization liscenses and paying thousands upon thousands of dollars for the right to use it. Something this little studio can't afford - and really, who can?

So, there is music out there that is "royalty free" and created for just these sorts of needs. That is the music you hear on my slideshows. The reason you are hearing the same songs over and over again is because even this music is expensive - between 50-100 bucks a piece, and sorry, I'm just not budgeted for new songs for every slideshow. Maybe one day I'll have a nice collection of royalty-free music to draw from. But for right now, you're stuck with what I've got. :0)

But, Mthree, you used popular songs a few months back. Yeah, I did. Twice I think. And I knew it was wrong. I saw colleagues doing it and thought "what the heck?". I'm sorry for it and if I could, I would take it back. I'm looking for a way to fix that karma.

Okay, there you go. Onto our regularly scheduled blogging...