# Digital Music Online/Copyright Question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-music-online-copyright-question/211568
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 5, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-music-online-copyright-question/211568 "2003-11-05T16:31:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dreamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dreamer)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-music-online-copyright-question/211568/1 "2003-11-05T16:31:08Z")
I would like to put a 30 second sample of a Cover song I have recorded online. I am in the process of getting the mechanical License, but am not sure if I need to get the Digital License just for a 30 second sample.
I’ve seen everywhere on the web (personal websites, amazon, cdnow, etc.) samples of songs that are being sold online. Also many people who have their own websites, host the cover songs they have recorded, sometimes full versions, sometimes just samples.
The Digital license is a completed process if I wanted to put the entire song online, but if I don’t need to go that route, I’d rather not.
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### Author:  [@dreamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dreamer)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-music-online-copyright-question/211568/2 "2003-11-05T18:26:12Z")
ugh! _complicated_, not completed…
So does anyone know anything about this kind of stuff??
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### Author:  [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-music-online-copyright-question/211568/3 "2003-11-05T19:19:35Z")
Why not contact [ASCAP](http://www.ascap.com/index.html) and/or [BMI](http://www.bmi.com/) for assistance?
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### Author:  [@dreamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dreamer)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-music-online-copyright-question/211568/4 "2003-11-06T03:48:32Z")
The problem is that ASCAP or BMI do not represent the song I want to do. I was hoping someone with experience could give me some advice here.
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### Author:  [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-music-online-copyright-question/211568/5 "2003-11-06T04:21:57Z")
My apologies for my ignorance.
What is it exactly that you need? Are you asking for _technical help_ in creating an mp3 file and making it available on a web site?
What do you mean by mechanical license?
What do you mean by digital license?
Are you asking for _copyright help_ is using a song – not your own – and securing rights to offer a sample on the web?
Something else?
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### Author:  [@dreamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dreamer)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-music-online-copyright-question/211568/6 "2003-11-06T04:37:45Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Duckster \*
> \*\*My apologies for my ignorance.
>
> What is it exactly that you need? Are you asking for _technical help_ in creating an mp3 file and making it available on a web site?
>
> What do you mean by mechanical license?
>
> What do you mean by digital license?
>
> Something else? \*\*
No need to apologize 🙂
If you don’t know what a mechanical or digital license is, I don’t think you can help me.
> [@](#):
>
> Are you asking for _copyright help_ is using a song – not your own – and securing rights to offer a sample on the web?
The mech license is for the copyright part, that gives me permission to record my own version.
The digital license is a fairly new thing and it is a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo to me. HFA doesn’t seem to want to answer that question, most likely because they want me to go through the process of getting the DL even if I don’t plan on using a pay-per download service.
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### Author:  [@Apex\_Rogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apex_Rogers)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2003, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-music-online-copyright-question/211568/7 "2003-11-06T04:46:47Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Duckster \*
> \*\*Are you asking for _copyright help_ is using a song – not your own – and securing rights to offer a sample on the web?
> \*\*
I’m fairly confident in answering for **dreamer** that the OP is regarding copyright issues for posting a short clip of a cover of a song online.