• Why do I need permission to put music on the worldwide web?
• What do I need to do once I contact SESAM to be able to put music online?
• If I modify the musical work, I heard I can use it freely.
• I have the artist's permission to use the reproduction of his/her visual artwork. Do I need any other authorization?
• I would like to design a music website and would like to know if I can legally put songs or excerpts from known or unknown albums online in real audio format.
• I would like to put my own videos on my personal web page, but add music from CDs or mp3 files.
• Is webcasting or distributing works not subject to rights if the quality isn't optimal?
• Is there a maximum excerpt length under which the use is free?
• I'd like to put online certain songs from albums I bought or even whole CDs and make them available for people to download or listen to.
• I'd like to put some record sleeves, video jackets and book covers as illustration and reference on my website. What authorizations do I need? Any fees involved?
• I'd like to design a website for cartoons.
• I'd like to put a copy of an article I read in a newspaper (or magazine) on my website. What steps do I need to take, what rights do I need to pay, to have the right to reproduce such articles?
• Do I have the right to put online an MP3 track or excerpt by a band that is a member of SACEM if I have the band's consent?
• I'd like to put Midi files on my website.
• I'd like to put the music scores and lyrics of certain songs on my website. Where can I get the authorizations?

Why do I need permission to put music on the worldwide web ?

Musical works belong to those who create them. These, by joining a society of authors (performing rights organization), entrust it to deliver authorizations and licenses to users (producers and broadcasters) and to collect applicable fees on their behalf.

Therefore, before you put any piece of music online, you need to ask permission from SESAM, the organization which handles for multimedia purposes the repertoires of ADAGP (visual arts), SACEM (music), SACD (theater) and SCAM (documentaries).

What do I need to do once I contact SESAM to be able to put music online ?

After reading the terms of prior consent, you fill out the application form online.

If I modify the musical work, I heard I can use it freely.

No, the author (songwriter, composer) can be against the work being modified, altered or adapted. It is part of the moral rights of the artist. Any adaptation or modification must be authorized. You should therefore contact the work's author, whatever the type of work in question.

I have the artist's permission to use the reproduction of his/her visual artwork. Do I need any other authorization ?

The artist's permission relates to his/her moral rights.

ADAGP sets the conditions for using works of visual art, so you also need the consent of ADAGP, represented for multimedia rights by SESAM.

- I would like to design a music website and would like to know if I can legally put songs or excerpts from known or unknown albums online in real audio format.
- I would like to put my own videos on my personal web page, but add music from CDs or mp3 files.
- Is webcasting or distributing works not subject to rights if the quality isn't optimal?
- Is there a maximum excerpt length under which the use is free?

Putting works online, whatever the length, quality and format used, requires prior consent: for music:

• from the performers and producers, who hold copyright related rights. Please contact SCPP (society for music producers' rights) or SPPF (French society for music producers)
• from the rights-holders and thus SESAM if the music is represented by SACEM.

for video:

• from the video producers or audiovisual communication companies, which hold copyright related rights;
• from rights-holders and thus SESAM if the works are represented by SCAM or SACD.

Prior to putting the works online, you need to fill out the application form online.

I'd like to put online certain songs from albums I bought or even whole CDs and make them available for people to download or listen to.

The music CDs you bought are intended for your private use.

Making music publicly available on the Internet, such as through downloading, requires prior approval from the record producers and rights-holders, i.e. through SACEM and SESAM.

I'd like to put some record sleeves, video jackets and book covers as illustration and reference on my website. What authorizations do I need? Any fees involved?

You need to ask the record or video producer and the book publisher for their authorization. If the visuals are reproductions of works by artists who are members of SCAM, SACD or ADAGP, contact SESAM for our authorization. Once you have the authorization, don't forget to mention the credits: the picture's title, name of the artist, publisher, producer...

I'd like to design a website for cartoons.

You need the prior consent of the holders of copyright and related rights: the video producers or audiovisual communication companies that created the cartoons and are the rights-holders.

I'd like to put a copy of an article I read in a newspaper (or magazine) on my website. What steps do I need to take, what rights do I need to pay, to have the right to reproduce such articles?

You can give us the title of the article and the author's name. We will take the necessary steps to give you our authorization if the author is a member of SCAM (society of multimedia authors). Otherwise we will ask you to contact the publication to inquire about the article's copyright status and, if the publication is the assignee of rights for this use, to obtain the authorization to reproduce the article on your website.

Do I have the right to put online an MP3 track or excerpt by a band that is a member of SACEM if I have the band's consent?

The band's consent is required as regards their rights as performing artists.

As to rights concerning reproducing and making works publicly available online, you need to clear those directly with the band's collective administration organization, which the band has joined and thereby entrusted with administering its rights, presently SACEM, represented by SESAM for multimedia purposes.

I'd like to put Midi files on my website.

The use of Midi or karaoke files, whatever the medium, requires the prior consent of every music publisher in question as well as the authorization of the works' authors' society. Any unauthorized use constitutes an infringement of copyright. The website content provider is entirely liable for putting such files online.

I'd like to put the music scores and lyrics of certain songs on my website. Where can I get the authorizations?

SACEM, or SESAM for multimedia purposes, do not handle graphic rights. The music publishers themselves handle the lyrics rights (e.g. reproduction of lyrics in booklets) or music scores (e.g. reproduction of sheet music).