Using my backing tracks

My tracks can be used in a variety of settings, be it for private purposes, music lessons, covers, public performances, auditions, radio, TV or film productions, and more.

Private use

You can use my tracks for free for private purposes, for example:

• rehearsals at home;
• small performances for at most 20 people.

Educational use

Music teachers can use my tracks for free in their lessons, either online or offline as follows:

• Online use: You can stream the tracks from YouTube and other streaming platforms during your lessons so that each time you use them it counts as a view on my channel. Using my tracks online is the way you pay me for their free use and to help me grow my channel.
• Offline use: You can purchase a legal copy of the audio tracks from Apple/iTunes, which you can then use offline in your lessons. If you wish to use the video version you can do so with a YouTube Premium subscription which allows you to download the video for offline use. Other ways to download the videos are not legal.

Public performances

It is possible to use my tracks for public performances. The conditions depend on the size of your audience:

Small audiences (up to 50 people)

• No permission or license fee is due.
• You must still comply with some minor conditions (more information here).

Larger audiences (more than 50 people)

• A license is required.
• For a single performance of a single track, you can obtain a license for €4 by filling out a simple registration form.
• For multiple tracks or multiple dates, you can obtain a one-year license starting from €6 (more information here).

Educational settings

• In some cases I grant free use for larger audiences in a purely educational context.
• Examples include end-of-year concerts at music schools and conservatories, or performances for a non-paying audience in an educational setting.

Important note for opera productions

When using prerecorded orchestral tracks in opera performances, there are additional artistic and technical considerations. In particular, the use of a cue track to keep singers and stage staff in sync with the recording, is often required. I have written a short guide explaining what a cue track is and how it can be implemented in practice. You can find it here.

Auditions

Singers often ask whether they can use my tracks for auditions. The answer is yes, with two different options depending on how you plan to use them:

• Using the track “as is”: If you use the recording without changes, this falls under the category of small audiences (up to 50 people). In that case, no license or fee is due. You only need to purchase the track from Apple/iTunes.
• Using an edited track: If you wish to adapt the recording — for example by making tempo or pitch changes — this is treated as a public performance for more than 50 people. In that case you will need either a single-use license (€4) or a multi-use license (from €6 per year), depending on your needs.

Radio Broadcasts

Through Apple iTunes, radio stations can acquire the right to play my music as part of their programming. If your radio station is interested in broadcasting my music, please ensure you follow the appropriate reporting guidelines set forth by Apple iTunes.

Sync licensing

Synchronization licenses for TV and film productions are managed by CD Baby. Some producers may also find it helpful to access my music through their syncing software provider, Synchtank.

Covers

You can use my tracks to make your own YouTube cover. If you want to monetize your cover, you can acquire a license against payment of a one-time fee of €35 per track. If you don't monetize the video and the video is free of sponsored content, you can acquire a license against payment of a one-time fee of €10 per track. In either case you have to comply with the following conditions:

• You must own a legal copy of the track which you can purchase from Apple/iTunes.
• A cover must be you, optionally with others, singing over the original backing track in a traditional operatic style, without the addition of other instruments or manipulation of the backing track. Purely instrumental "covers" are not allowed. Please inform me once you have uploaded your video.
• Credits must be given in the video itself and in the description of that video. The correct way to credit me is:
  "Backing track by Aberforth D, www.thesoundofopera.com"
• You can also post an extract of at most 60 seconds on other social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) with reference to the full cover on your YouTube channel. The full cover, however, must be exclusively hosted on YouTube.

If you want to make a YouTube cover, please contact me to acquire a license.

Smule

Alternatively you can showcase your talents for free on Smule where I also post my backing tracks. In that case I strongly recommend that you first practice on YouTube before recording on Smule.

Spotify

My tracks are also available on Spotify and some other platforms. You can use them within the rules of those platforms.