Bern Central

Q:  So, why “rent” music?
A:  Rent is specified to distinguish from purchase.
(Temporary rental for use of a license is different from purchase of a product whether that item should happen to be tangible [such as pre-printed sheet music] or intangible [such as an MP3 audio performance] where you have purchased the ongoing right to use and enjoy the accompanying audio file).

Since you are not buying and therefore acquiring the copyright itself as a purchase, your interest is not ongoing, but rather limited. That is you are obtaining permission to use some specific aspect of the intellectual property, which specific use is either for a set duration of time or a limited number of instances of the use, or both. But it is not perpetual.

This page serves as your directory for inquiry about the use of bernmeister’s copyrighted works.

{Although this could theoretically apply to academic based content, as a practical matter it applies principally to music. To inquire about use of bernmeister copyright for academic or other non-music based intellectual property, please email to inquiries@bernmeister.com.}

Permissions for musical work under bernmeister copyright:

Mechanical Licensing

This is the most common use of permission obtained. It applies typically when a performer wishes to create and release for commercial purposes their rendition of another artist’s song. As is consistent with industry standards, this permission authorizes for a specific number of releases of the material by that artist onto a transfixed (vinyl, digital, similarly recognized/acceptable) medium. Use of the permission is prepaid and is limited to this specific construct. Other use or construct specifically requires separate and/or different permissions.

At present, the pandemic has interrupted follow up efforts to have this process covered supplementally by a third party agency. Again, once the pandemic is under control and other priorities are met, bernmeister will endeavor to attend to this item.

In the meantime requests for such mechanical licensing permissions of bernmeister music-based IP will be processed internally. Find details and corresponding form a few pages over at Mechanical Licensing  or click here.

Other Licensing

Find details, etc., a few pages over at the Other Licensing page or click here.

Additional overview for this subject is found one page over at the Licensing page or click here.