FAQ - Craig Curry Music

READ ME FIRST: A Very Brief Introduction to Music Publishing and Copyright Law

Thank you for taking the time to familiarize yourself the legalities of copyright related to music publishing. You may assume a composer or arranger of a piece of music legally holds the rights to that music, including with the legal authority to say how that music is used or distributed. Unfortunately, in the world of print music publishing, this is rarely the case.

Every major print music publisher (e.g., Hal Leonard, Alfred Music, etc.) issues a contract to a composer in which the composer signs over all claims to the copyright in exchange for a royalty (usually between 5 - 10%) of the selling price of the sheet music. Here's an excerpt from one of my contracts,

COMPOSER hereby sells, assigns, transfers, and sets over unto PUBLISHER, its successors and assigns, the work, all copyright therein, and the original manuscript now entitled: [INSERT SONG TITLE HERE]

.... the rights herein transferred by COMPOSER to PUBLISHER shall include the sole and exclusive right:

(a) to print, publish, and sell the WORK, etc. (and skipping down to letter "e" in the contract)...

(e) to reproduce the WORK mechanically, electrically, photographically, or electronically;

(g) to license or assign to others upon such terms as the PUBLISHER may determine in its discretion

I tell you all this to help you understand that I don't really "own" my music if it has been published by a print music publisher. So when you contact me with mosts of the questions below, I don't have the legal authority to grant your request. Most publishers have a permissions/licensing page on their website, and that's where you need to go to get permission for your special request.

Do you have a digital copy of [Insert Song Title Here] I can purchase?

If you don't see it listed as a digital product in our shop, then I'm afraid not. You may be able to find some of my previously published sheet music piano arrangements in digital form (search for "Craig Curry" at sheetmusicdirect.com). But I am not legally authorized to sell digital copies of my music unless that company has specifically granted me permission to do so. See "Read Me First" above for more information.

Can I have your permission to record/stream [Insert Song Title Here]?

In all likelihood, I do not have the legal authority to grant your request as I have no rights any of my third-party published music. (See "Read Me First" above for more information.)

I've lost my copy of the parts for [Insert Song Title Here]. Can you send me a pdf of it?

Unfortunately, no. Please see "Read Me First" above for more information. You may want to contact the publisher to see if they have a "Print on Demand" service that is becoming more common in recent years.

How/Where do I download my digital order?

When you complete your checkout you should be re-directed to your receipt/thank-you page and the download links will be available on the right side of the page. If you clicked out of the page before downloading, check your email for a receipt with download links to your files. Please note, due to large file sizes, many of our digital products come in a zip file and are best downloaded from a desktop or laptop computer vs. a smart phone. Many tablets have apps which can open zip files (iZip for the iPad for example) but it's usually easiest from a computer.

If you run into problems, please contact us and we'll get you squared away...

We sang/played your piece, [Insert Song Title Here], at my last position. I want to do it in my new position but I can't find it anywhere, even here! Could I buy or download a copy from you and make copies?

No, I'm afraid not. See "Read Me First" above for more information as to why.

FAQ... Frequently Asked Questions