Most posts on this topic seems to be quite old and I'm interested in this topic for educational purposes.

Have anyone of you ever heard of, read about or experienced anything related to the use of sample libraries that have watermarks and/or could be identified in tv/film and legal action?
Would love to read more about this topic - especially newer material/insights.

 

Well... there was a time when some paranoid enthusiasts tried to tag their libraries with harmonic imprints. However, it was easy to remove these imprints, which made them completely superfluous. But for a good 2 decades now, content id systems have been used. And these are becoming increasingly difficult to trick. Don't even try ;)

 

Can you tell me more about these content ID systems? Or is there anywhere I can read more about them?
Would they be able to recognize certain sample libraries being used in a mix for instance? Even when layered and mixed? And are there any people who have experienced any type of interaction with sample companies based off these ID Systems?

 

There was a lot discussion about watermarks some years ago but as far as I know it never worked as intended. Seems to me it was just intended to bark at people using pirated content without ever being able to really bite.

See this threat on Content ID: https://vi-control.net/community/th...le-libraries-in-your-track-or-are-you.135281/

My 2 cents about the whole matter? If you're making (original) music with sampled libraries like Kontakt you shouldn't need to worry about copyright agencies knocking on your door anytime soon. Even in the slightest event they would sue you? It would be very hard for them to prove you pirated the library. Because there's always plausible deniability. For instance you could've bought the library from someone without receiving a receipt? So they won't even bother to deal with this. It's not worth the effort and money going into this. Except maybe if you're a big star making millions of dollars on songs? But hey, if you're making this kind of money you would be very stupid to not just buy all the licenses of the stuff you use in your music!

However, it becomes a whole different ballgame if you use 'samples' of copyrighted material in your work! Especially vocal samples are easy to detect.

But then again it will depend on how and where you use them? If you use them as an amateur DJ at you local football club you won't have any issues. If everyone likes 'your' work so much and they start to encourage to release songs and you do so on YouTube and/or Spotify with this 'pirated' material be prepared to get lawsuits.

I think we've even come to the point where production companies for film and tv productions will not even accept your work if you can't present the licenses of the products you've used to make this music!

 

Last edited: Nov 17, 2024 at 4:54 AM

Which products do you mean: Kontakt libs or something else?

 

HoRNet "watermarks" their plugin archives; the files inside are exactly the same though, so it doesn't matter. Universal used to watermark their catalogue in the 00s - until listeners complained about audible degradation. To my knowledge, no sample library company (or plugin maker) has been found burning customer information into rendered audio (which does not necessarily mean they're not watermarking the installer or the samples themselves as theirs).

As always, just buy the product if in doubt.

 

A majority of the sample libraries and Kontakt libraries that use watermarking trace to the purchaser.
As for whether anyone has ever been in trouble for using content they did not purchase, if that is what you are asking, I have no idea.

In order for any library or application to be totally traceable, it would need to have something similar to a GPS tracking system and I do not think that has been invented for most software that is globally distributed. If you really want it and intend to use it all of the time, just buy it.

 

Content ID is a very useful tool for artists who are releasing content where 100% of the recorded music is original. It will track your content across the platforms where it operates so you earn every time somebody uses your music, especially on visual media platforms where fans create content using your audio which helps widen your reach and engagement

Read more: https://musicinfo.io/blog/content-id and https://soundscape.io/blog/a-2022-guide-to-music-licensing-and-content-id/

 

'Every' product you've used to create the music! That includes daw, plugins, vsti's, samples and libraries like Kontakt. That is if they'd even want to deal with you? Because they actually only want to deal with agents and companies that endorse you as a composer. Composers like Zimmerman and Williams have their own companies and these are liable for any lawsuits the production companies might throw at them.
Production companies are always responsible for the end product and they don't want to be liable in any way. So they make sure they aren't.
And lets be honest, if you are a professional and make money with your productions you should not be producing those with 'warez'.

So if you want to be a composer for film and/or tv get you shit together! Browsing time for warez is over! No more downloading, plugins and libraries you're never going to use. Time to focus and make an inventory on what you really need to produce the scores that will make you money. Time to buy the stuff you need and make assessments about investments and returns.

Music for tv productions and games have become big business. And the competition is killing nowadays. If you really want to get into this business you must make really sure you have a good business plan. And that includes having all your third party licenses on order!

 

Last edited: Nov 17, 2024 at 1:19 PM

from the perspective of an audio provider
https://audiio.com/content-id

 

Last edited: Nov 17, 2024 at 1:41 PM

The key thing to remember is that the use of anything from the sister site (apart from things that have been released as free by the developer's) is theft.

There is no other argument that can be made.

The whole ethos of the audio Warez Scene, going right back to its early days and coming smack bang up to date is "Try before you buy" and Warez is not to be used for making money.

The moment you start using any kind of warez in productions, be that DAW's, Soft Synths, Sample Packs and Presets or any other related product, that you are going to upload or release on any platform out side of your own home then support the software developers and go buy the software.

Without the developers there will be no products.

 

It would be nice if that would catch on.
From then on, it would also be pointless for developers to add copy protection. Which, by the way, only prevents legit users from using their purchased software without problems. And it makes the software slow and clunky and harder to use.
But do you believe it will ever come this way?

 

I already posted here a topic about warez:
Audioz: posted as free but isn't free
...so what? Tons of rotten tomatoes rained down on me

 

Cymatics - Free Downloads
https://cymatics.fm/pages/free-download-vault

 

this has nothing to do with the current discussion, nor is your post even correct. The beta pack is free. There is not a direct link to the beta pack, as it was a download link sent via email, and does not have a proper landing page. The link posted, is the landing page for the paid version of the beta pack. Its the closest web address available, and makes sense to post.

 

Hate to break it to you man, but it's been a race to the bottom on that for well over a decade.... yeah, it's a big business in tv/games/adverts/movies etc... but the renumeration keeps finding new floors.

 

Ok, If you're a music supervisor requiring licenses, then a producer/composer, submitting their work, answers:
DAW? No problem: Cakewalk Bandlab (free)
FX plugins? Here you are: Meldaproduction free pack (consists close to 40 units covering everything for mixing/mastering)
Synth? you are welcome: Vital (some state it's no worse than Serum), plus one hundred of other free synths
Orchestral? Ok, below is the list:
BBC Symphony Orchestra Discover
Orchestral Tools: Layers
Synful Orchestra
Big Bang Orchestra
Free Orchestra By ProjectSAM
Sonuscore The Orchestra elements

most of the listed are playable by free Kontakt player

And the last, everyone can combine the sounds of these free orchestras, adding to them paid sounds...