Get permission to use a mix of music, text, video or images

If you or your organisation produces a creative work that incorporates more than one type of content at any one time, you’ll need to get permission to use all material that is copyright protected and was produced elsewhere. This includes work such as conference presentations or events, where you might be playing music and showing video clips.

Have a plan

When you’re working on a multimedia project, it’s a good idea to have a permissions plan that sets out every item you need to get a licence for, and to include getting permission as part of your project plan. You should try to negotiate the same licence conditions for every element of your work, so that its success isn’t compromised by a failure to get permission to use a single element in the way you want to.

Get permission for every element

It’s also important to remember that if you’re using a multimedia work that has been created by somebody else, you may have to get permission for every different item they’ve used. So if you’re using an animation clip that has a soundtrack, for example, you’ll need to ask whether the soundtrack is owned by somebody other than the animation.

Visitors to the Copyright Hub should note that, at this moment, the Hub can only provide some answers to your questions but over time it will offer more comprehensive information and guidance on copyright licensing and related matters.

If you still can't track down the copyright holder, contact the Copyright Hub for advice.