You don't have to pay Harry Fox $1000 for a mechanical license. Harry Fox has Songfile (like Limelight, which is no longer available and was set up as an alternative to Harry Fox's Songfile, cost about the same as Songfile). Songfile can be used to license a minimum of 25 song units up to a maximum of 2,500 units.

The smallest unit you can license (for CDs, cassettes, or vinyl) is 25, so assuming your song is less than 5 minutes, you'll need to spend the $16 per song processing fee (which if you license 6 or more drops to $14 per song, as long as all the songs are ordered in the same transaction). Then it's 9.1 cents per song unit (so one song on 100 CDs would be 100 units; 10 songs on 100 CDs would be 1000 units).

They also have a search feature to make sure the song you want is covered.

So 25 units of one song is going to cost you $18.28.

If you plan on releasing 100 CDs with 10 songs on each CD, it's going to cost you $16 for the first five songs, then $14 for the 2nd five songs, plus 9.1 cents per song unit (# songs per cd times # of CDs - 1000 units in this case), for a total of $241 for licensing. Of course, you'll have to add your CD creation costs. If you use something like Kunaki.com (which I've been pleased with) to make your CDs (which includes artwork and jewel case), it will cost you $160.70 to produce 100 CDs. That's about $400 total outlay for 100 CDs (or $4 per CD), which includes licensing and manufacturing.

Not quite $1000.

Here is the Songfile FAQ, which answers most questions about it.

John

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