Getting Song Perms

Recommended Precursors:

• None!

This article mostly contains recommendations and advice, rather than formal instruction. Feel free to take the information here with a grain of salt.

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Before you chart any song for XDRV, you should make sure that you have permission from the artist to chart it. If you are not permitted by the artist to use their song, you cannot distribute or post about the chart in the XDRV community Discord server. Permissions to chart a song can be in the form of general permission or charter-specific permission.

Acceptable General Permissions

General permissions are a statement by an artist that certain songs can be used, provided that the usage falls within specific guidelines. These permissions include Creative Commons licenses on songs and general permissions that an artist gives for charters using their discography.

Approved Artists List

The Approved Artists List is a list of artists that gave blanket or conditional approval of their music to be used in custom XDRV charts. If a song is covered by the list, it can be used in a custom chart.

Creative Commons Licenses

Creative Commons licenses are a type of license that artists put on their songs. If a song is licensed under a Creative Commons (CC) license, you should be able to use it in XDRV without issue. With that said, CC licenses can be composed of multiple symbols, which each symbol having its own ramifications.

CC

A singularly CC license allows for anyone to use a given song for any purpose. This, of course, includes charting.

BY

A CC license containing BY requires that you properly credit the artist for their song. You should be doing this with all of your charts, so no special measures need to be taken.

NC

A CC license containing NC requires that you do not use the song for any commercial purposes. XDRV does not allow custom charts made for monetary purposes, so once again, no special measures need be taken.

SA

A CC license containing SA, a “share-alike” clause, requires you to put your chart under the same CC license as the song being used. In short, your ownership of a chart made using a CC-SA song is slightly compromised. You can still chart the song, however.

ND

A CC license containing ND, a “no derivatives” clause, requires you to not remix, transform, or build upon the song. Most readings of this clause count custom charts as derivative works. Therefore, you must get individual permissions from the artist if you want to use a CC-ND song.

For any song with a valid CC license, charters should still respect the artist by ensuring that using the song in a chart does not contradict the artist’s wishes.

General Charting Permissions

Many artists have website pages, social media posts, or digital documents which permit charters to use their music in custom content for rhythm games, including XDRV. If you want to use a non-CC song in a chart, check if the artist have given general charting permissions prior to emailing them. Also ensure that these permissions include XDRV. If an artist allows their songs to be used in custom charts for non-commercial games, for instance, XDRV is covered. If an artist only allows their songs to be used in one game, alternatively, XDRV is not automatically covered.

If you are looking for information about song usage on an artist’s website, look for a page about “Guidelines” or “Song Use.” In many instances, this page is linked on the contact page of the artist’s website. Be cautious when using machine translations for websites written in other languages, as small details can get miscommunicated.

Some artists attach general song permissions on link-aggregate services (such as Linktree) or give brief permissions in the descriptions of their accounts (including Bandcamp).

Many artists specify non-commercial and personal use of their songs. Both the base game and all XDRV customs distributed through the community Discord server are non-commercial works. On the other hand, personal use means that the creative entity making and distributing the work is an individual or an informal group of individuals. XDRV customs also fulfill this in most cases.

Obtaining Individual Permissions

If you are unable to find general permissions for a singular song and are still interested in charting that song, you can then contact the artist and ask for permission directly. Here are the steps you can use to contact an artist:

1. Find an appropriate way to contact them. Typically, the best way to contact an artist is by sending them an email. You can also contact them through Discord, X, Bluesky, or through the “Contact [ARTIST NAME]” button on their Bandcamp (if they have one). Do not ask for permission to chart a song on a public post.

2. Put together a message for the artist. Consider using the template provided on the XDRV community server. If you do not want to use the template, make sure your message:

   • Addresses the artist by name
   • Includes the song that you want to chart
   • Acknowledges that you are making a custom level
   • Acknowledges that their song will not be used to make money in any way
   • Provides a link to XDRV’s website and/or Steam listing
   • Mentions the “custom content whitelist” and provides the corresponding email

3. Proofread the message, and then send it.

4. Give the artist ample time to respond. If they do not respond after 1-2 weeks, feel free to follow up. Note that some artists do not respond to custom chart requests.

General Terms

If the person you are messaging may need a translation machine to understand your message, try to use general, common terms that the translation machine will handle correctly. For instance, refer to custom charts as “custom levels”. “Non-commercial” is also a safe term to use.

There are some ways that you can improve the likelihood that you get a response–writing a clear email, selecting a song you can purchase, and even selecting an artist already familiar with or having contributed music to XDRV. Bear in mind, however, that regardless of prior circumstances, there is no guarantee that you get permission to chart a song in XDRV. Artists have a right to the music they produce; if they do not want their song being used for free, such should be respected.

Message Content: What to Include

You may have a few questions about what you should or should not include. Here are some questions and answers:

• Can I add things to the template? Of course, but bear in mind that the template excels at conveying exactly the information that it needs to. Avoid adding superfluous details.
• Should I introduce myself? I like to because it feels more formal.
• Should I state that I am a fan of the artist’s music? It doesn’t hurt to, though that is practically a given. Consider keeping it to a brief message within your self-introduction.
• Should I state what I like about the song I want to chart? Once again, it doesn’t hurt, but it is a bit superfluous.
• Should I share my plans for the chart? Unless you are trying to use your plans as leverage, I advise not to. Artists typically won’t mind you using the chart in a larger project, provided that you still got permission to chart the song.
• Do I need to ask for permission to use the jacket as well? You shouldn’t have to. Typically, song permissions transfer to the jacket art. As long as you credit the jacket illustrator properly, you shouldn’t have any issues.
• Can I exclude the “custom chart whitelist” info? Again, I advise not to. It only takes a small, separate paragraph, and it opens up the potential for other charters to use their music in the future.

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Obtaining permission to chart songs might seem like a major obstacle at first, but understanding where and how to get song permissions makes it far easier. There are many different songs you can chart without even having to send an email–all you have to do is look. If you find that your individual song usage requests are taking some time, consider charting a song with general permissions in the meantime.

Again, remember...

There is no guarantee that you get permission to chart a song in XDRV, regardless of prior circumstances.