How are music royalties collected and paid out? Wondering particularly about classic musicians like Bach, but also for modern music of performers both alive and dead

Question

How are music royalties collected and paid out? Wondering particularly about classic musicians like Bach, but also for modern music of performers both alive and dead

In: 5

Answer 1

Bach has been dead so long that all he ever produced is in the public domain. You can freely use all his music.

What’s copyrighted are recordings of specific orchestras playing it.

So if you want to use it for a commercial product you ask them if you can license it and how much it costs.