Are MIDI Virtual Instruments Copyrighted?

stewartgable

New member
This might be an obvious question, but--

Are MIDI virtual instruments copyrighted? Meaning, if I record original music using virtual instruments not created by me, do I have to credit the maker of the virtual instrument?

I'm not talking about loops, I am simply talking about using, say, the bass, string, keyboard, synth, and drum sounds from a virtual instrument library that I did not create to record original music of my own. Can I consider that music original, or do I have to credit the maker of the sounds of the virtual instrument library for creating the sounds I am using to create a song?

Again, I am writing all the melodies, rhythms, harmonies--all the notes are original, it's just the SOUNDS playing the notes I did not sample or record myself.

I am totally new to MIDI, and I only ask this because after years of recording live instruments I sort of feel like it's cheating to use these MIDI virtual instrument libraries to get such clean, beautiful sounds, which I had no part in creating.

I am using PreSonus Studio1, by the way. The libraries I am using are the ones that came with the program, one is called Mai-Tai, the other Presence.

Thanks for the help, ya'll.

-Stewart
 
I'd be willing to bet that the license agreement you agreed to without reading when you installed the software answers that question. ;)

Do you have to credit Gibson if you record a part on a Les Paul? How about Vox for the amp you played it through?

The code is probably protected by copyright, but the sound that comes out can't be. Even if you use one of their presets, that has to be royalty free, or they'd never sell any.

Edit - Course with some software, the actual price depends on how much money you end up making off of it. Reaper, for example, is $60 as long as you don't make like $10,000 a year off of it.
 
you don't have to credit anyone if you are writing the music and it's original, you can use sounds as much as you want, even if you made £100,000,000 and had a multi national #1 hit that lasted 40 weeks and sold 10,000,000 copies a nano second, you are still covered.
 
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