On the Topic of Licensed Music

[Arc of the Half-Moon]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/F9hagVL-__c"

I am thinking about doing an arrangement of Metal Gear Solid 3's end credits theme, "Way to Fall" by Starsailor. The problem is that this song wasn't actually originally written for the game, and licensing fees were paid in order to use it in the game. This is the only case of licensed music in the game, and the song itself actually holds a lot of importance to the game's story. Seriously, Kojima could not have picked a better song to follow the ending, and if you know how this game ends then you know exactly why that's true.

The game doesn't have any other real end credits theme, unless you count the short track that comes after it which is just the standard orchestral thoroughfare. What I want to know is, given the nature of licensed music, whether or not an arrangement of this song would even get a single chance at being accepted if submitted.

[MaestroUGC]

We're straddling a very fine line here as it is with our normal arrangements, fair use is a very grey legal area. However licensed music isn't, and if the game publisher had to pay for the rights to use licensed anything in their game we would too.

So no, nothing like that could ever make it onto the site proper. You can still do it, we can't really stop you, but don't count on it making the site.

[Arc of the Half-Moon]

Damn. Well, there's always Revengeance Butt-Rock, I guess.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/mhS8oJ_N-Kc"

^I can make an arrangement of this, right?^

[Maelstrom]

Yeah, good luck with that. You'll need it.

[Arc of the Half-Moon]

Bah! You worry too much. I'll be fine... 
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[Arc of the Half-Moon]

Besides, someone's gotta help beef up the teeny-tiny Metal Gear page on this site, and if someone's gotta do it, then it might as well be me.

[MaestroUGC]

I like your zeal, but I suggest starting with non-licensed music if you wish to do that.

[Arc of the Half-Moon]

Yeah, I know. Thankfully, this is only one of very few licensed tracks that this series has used. Besides, to make an arrangement of "Way to Fall" before the game's namesake track would be madness.

As long as this is still free-game, I'll be perfectly happy:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/_CbFAZ2ztlE"

[KefkaticFanatic]

YES do Snake Eater

[mikey]

We're straddling a very fine line here as it is with our normal arrangements, fair use is a very grey legal area. However licensed music isn't, and if the game publisher had to pay for the rights to use licensed anything in their game we would too.

So no, nothing like that could ever make it onto the site proper. You can still do it, we can't really stop you, but don't count on it making the site.

I thought nintendo gave the go-ahead for intellectual property

[MaestroUGC]

They've been fairly wishy-washy about that lately, so I think it's best to err on the side they won't be cool with it.

Still has nothing to do with Licensed Music, because the copyright holders to that aren't the game publishers, but the music publisher they got it from. Those guys can and will sue if they catch you; they have no qualms.

[KefkaticFanatic]

I highly doubt it would be an issue considering the billions of guitar tab hosting websites everywhere, but eh.  Worst case you can just arrange it and leave it in your personal thread.

[Arc of the Half-Moon]

YES do Snake Eater

Will do, but first I have to finish up "The Best is Yet to Come".