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So how can I know which of the old Classical Greats are OK to use. What do you look for to know if some piece of music has copy rights. This is probably a dumb question but I honestly don't know. Do you look for some type of label or would it just say that it has copy rights?
See this link: Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States
It has a pretty good summary and it is not simple. And this is just for the US. Any published work before 1923 is in the public domain. After that it gets complex.
BDSC, I agree with you 100%. Key question you asked is "Who is going to see my video ?" Youtube and vimeo both have options to make your video private, available only to people you give access to.
Bottom line it's what the artist/record company thinks that matters. Will they ask youtube or vimeo to remove your video ? Maybe. Will they "go after" you ? Doubtful.
BDSD----take a good look and a demo download of Sonic Fire 5. With it, you can take any piece you choose and say exactly the time you need it to be and the app will do it for you perfectly. You don't need to be a musician.
Steve