Can I sing someone else's song and use it for commercial use? I would give credit to whoever wrote the songs. And if it is a parody, like Weird Al, is it free use?
i've read that Weird Al doesn't have to ask,but he does anyway. he uses his own lyrics and the music is different. song lyrics and music likeness have rights to them.
That would be like remixing a song and selling it. It's not allowed without permission from the artist.
Parody is fair use, but that doesn't make it free. I'm pretty sure Weird Al still has to pay some royalties to the original songwriters. There's a governing body that sets the rate for that type of thing. Fair use basically allows Weird Al to do those songs without seeking permission from the artist. Obviously he did not have permission from every artist he has mocked; I think Coolio once threatened to knock his teeth in. Non-parody covers or use of samples from songs are not fair use, and permission is needed from the owner of that song. The Verve had to give up all rights to "Bittersweet Symphony" because the orchestration was a sample from The Rolling Stones' "The Last Time". The Rolling Stones ended up owning the song and licensed it for various ad campaigns. When it was nominated for a Grammy, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were the nominees, despite the fact that they had never performed the song.
Considering the rumors about the RIAA fining people for singing Happy Birthday in public, I very much doubt it
always always no matter how much exposure that song or remix gets ask permission from the record company. most artists don't own rights to their songs unless ther under their own lable.