Usually when a sport needs music the athlete or team plan a routine around a song. Some might choose a song that’s well known in their country but not universally known. If it’s a folk song it might come off as royalty free.
With the breakdancing they had live DJs cutting songs together and the dancers had to adlib their routines. According to this article the Olympics licensed around 400 songs for the DJs to use. Since each battle used multiple songs you’re going to hear more tracks that you know and forget about the ones you don’t.
Hmmm. A Ukrainian girl used Michael Jackson’s Thriller during her rhythmic gymnastics number. I don’t think that’s royalty free. And the US artistic swimming team used Smooth Criminal, also by Michael Jackson.
I saw two artistic swim teams in a row use Eminem’s Lose Yourself.
That’s because you only get one shot.
This is one of those times where agreeing to do something ‘for the exposure’ is actually probably worth it. Your song is going to be played on a world stage, You really gonna say no?
Not how it works- licensing will be through a third party agency
On the other hand, the Olympics is not a charity. I would not accept exposure credits as payments to artists.
I wonder how many songs they licensed are by artists that would actually need that kind of exposure.
Because the Olympics can afford the licensing fees.
Make perfect sense to use influencial hip hop music for breakdance
Didn’t all 3 podium winners of one of the gymnastics events dance to Beyonce?
Historic hip-hop still comes with royalties.
