u/Shazbotanist

Hi there. I have a video produced and ready to go for a song called “The Fifth Beatle,” and I wanted to run it by y’all about whether I need a mechanical license(s) for this.

It’s an original song about someone wistful to have lived the life of The Beatles, and wishing they could have been the oft-discussed “fifth Beatle.” As part of describing that, I weave a number of Beatles references and song titles into the lyrics. So for example, the second verse goes:

*If I’d have been the fifth Beatle, the wonders I would have seen; here, there, and everywhere, across the universe in a yellow submarine.*

You get the idea. And it’s not those parts I’m too concerned about (or should I be?), because the music and vocal melody is entirely original, and I don’t think (?) there’s any issue with just referring to their song titles like that.

But at the very end of the song, there’s a verse that goes:

*I know I’m not the fifth Beatle. Still, I know what I need; love in my life, a little help from my friends, and… eight days a week!*

And that final “eight days a week” line does kinda sound like how the Beatles sing that in their song, and it also goes from the IV to I chord, which the OG song does. The whole thing is maybe 3 seconds long, but still, it’s pretty clearly a cop of that.

Another questionable part is at the end of the bridge section where it says, ”And when the band was broken up, I’d… let it be.” The words “let it be” aren’t sung at all like they are in The Beatles “Let it Be,” but, immediately after that line, there’s a descending chord sequence that mimics the same IV-IIIm-IIm-I thing that’s a recurring part of the Beatles song. Again, about 3 seconds and just that one time, but it’s an intentional cop and homage.

I’m happy to pay for whatever license is needed… also happy (okay, happier) to not pay anything if this wouldn’t be considered a licensable use of those songs. But I’ll appreciate your input and advice, and thank you in advance for it.

I was going to comment on the other recent post about someone not following through with making a custom ASMR video with a peripheral experience of my own, but this is probably different enough to share separately. And I don’t know if it’s anything more than me just venting at this point, or if there’s anything worth discussing, per se, but it’s probably worth calling out as a questionable practice related to the ASMR community. Here’s the story…

An ASMRtist I really like has kept saying that they offer custom videos, so via their website contact form I requested a custom role play of a HS/college exam reading, which was my first big real-life ASMR experience, and which this person would likely have done amazingly well. I assumed I’d hear back with a price quote and to clarify details.

A couple weeks later they posted a new video that mentioned offering customs, and that reminded me that I hadn’t heard back, so I sent the same request again through the website. Again there was no response. So then another week or so later I tried messaging the email listed on their YT channel… Again, no reply. (All messages were friendly and polite and short, btw. I don’t have the initial ones as they were sent through a website form, but I’ll share the email below as a reference.)

So then, a week or so after that, they posted a new video to YT and again mentioned offering customs, so I posted a comment to that video asking if they got my previous messages about that. They replied to my comment and said they would look into it. Okay, awesome… Here we go! But then, again, I heard nothing back.  

So a few weeks later they posted another new video including the same offer of doing customs, and I briefly commented again to ask about my previous requests. This time, they didn’t reply at all, and then several people gave me shit for my comment as if I was hassling this person. I’m like, wtf, they keep mentioning customs and I’m trying to give them that business, so I’m just confused about why I’m not hearing back, and genuinely concerned that maybe they aren’t getting my messages. And on my last comment I said I would stop asking about it, so that was that.

But it was weird and also very unprofessional. If for some reason they didn’t want to do that particular request for me, that’s totally fine, but in that case, taking ten seconds to reply and tell me that would have prevented me from having to keep asking about it and then commenting later on their videos to ask about it. Or, if it wasn’t that, then maybe stop mentioning that you offer customs if you’re not going to follow up with people who actually want them?

Anyway, I’m grasping at straws, really, as I have no idea what happened here. Could just be general flakiness, which I totally get and am guilty of in my own ways. But regardless, it was a little annoying to have my time wasted in that way, and I’m disappointed not to have that custom video. And perhaps the most unfortunate byproduct of this experience is that now I have a hard time watching this person’s new videos because it reminds me of this whole thing and there’s a little twinge of “aww” to it. And that’s too bad, because they really are terrific. 

———  

(Email reference, sent 3/1/26:)

“Hi there, ——“

Over the past month or so, I’ve sent two messages through your website asking about having you do a custom recording for me, but I haven’t heard anything back. I just want to make sure you’re getting those messages, or whether there’s some other issue. I’ve checked the spam folder at the email address I gave you, but didn’t see anything. 

Anyway, please lmk what’s up, and if you’re able to do that and for how much.

Thanks!”