MUSICOLOGIZED | Latest Articles
Analysis and Perspective on Matters of Music Copyright and Forensic Musicology
Ninth circuit would like to be part of the problem.
May 1st, 2025/ by Brian McBreartyOr maybe it’s my problem. After the judge in Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” in...
BBC World News, NPR, Musicologize discussing Dua Lipa “Levitating.”
April 1st, 2025/ by Brian McBreartyDelighted to be on with the BBC to discuss, fortunately, not one of the more nuanced cases out there. And especially ple...-
Copyright Similarity Tests: Does Intrinsic Matter as Much as Extrinsic?
February 7th, 2025/ by Brian McBreartyI was reading an academic paper the other day, and it began: You are just as qualified as any expert to make a judgment ...
Preventative Musicology
Clearance analysis services for music supervisors, creative and advertising agencies, production companies.
Litigation Consulting
Comparison and analysis services, trial preparation, and expert witness.
Audio Analysis
Forensic audio services, sample identification, sample recreation consulting, licensing matters.
Forensic musicology is the application of musical expertise, most often involving the analysis of melody, harmony, rhythm, form, and orchestration to illuminate the relevant truths in matters of civil law. Here on MUSICOLOGIZE we explain our forensic musicology services and our articles cover some of the most interesting cases currently in the news.
Music Copyright infringement cases actions are increasingly prevalent and the technology boom in the recording industry over the past decade has made it very easy to misappropriate intellectual property. Copyright infringement is not merely “sounding similar” however, and Musicology distills significant similarity from insignificant similarity and infringement from inspiration.
FORENSIC MUSICOLOGIST | BRIAN MCBREARTY
MUSICOLOGIST,COMPOSER,SOUND DESIGNER,AUDIO ENGINEER,LICENSOR,MUSIC THEORIST
Brian McBrearty
Forensic Musicologist
Brian McBrearty – Forensic Musicologist
Forensic musicologist Brian McBrearty provides expert music analysis in support of copyright infringement litigation, clearance evaluations, and dispute resolution. Through Musicologize, he offers specialized services to attorneys, composers, producers, advertising agencies, music supervisors, and creative professionals.
Services include:
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Analysis of musical works to assess the plausibility and strength of a potential copyright infringement claim
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Pre-release evaluation of original music to identify and clear potential copyright risks, with compositional recommendations provided where risk is present
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Preparation of expert musicologist reports, declarations, and analytical opinions to support copyright litigation and dispute resolution
Brian holds degrees in Music (B.A., majors in Music Theory and Composition, and Jazz Studies; minor in Music Business) and Economics (B.S.). He is a member of the American Musicological Society, Copyright Society of the USA, Society for Music Theory, American Bar Association, and ASCAP.
He also operates Sonitarium.com, a production music library, and Mediagloss Audio Studio, where he provides music composition, sound design, and audio consulting to clients in media and advertising. He has composed and produced hundreds of pieces for broadcast, advertising, and branded digital content.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Brian writes on topics related to music copyright and appears in national news outlets. He delivers guest lectures at universities in both music and law departments. He welcomes media inquiries, podcast invitations, and guest lecture opportunities related to music copyright and forensic musicology.
Contact:
brianmcbrearty@gmail.com
(212) 217-9512
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Musicologize is not a legal firm, and Mr. McBrearty is not an attorney. Opinions are musical, not legal. BrianMcBrearty.com