As described in this post, Choralia’s training aids are made using various software packages, and source files (.myr files) for Harmony Assistant (including the Virtual Singer additional package) are created.

Sometimes users wish to obtain such source files in order to adapt them for their specific purposes. This is generally possible, although certain conditions must be fulfilled, especially as far as copyright is concerned.

Choralia’s .myr files are technically “editions”, and their audio renderings are technically “recordings”. Copyright on editions and on recordings exist everywhere, and they apply in addition to the copyright on the music work itself. So, for example, a new edition or a new recording of a public domain work like Mozart’s Requiem are subject to copyright according to the specific copyright laws applicable in each country. As an example, in Europe new editions of public domain works are under copyright for up to 30 years after publication, while recordings are under copyright for 70 years after lawful release.

Therefore, the first condition that is required to fulfil is to obtain permission from Choralia’s management. Typically, permission is provided for specific purposes only, and the distribution of source files to third parties is forbidden or limited to the specific choir that submits a permission request.

Then, if the reference edition used by Choralia to make the source files is still under copyright (for example, it’s a recent edition of a public domain work), the recipient of Choralia’s source files is required to ensure that whoever receives the source files (for example, all singers of a certain choir), or any music derived from the source files, also purchases a copy of the reference edition used by Choralia, so that the relevant copyright fee for individual personal use is paid to the publisher as a part of the total purchase cost of the sheet music. This implies, of course, that the source files, or any music derived from the source files, cannot be made publicly available, and they can only be distributed on an individual basis to those who purchased the reference edition.

Similar conditions apply to public domain works where the reference edition used to create the source files includes a keyboard reduction of the original orchestral accompaniment. In this case the keyboard reduction may be considered as an original composition/arrangement, and therefore it may be subject to the copyright of the author of the keyboard reduction, which, in most cases, may last up to 70 years from the death of the author. In this case, a possible workaround may be to obtain the source files without the keyboard reduction. Another possibility is, again, to ensure that whoever receives the source files, or any music derived from the source files, also purchases a copy of the the reference edition that includes the keyboard reduction, so that the relevant copyright fee for individual personal use is paid to the publisher as a part of the total purchase cost of the sheet music.

The above principles also apply to works (and not only to editions) still under copyright (e.g., works by contemporary composers). To obtain the source files it is necessary to ensure that whoever receives the source files (for example, all singers of a certain choir), or any music derived from the source files, also purchases a copy of the original sheet music, so that the relevant copyright fee for individual personal use is paid to the publisher as a part of the total purchase cost of the sheet music. This implies, again, that the source files, or any music derived from the source files, cannot be made publicly available, and they can only be distributed on an individual basis to those who purchased the original sheet music.