The field of competitive figure skating is quite unlike any other, a world of quad axels, flashy costumes, and years of preparation that play out in the few minutes allotted for short programs and free skates (long programs). Whether on the ice alone or with a partner, part of what makes each performance unique is the skate music chosen. At this year’s Milan-Cortina Games in Italy, the Winter Olympic skating competitions have highlighted lingering music licensing and copyright issues that have persisted since a major policy change in 2014.
After grabbing headlines and looking like the beginning of an international brouhaha, U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn and Canadian artist and musician Seb McKinnon quickly put a potential music rights spat to rest. McKinnon, who performs as CLANN, created “The Return,” a song Glenn has been using in her program for the past two years. Controversy threatened to rear its head when McKinnon claimed Glenn hadn’t obtained permission to use “The Return” as part of her music after she won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in the figure skating team event.
Fortunately, the issue between Glenn and McKinnon appears to have been resolved quickly and amicably. The specifics are not known at this time, but it is possible that increased recognition or compensation was involved. Regardless, the minor controversy has shed light on the copyright problems Olympians and other skaters still encounter with the music for their programs. While skating organizations insist they’re trying to help, some skaters are still having a hard time getting permission to use the music they want. It may have something to do with the unsettled and murky circumstances swirling around music copyrights these days.
Leaving Classical Music in the Past
In high-level competitions, figure skaters perform in one of two types of programs: short and free (also called long). The short program lasts 2:50 for synchronized skating and 4:00 for free skate. The programs are accompanied by music of the skater’s choice, usually intended to match the tempo and maneuvers of their routine or help tell a story.
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