The broader question "When do snippets of copyrighted songs meet the
requirements of NFCC" is (as far as I can see) extremely difficult.
Here NFCC is [[Wikipedia:Non-free content criteria]].
Gregory Maxwell is certainly right that the entire area of non-free
media on Wikipedia is full of controversy. Our policies are somewhat
subjective and our practice is somewhat inconsistent.
On Sun, Sep 28, 2008 at 12:25:05PM -0400, Gregory Maxwell wrote:
If the text says "Many Clapton songs begin with a
rhythmic kazoo
solo", then by all means give us an example.
I would think that is a classic example of a rationale we do not accept.
WP:NFCC#1 includes this test: "Could the subject be adequately conveyed
by text without using the non-free content at all?" If the only point
of the kazoo solo sound clip is to reinforce the point that the songs
include kazoo solos, that usage can be replaced by text.
A better rationale would include several sourced statements in the text
directly commenting on the kazoo solos. The presence of such "critical
commentary" is key to justifying the use of nonfree media.
What you should avoid is adding a collection of clips
down at the
bottom.
I agree with that sentiment. This sort of use would have the same
problems as a gallery of non-free images, which are not permitted.
- Carl