U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn has resolved copyright concerns with Canadian artist Seb McKinnon, who produces music under the name CLANN. McKinnon expressed surprise on social media that his song, “The Return,” was used in Glenn’s free skate routine at the Olympics. Despite the initial issue, Glenn and McKinnon have now cleared things up and may even collaborate in the future.
Figure skaters must secure copyright permission for the music they use, a process that can be complex and prone to errors. Several skaters at the Milan Cortina Games had to make last-minute program changes due to music rights issues. Glenn acknowledged the hiccup in the process and expressed gratitude for resolving it with McKinnon.
The use of copyrighted music in figure skating has become a more prevalent issue since skaters started incorporating modern, personalized music choices. The International Skating Union has been working to assist skaters in avoiding copyright problems, but challenges still arise, as seen during the Winter Games.
Amid the Olympics, Glenn, a vocal LGBTQ+ rights advocate, has faced backlash and threats for her activism. Despite the challenges, Glenn and her teammates celebrated their gold medals in the team event, with Glenn preparing for the women’s individual competition starting on February 17. Glenn remains focused on her performance and is grateful for the opportunity to compete at the Olympics.