What music licensing is
Music licensing is getting permission from the people who own a piece of music to use it in your project, on defined terms. For a commercial, a show, a film or branded content, that permission is a written license that spells out what you can do with the music, where, and for how long.
In The Groove Music is a music licensing agency for brands, ad agencies, TV networks, and film and trailer houses. We license music from our own curated catalog, clear commercial songs, and write custom music when nothing existing fits.
What you're licensing: two copyrights in every song
Every recorded song has two copyrights. The composition, the melody and lyrics, is owned by the songwriters and administered by their publishers; you license it with a sync license. The master recording, the specific performance, is owned by a record label or the artist; you license it with a master use license.
A track from our production music library usually has both sides controlled in one place, which keeps licensing simple. A well-known song can mean several publishers plus a label, each negotiated separately. Our guide to music licensing and its types covers the rest of the license family.
Music licensing for video vs. BMI and ASCAP licenses
Search for music licensing and you'll also find BMI and ASCAP. Those performing rights organizations (PROs) sell public performance licenses, which cover businesses playing music in a store, a restaurant, a venue or on hold. A PRO license doesn't give you the right to put music in a video, an ad or a film. That takes a sync license from the publisher and a master license from the label.
PROs still matter for sync. When a spot or show airs, cue sheets tell the PROs which music was used so the writers and publishers receive performance royalties, while the broadcaster's own PRO licenses cover the airing.
How licensing music works with us, step by step
- Define the use. Media, territory, term, the length of the cut, and whether the music is featured or background.
- Find the music. Search a catalog, pitch commercial songs, or commission something original.
- Identify the owners. Publishers for the composition, label or artist for the recording, with every split accounted for.
- Request quotes and negotiate. Owners quote against the use. Options for extra term or territory can be agreed now and exercised later.
- Get approvals. Some artists and writers approve ad use song by song, including the brand and the edit.
- Sign and deliver. Executed licenses, final files, and cue sheet information for broadcast.
What drives the cost to license music
We don't publish prices, because the same song is priced differently from one job to the next. The fee moves with the media, the territory and term, how prominent the music is, the song itself, and any exclusivity. On known songs, a most favored nations (MFN) clause usually means the higher of the publisher and label quotes sets both. Independent and library music typically costs far less than a hit from a major publisher and label.
What it costs to license a song breaks down each factor, with the ranges industry sources cite, and licensing music for commercials walks through the process for a spot.
Why use a music licensing company
You can license music yourself, and for a single library track it's often simple. A music licensing company earns its place when the stakes or the complexity go up: a recognizable song, several owners, a worldwide campaign, artist approvals, or an air date that can't move. An agency knows who controls what, what a reasonable quote looks like for the use, and where the paperwork usually goes wrong.
At ITGM, licensing sits next to music supervision, music clearance and an in-house composing team, so if a song falls through, a library or custom alternative is already in reach. Our licensing work spans brand campaigns like AMEX Platinum and Amtrak's Be Somewhere, and films including Disney's Ralph Breaks the Internet.
Frequently asked questions
What is music licensing?
Music licensing is getting written permission from a song's owners to use it in a project, on defined terms. For video, ads and film, that usually means a sync license for the composition and a master use license for the recording, each specifying media, territory and term.
Do I need a license from BMI or ASCAP to use music in an ad?
No. BMI and ASCAP license public performance, such as music played in a business or on the radio. Putting music in an ad or video requires a sync license from the publisher and a master use license from the label or artist.
How much does it cost to license music?
It depends on the media, territory, term, how prominently the music is used, and the song itself. A library track for an online video and a famous song for a national campaign sit at opposite ends of the range. ITGM quotes every license individually.
How long does a music license last?
As long as the term written into it. Advertising licenses usually cover a set campaign period, often with options to extend, while films typically license in perpetuity. Using the music beyond the term means renewing the license.
Can I license a famous song for my commercial?
Often, if the publishers, the label and sometimes the artist agree, and the fee fits the budget. Some artists don't allow ad use at all. A music supervisor can check availability and likely cost before the creative is locked.