MUSIC LICENSE

What is Music License?

When it comes to licensing music, there are two distinct copyrighted works: the musical composition (the lyrics and musical score) and the sound recording (what you actually hear). A synchronization license (“sync” license) is a license that allows you to use the musical composition in an audio-visual work. And while a sync license would allow you to, for example, record a cover-version of the song and use it in your audio-visual creation, it doesn’t give you the right to use the sound recording made popular by the recording artists. In order to use that recording, you’ll need a master use license. Together, a master use license and a sync license will allow you to add your favourite songs to the films and video games you create.

Types of Music Licenses:-

1. Sync License
2. Master License
3. Public Communication License
4. Reproduction License
5. Distribution License
6. Print Rights License
7. Theatrical License

WHAT LICENSES DO I NEED TO GET TO USE THE FAMILIAR SONG- From the licenses you have seen above, there are two of them that you will need to purchase in order to use a certain song: the sync license and the master license.
• On the one hand there are the publishing rights (Sync License), i.e. the rights to the written song, which belong to the composer, lyricist and/or music editor.
• On the other hand, there are the phonographic rights (Master License), in other words, those of the particular recording, whose owners are the record label and the interpreter or interpreters of the song.

Procedure to buy or Acquire Right to a Song:-

1. Determine if the song is under copyright or is under public domain- It is also important to differentiate if the song that you want is the original or a cover made by someone else. If it’s a cover, you’ll have to contact the artist who made that version and/or his record company.
2. Contact the artist or the owner of the rights- Depending on whether the band or artist are famous or not, and whether they have used a record label to record their songs, it will be more or less easy to get to talk to them.
If they are indie authors eager to get more exposure, surely is going to be easy to contact them through its website, social networks or Soundcloud profile, or even sending an email or calling them on the phone.
If they are famous artists, it gets trickier since the rights of their work can be distributed between the artists or owners of the songs and the record label.
If you have a physical CD or vinyl, for example, you can take a look at its cover, because there may appear all the necessary names and companies. Then you’ll have to perform a search on Google that luckily will lead to some way to contact them.
3. Price negotiation- Often artists are very attached to their creations (for them his song is “a child”) and ask exorbitant prices for them and other times, however, the artist will be happy to see how their work is recognized by others as something valuable and worth buying and will have no problem in negotiating amicably.
It is true that, based on previous experience of current and past sales of a song, you can make a rough estimate of its future economic performance, but in this scenario is worth more the good old negotiation skills that the presentation of estimated numbers.
4. Transfer the rights- Once you reached a verbal agreement and before making the payment, it is essential to hire a good lawyer who knows the industry so you can make a written contract with the terms that have been negotiated. It has to have all possible future scenarios and obligations of all parties involved in the process.
Never trust only verbal agreements, because in a later dispute you will not be able to prove anything in front of a judge or mediator.