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What Exactly Is Music Clearance And Licensing?

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If you’re deep in the world of video and movie, you know all about the importance of music.  It can make a scene work, not work, make it stronger, weaker, etc.  More to the point, the music helps keep the viewers entertained and essentially helps the viewer have a great overall experience, making the film or video memorable.  Picking the song is critical, of course, but making sure that you have the required licensing for the song to use it is even more so.  What is music clearance and licensing, exactly?  We’re so glad you asked!

Simply put, these terms mean that you have the required permissions to use the song in the way that you have presented to the people who own it.  You can’t just go and make a movie, pair music with it, and then release it for the world to see.  This is how lawsuits happen, and it’s why music clearance and licensing are both important on their own as well as together.  Let’s break it down a little bit more to see how it works.

 

Clearance

This is the first step in the process of using a song for your film production.  You put together a list of songs (and publishers, since there is often more than one per song), and write them something similar to a letter of intent.  This letter will be used to determine all of the details about what you want to use and how you are looking to use it, exactly.

You have to give the title of the the song, the artist who sings it, the version of the song, what particular part of the song you want to use it, and (quite often) some sort of script of rough video of the actual part of the film that you are looking to use it in.

This will all go to the publisher(s) of the song and be used to determine whether or not they are going to give you permission to use the song.  It’s important to note that if they don’t give you permission, it is illegal to use the song.  Keep that in mind.

Another thing that is mentioned in the clearance section of this process if the fee that is going to go into purchasing the license (see below).  You’ll have to make sure that you make yourself a good contender by offering a generous and fair amount of money to purchase the license for the song.

 

Licensing

This is the more legal side of the process.  This is where the actual details of the song and film get laid out for both sides to see.  The duration of the film, the genre of the film, the explanation as to why the song is going to be chosen, the duration of the licence (how long the song can be used for in the film after it’s released), etc.

The small details need to be hammered out here, as once this license is put together and signed, it is a legal binding document that needs to be abided by both sides.  The good thing is, the more information you give in your original letter asking for permission, the easier the actual licensing agreement is going to be.

 

Why is this important?

The world is run by all sorts of rules and regulations, some legal and some otherwise.  If you are looking to make your movie unforgettable you can have all the special effects you want, but you need to make sure that you have all of the legalities in check, or none of it is going to mean anything when it comes for the public to view it.  Not asking for permission is one thing, but getting a license and then breaking it, is another, entirely.

You need to stay within the lines of the license and make sure that you are always following the legal rules when it comes to music clearance and licensing.  As you can probably imagine, all it takes is one infraction to alienate yourself both from the community of movies and film, as well as the music industry.  News travels fast, and no one will want to work with a music producer who broke the basic rules of rights and music.  So, if you want to stay prominant in the world around you, getting this process underway is important.

 

Tips

When it comes to getting the proper permissions and everything, the sooner the process is started, the better.  As mentioned, it can take a long time for you to get responses and to get the information that you need for all the publishers to draw up a license for each one.  It’s also great to get the legalities of the situation out of the way so that you are free to enjoy the more sentimental part of being a movie producer/music producer.  Following the rules gives you the freedom to enjoy the reason why music is so incredible in the first place.

 

Legalities and licenses are always finicky and awkward and frustrating, no matter how good you are at them. Make it easier on yourself by learning what they are, why they matter, how they work in your favour, and what to do in order to make sure that you aren’t stuck in between a rock and a hard place. This will help you get a step ahead of the competition out there so that you have the best package and deal that you can get.

Finding your film’s sountrack: What Do Music Supervisors Do?

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drx stock images

What Do Music Supervisors Do?

A movie without a fantastic soundtrack will never win awards. Let’s face it – it’s the music that makes a movie shine. That said, have you ever wondered how the music winds up on a film in the first place? That comes down to music supervision. So, what do music supervisors do?

A music supervisor job is a coveted position for those who are passionate about music and have a talent for placing it perfectly into media that includes television programs, movies, commercials and video games. These sought after individuals also need to be able to handle less exciting parts of the job, including the administrative aspects, including nurturing vital relationships.

A successful music supervisor communicates well, excels at negotiations and understands the need for sensitivity when it comes to the egos of the rights holders, artists and directors involved. Even more important, they make it a point to realize the message the director is trying to get across in his film. They arrange and negotiate the appropriate licensing for the songs that will be used in films

Experience Required
Like the majority of music professions, there’s no clear path when it comes to being a music supervisor. Some who have chosen to go after a career as a music
supervisor take music business classes to learn all the ins and outs of music licensing rules which can definitely help. In addition, most look for music industry internships, which provide the perfect opportunity to learn the ropes, make important connections and eventually obtain paid work. Those who are new to the career
field are often willing to start out by accepting low or “no pay” positions in orderto add to their portfolios. For example, a lot of new music supervisors do freelance work in order to present their experiences to potential clients.

Another important asset for any music supervisor is to be well-versed in a wide variety of musical genres. To succeed in this field, it’s important that you stay current, so you will want to go out to the clubs, comb the trades every day and listen to current music genres online. Taking a few music history courses would be invaluable as well.

The Licensing Process
When the producers have specific tracks in mind or only have a basic idea of the style of music they want or think they want, they call on their music supervisor.
Then, the supervisor sets out to find the appropriate music and starts the licensing process. In some cases, a number of licenses are required per song, and the final approval can’t occur until filming has been completed. In addition, music supervisors will only have a small window of time to acquire licensing before a movie’s
release date.

Salary
Music supervisors characteristically get paid flat fees for their services and the amount of money they make is based on the project’s budget. For example, the majority of television music supervisors earn a few thousand dollars per episode, while on the other hand the most popular music supervisors earn around $200,000 for their services when they take part in major film productions. In some cases, music supervisors negotiate soundtrack royalties and are given bonuses if the productions they’re working on exceed pre-determined earning thresholds.

So, What Do Music Supervisors Do?
If they’re good at what they do and are lucky enough to lead a handful of high-profile projects to successful conclusions, they’ll enjoy financially rewarding careers. They have a key role acting as mediators between Production  and composers, music publishers, labels or record companies. They research and obtain all legal rights to source music for films. 

The music supervisor is the number one person responsible for all the musical aspects from creative to legal copyrights. They provide a unique service to the director to find the perfect music that are right for the film.

Their have the Legal knowledge of music copyrights and licensing agreements necessary to succeed and exist in the music industry.

We’ve compiled a list of the best music composed recently …
pretty much the highest aspiration any composer can want out of their new tracks.

Enjoy 🙂

Preparing for battle

Season of change

Epic motivation

Alive

The universe

We will win

I’m Happy

Eternal justice

Colors of the world

Second chance

8th wonder

Footsteps from here

Inner beauty

Something creative

We are strong

Moment to shine

What is Royalty Free Music? Essentials Things You Should Know

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What is Royalty Free Music? How Does It Work?

The main objective of this article is to define the meaning of royalty free music and to provide information about its usage, including things to consider when it comes to enhancing your project with the appropriate background music. You’ll also learn about copyright, usage rights, genres, quality and some of the legal aspects
in terms of the usage of royalty free music.

Royalty Free Music Defined

Music, as with most forms of art, falls within some form of copyright, and there’s absolutely no such thing as “copyright free” music. All composers hold the copyright to their own compositions. Royalty free license allows the buyer to use copyrighted material without having to pay license or royalty fees for per volume sold, each
performance or a particular time period of sales or use.

The term royalty free music is applied, if a composer grants the utilization right directly to an end user without dealing with collecting societies like BMI, ASCAP and AFM. Working directly with consumers makes it possible for musicians to establish a significantly lower price. It is important for entrepreneurs, startups and
small businesses who cant afford to pay out hundreds of dollars on every piece of music they need.

Stock Music vs. Royalty Free Music

Stock music, also referred to as production music, is distinct in that the rights to it are solely held by a specific company, referred to as a library. This library” either employs composers or musicians and assigns projects to them or selects pieces that they buy from independent artists. The library or the artists they employ typically receive royalties when a piece they’ve created or performed is used in a project. In essence, this option keeps their customers on the hook, requiring them to pay additional fees when they use the tracks they’ve purchased. This is tough for users on a fixed budget to deal with. With royalty free stock music, the buyer will pay a one-time fee for it. After that they can use the music with no additional monetary obligation to the library.

Royalty Free Music for YouTube

YouTube now has a stock music library of it’s own but their selection basically average. If your project requires more than just basic, “me too” tunes, you should definitely opt for professional royalty free music. Using royalty free music for YouTube is wise, given that building an audience requires branding and branding demands emotion. It’s the emotion in videos that sells and its best created using high quality background music. If you plan to use music in your online videos, the first thing you should bear in mind is to avoid copyright violation.

Always Remember – You Get What You Pay For

Royalty free music provides the perfect opportunity to obtain the background tracks that you need for the projects you’re working on without spending a fortune. That said, there are also risks involved as well. One of the most important things to keep in mind is that you can’t simply “google” for free downloads and assume that it’s
okay to use them for commercial use– if you do this – you’re just asking for trouble. In most cases, these types of free offers come with complex licenses that quite often include concealed legal pitfalls. Being prosecuted due to copyright infringement can be extremely costly, very fast. You’ve probably already heard of this problem as it
pertains to using stock images – royalty free music is very much the same. So always remember, you get, what you pay for. Yes, are some fantastic offers and flat rates available online, but always keep in mind to be sensible and steer clear of shady free download offers.

Royalty Free Music Uses

Royalty free music isn’t confined to a specialized variety of musical styles, however, there are a few genres that play a significant role in today’s digital world of branding and content marketing. Royalty free piano music for instance is often used in emotionally charged videos and ads. There’s really no better way to create soft, romantic or moving tunes than by using music involving the piano or other classical instruments. On the flip side, the background music used video games is typically more intense, in some cases, including heavy metal and rock, played fast and loud.

Royalty free medieval or Celtic music plays a significant roll when it comes to promoting fantasy products including games, films and books. You can count on royalty free music for content creators who specialize in the Renaissance period of mystic creatures like dragons, dwarfs and elves, to use medieval and Celtic tunes.

Podcasts and YouTube

Podcasters like to use music in their intros and for branding objectives, primarily consisting of voice overs, along with an appropriate background track. In addition, videos are the kind of content that is definitely reliant on copyright free music. While YouTube has its own library now with more or less decent tracks, product videos and films always require high quality royalty free songs in order to be successful. Game releases and movie trailers rely heavily on high quality royalty free music and in the age of content marketing, its more important than it has ever been before.

Copyright Free Music

If you’re planning on using copyright free music for commercial use, you should call for full usage rights, without any hidden requirements. Professional royalty free music services usually provide you with full security with regard to the usage of their music. In addition, you dont need to provide credits and you’re permitted to use the music within all of your non-commercial and commercial projects. In regards to copyright free music, this type of digital rights management is essential for todays creatives and marketers. Even in the case of a piece of music that falls in public domain, you need to ask yourself 3 questions: Who composed the music? when did the composer died? and who owns the related rights known as the neighbouring rights?

If you need larger than life, royalty free music for your video, film, video game, branding purposes, etc., it’s important that the music is not only affordable but restriction free. Using a reputable royalty free music service will ensure that the music that you choose for your project, whatever it is, will be the absolute best that it can be, hassle free.

Check out our Royalty free music for your videos