In both cases, you’ll usually find it spelled out in the 'Artist Rights & License Agreements' or 'Artist Licensing Agreements' that are present on most record covers.

It’s not uncommon for record labels to have no problem granting these licenses, as they usually have long-term relationships with songwriters and performers that allow them broad permissions. The most common form of music licensing is the master use license, which allows the rights owner (usually a record label) to license songs for use in film and TV shows. Music licensing, also called synchronization licensing and reciprocal licensing, is the practice of giving permission to pay royalties to use music in a film or TV show. To help you get there, let’s start with the absolute basics: What is music licensing? How Does Music Licensing Work For Videos?Īs long as you are not a pirate looking to break the law, music licensing is not as difficult as it may seem. What happens if you use music without a permit? Check our short Youtube video to find the answer. Let's look at more reliable options for checking music copyright before recording a video for YouTube.

Thus, it is far from easy to calculate how many years have passed since the composer's death to understand whether a musical work can be used unhindered in your video. In addition, they are adjacent to copyright, as well as the possibility of inheritance of the right to dispose of intellectual property. In most cases the law prohibits the use of the music without permission for the whole life of the author and 70 years after his/her death, starting from January 1 of the next year after the sad event. It varies from country to country, depending on the law. Thus, it is the author's right to reproduce, to receive income, and to decide by whom and how the music he or she has written may be used.Ī nuance that plays an important role in answering the question of how not to infringe copyrights when using music in a video on YouTube or other platforms is the term of copyright validity. So what are 'copyrights' and what music in a video is covered by them? First, let's look at the definition.Ĭopyright is the right granted by law to the creator of intellectual property, including musical composition, to use his or her work as he or she sees fit.

Copyright free music for youtube video