The Role of music libraries in music licensing

[A guest post by Donna Mauer. – AC]

Independent artists know it’s crucial to have extensive knowledge when it comes to music licensing, as it can be a lucrative money-maker. Not to mention, you can also gain visibility and establish relationships within the industry with content creators, producers, advertisers, game makers, film developers, record labels, and more.

Music libraries are often music licensing service companies that service those who want to buy rights for music. They have extensive music catalogs to allow creatives to purchase a membership, which gives them a music license to use a particular track for their needs.

Most music libraries prefer working with artists who own original recordings and compositions. They understand the importance of music for the smaller communities, and how hidden gems are everywhere in the music business.

The primary licenses utilized from music libraries are known as synchronization or ‘sync’ licenses. It allows the licensee to use the music in conjunction with video representation. If you don’t already know, here’s more about the role of music libraries in music licensing.

Music Licensing Breakdown

You inherit rights as the music publisher when you create an original track. You also have the responsibility of copyright ownership. You can find uses for your music to collect royalties.

A music license is when you grant the rights for someone to use your work publicly. It protects your rights by awarding you credit, usually in the form of payment.

An agreement is necessary when you license a song or musical track, and the agreement outlines things like who gets to re-produce or perform your music, what they are using it for, and how long they can use it.

Doing all this work as a music publisher can be a complex and drawn-out process, and the legal aspect can be confusing. That’s where music libraries come in and help you out.

What are Music Libraries?

Music libraries have almost every type, genre, and style of music that’s imaginable. The library works for creatives to find the most engaging music for a vlog with the right track or a filmmaker to find the best instrumental sound to create their desired mood for a scene.

Because music libraries offer a vast collection of different music offerings, it’s an ideal spot for a creator to look. Sometimes, music libraries can contract artists and musicians under a “work for hire” condition, where they are on call to compose and produce tracks custom to specific clients. This relationship then provides you as a musician with a more steady, reliable income.

Music libraries often have an extensive network of creators and creatives. And the best part is, they take care of all of the licensing and legalities involved, so if you work for them or with them, you only have a membership fee to pay – and that’s it! They take care of the rest.

Now, that being said, you must be sure to examine the fine print before working with them if you want to license your music. Different deals are involved depending on the situation, the likelihood of sales, and more.

Music Library Payment Structure

The most significant part of the deal when you license your music through a library or servicing company is how much you get paid. For the majority of them, they tend to go a solid 50/50 payout, which means you retain your ‘writer’s share’ of the musical work (50% of the earnings), and then the music library takes the ‘publisher’s share’ of that same work (50%).

You can negotiate sync licensing fees, but other licenses must be considered. Depending on the agency or creative who wants to utilize the music and how they plan to use it, more than one license could be necessary. Other licenses include a mechanical license, master license, or performance license.

You can ensure that you receive royalties on a “back-end” structure by registering your works through a Performing Rights Organization (PRO). The PRO is responsible for collecting royalties on behalf of the music publisher whenever your original work is broadcasted or performed.

Now, a music library can hold the exclusive rights to license your tracks or songs, and the term typically spans from one to five years. You wouldn’t gain rights back until after the time period is up, so you can’t license that same musical piece in any other way unless it is specified directly in your contract.

You can find or negotiate non-exclusive deals, meaning you still maintain the rights. Then, you can determine the amount of licenses you want to generate for the same musical work. You can also break up the musical track into pieces for licensing if it’s a longer song.

Are Music Libraries Helpful for DIY Artists?

Look, it’s not necessarily going to make you rich, but music libraries offer some incredible benefits that aren’t easy to come by when you are an independent artist.

You have the opportunity for more visibility and have your music explicitly placed to appeal to many companies, agencies, and the like for use that you usually wouldn’t have venturing out on your own. In some cases, this can work out to develop a relationship between you as a music artist and a music producer or filmmaker where they utilize you exclusively and can bring a welcome income boost.

The best advantage when working with music libraries is that you have an outlet to ensure your music is heard. It’s almost like getting marketing for your music without having to do anything except pay a membership fee and focus on your strong suit – making music. So, try it and see how well it works for you!