A person or company that has Intellectual Property Rights in a musical work, performance or sound recording are, in principle, free to license their The rights to determine the terms and conditions under which a musical work, performance, or sound recording can be licensed or not for use. as they wish and to whomever they wish, and there is thus an infinite number of various licenses. However, some types of licenses are more common in the music business.
Collective Management Organization: An organization that acts collectively on behalf of the rights holders it represents and collects and pays remuneration to rights holders. issue licenses for Under copyright law, the right to have payment for the use of a musical work, sound recording, or performance under a statutory license. and exclusive rights assigned by their rights holders.
Licenses must be obtained to use a An original musical composition with or without lyrics., In the context of music, when a musical work is played live or on a sound recording. or Typically, the recorded performance of a musical work protected as a phonogram under copyright law. if such use is covered by the The ownership of rights in a song under copyright law or belonging to the rights holders.
There are a number of different types of licenses that authorize different types of uses and license-specific rights against income. Rights and income are inherently linked.
Learn more about this by visiting our Getting Credited and Paid topic.
Learn more about rights on the Rights in Musical Works, Rights in Performances and Sound Recordings, and Common Music Industry Rights pages.
Here are some of the most common music licenses:
Sound Recording or Master Use License: required when the entirety or any parts of an original sound recording are being used. It includes the The rights to the ownership of, and all other rights in, a sound recording.. It applies, for example, when sound recordings are streamed or purchased in a physical or digital format.
Mechanical License: required to obtain the The right to reproduce and distribute a musical work. to reproduce and To deliver sound recordings to DSPs and physical retailers. a musical work in a physical or digital format, such as CDs, vinyl, digital downloads, and interactive streaming. It's also needed to create and distribute AKA cover, a performance or new sound recording of a musical work that someone else originally performed, recorded, and released. of existing musical works.
Public Performance License: required to publicly perform musical works and sound recordings in a live or recorded manner. It implicates The right to play a musical work publicly, live or as a sound recording. This applies, for example, when a musical work is played live in a concert, or a sound recording is streamed online, broadcast on radio or TV, or played in bars and restaurants.
Synchronization License: also referred to as a sync license, it's required to use a musical work with visual media in a so-called audiovisual work, such as movies, videos, TV shows, commercials, video games, or websites. A sync license can include either or both the The right to use a musical work with visual media, for example, a movie, TV program, video game, or website. for the use of the musical work and the master rights for the use of the sound recording if a pre-existing sound recording is being used.
Theatrical License: required to perform a musical work in the context of a A stage performance, dance, or musical theatre production. such as a stage performance, dance, or musical theatre production. It includes the performing right.
Print license: required to produce The musical notes, scores, bars, text, annotations, and lyrics written or printed documenting a musical work. It may also include instructions about how the musical work should be performed. or The words written to be performed by singers, rappers, and other vocalists. of a musical work in physical and digital formats. It includes the rights of The action or process of copying, for example, making copies of a musical work or sound recordings and The process of delivering sound recordings to DSPs and physical retailers. and may involve additional rights. This applies, for example, when the sheet music or lyrics are sold both in paper copy and digitally. Print licenses may also be required for the uses of musical notation of composition and lyrics in other formats, for example, published in a book or printed on merchandise like posters and t-shirts.
Creative Commons license: a special type of free copyright license that allows users to legally use musical works, performances, or sound recordings for free, often in a limited manner and on the condition that the rights holder is To be publicly acknowledged for a contribution to the creation of a musical work, a live performance, or sound recording, for example, listing a songwriter's or performer's name..
Image credit: Martin Fabricius Rasmussen