Commercial Music Licensing

Are you interested in licensing your music for commercial use? An artist will allow their music to be marketed, licensed, or promoted by a record or music publishing company in exchange for monetary compensation through a publishers contract. Commercial music licensing is a specific agreement by which a music creator sells the copyright or performance right to a specific music composition or catalog of their music.

When music is copyrighted by an artist, the reproduction and performance of these copyrighted works by any media outlet entitle the author to financial compensation. To monitor the large number of outlets for copyrighted music, artists and their publishing companies rely on several large organizations such as the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), SoundExchange, Harry Fox Agency, and Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC) to monitor, tabulate, and ensure that every play of an artist’s song has the proper royalty paid to the publishing company.

Some of the areas in which an artist’s songs may earn royalty compensation include:

• Radio stations
• Sports Arenas
• Television and film
• Public events and social gathering places

Given the large number of places an artist’s song may be played, a publishing company will want to ensure the proper royalties are received. Commercial music licensing can prove very profitable for an artist or band as well as their publishing company. The distribution of these profits is best for the artists when left in the hands of entertainment lawyers. An entertainment lawyer can help any artists ensure the best possible compensation package for their creative music work. Why not allow yourself to receive the most money for the musical magic you create?

Are you trying to structure a commercial music licensing? Contact an entertainment lawyer today to make sure your musical and financial rights are guaranteed in commercial music licensing venture!