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ROYALTY FREE MUSIC - LICENSING & COPYRIGHT

SYNCHRONIZATION AND MASTER USE LICENSES

Another thing to understand is that since there are two copyrights involved, two licenses need to be issued to make use of a recorded song:

1. Synchronization License: gives you the right to 'sync' the Composition with images in your production, as described above.

2. Master Use License: This is exactly the same rights as the sync license, except it applies to the Master, the sound recording itself – the actual recorded interpretation of the musical composition.

Since the publisher owns the Composition (sync license) and the record company owns the Master, two different negotiations often have to take place, with two different contracts, for a song to be used in a Production. This can lead to complicated and time-consuming negotiations.

If a single company owns or controls the rights to both the Master and the Composition, this is called a One-Stop-Shop. This means that the company can sign both the Sync license and the Master Use license, which is less complicated and more attractive from the point of view of a film or TV producer – or anyone who needs production music.

Premiumbeat.com is such a One-Stop-Shop since it controls both the Master and the Compositions of all the music on its website.