The issue of music licensing is one that often confuses and complicates matters when it comes to individuals and companies looking to use music for their film and video projects and productions.
There are many different facets of copyright law that relate to musical output. Indeed, some of it dates back decades, and it’s something of a minefield when you are looking to make sure you stay on the right side of the law.
Music licensing law can be very complex, in many ways deliberately. Even finding out with a good degree of certainty what you can and can not use in your projects can prove a massive irritation.
What is Non-Copyrighted Music?
In truth, non-copyrighted music is such a small portion of the music market that it’s almost non-existent. This tranche of music publishing relates to music that has either seen its existing copyright expire or to music that has been deliberately made exempt from copyright.
On occasion, some music is made ‘public domain’, meaning the music doesn’t need a license for personal, and sometimes commercial, use. This would then be considered non-copyrighted music.
All of these types of music are usually from some time ago and music from the past 50 years is very unlikely to fall under this category.
Public domain music can, rarely, be just what you are looking for. Some very well-known classical music pieces are available under such a license and are used regularly by some for this reason alone.
On some occasions, artists can release their music on a free license, but these are few and far between, and you would struggle to find a library of such material. Also, in these instances, they are most unlikely to be ‘free’ for commercial use.
What Is Royalty-Free Music?
Suppose you are looking to secure the rights to top-quality music that fits your needs, whatever they may be. In that case, electing to fill that gap with non-copyright music is something of a losing battle as the actual availability of the material is minimal and, on top of this, hard to locate.
Given that there isn’t a great deal of music that would be considered ‘non-copyrighted’ and even less when it comes to being modern and relevant, you would be better off looking to use royalty-free music.
Royalty-Free music is music that is available for a one-off fee, competitively priced, and usually as part of an overall subscription with a relevant service provider.
As an example, a good royalty-free music provider would offer you a vast library of music, covering all styles and genres you could possibly need, as well as a wealth of SFX (Sound Effects) as well.
The royalty-free music is produced by talented individuals, musicians and bands, looking to secure exposure as well as a financial reward for their work. These are acts that make a good living from this source of income and offer unique, quality output that could be ideal for whatever use you require them for.
Why and When to Use Royalty-Free Music?
Due to the sheer size and accessibility of the royalty-free music market, you basically have at your fingertips a near-endless supply of musical content. This ample resource then means you can find precisely what you are looking for.
For instance, you may be putting together a commercial for your brand, and the huge costs associated with the use of mainstream tracks and songs are just not an option. You’ll then have the opportunity to find the kind of song that really works best with your advert, rather than a lazy option of selecting a song that some are familiar with.
Similarly, if you are looking for various tracks and samples for a film project, you have a one-stop-shop to cover all these needs. These services are well laid out and categorized, therefore making the whole process as smooth as possible.
There is, of course, the additional bonus of using royalty-free music offered by a relevant provider, and that comes in the knowledge that you are safely using this output without breaking the law.
The complexity of music publishing and licensing can leave you wondering if you’ve overstepped a legal boundary, even if you haven’t, and no one wants to accidentally break any such law, given that penalties can be massive fines or even imprisonment.
Also, be warned, if you elect to use music that you don’t have a license for, you should think twice. In 2021 it’s easier than ever for a production company to find their music wherever it’s being played, be that in an advert placed on social media or a film issued with a limited release.
It’s best to steer clear from any such repercussions by going down the royalty-free music path, not least as frankly the advantages of their use greatly outweigh all these headaches and complexities mentioned above.
