Music Rights for Film: Questions (and Answers) Every Filmmaker Asks
If you're making a film and need music that won't land you in legal trouble, this guide addresses your most common questions. First thing you need to know: music rights for film fall under synchronization rights, meaning music that syncs with a specific image, not music that just “plays in the background” while you're filming.
We work daily with filmmakers and audiovisual media, so we know well where doubts and bottlenecks arise. Here we go straight to the practical: what you need, when you need it, and how not to blow your budget or schedule in the attempt.
What kind of licenses do we need to use a song in a film?
You almost always need two separate permissions to use a song in a film.
Sync license (publishing): permission from composers or music publishers to synchronize the composition with image. This covers the musical work itself: melody, harmony, lyrics…
Master license (recording): permission from the record label or master owner to use that specific recording. This covers the particular performance you're going to use.
Why two? Because we might love “the song” as an abstract concept, but what actually plays in your scene is a specific recording of that song. Different rights, different rights holders, different negotiations. Welcome to the wonderful world of intellectual property.
Typical cases where this changes:
If you re-record a track (cover): you negotiate sync with the music publisher, but don't need master because the recording is new and yours.
If you use an official instrumental: it's still the same label recording, so you also need a master license. That it has no vocals doesn't magically make it free.
If the music is original commission (work-for-hire): you agree by contract from the start who retains publishing and master. This makes everything simpler, but it needs to be clear from the brief.
In our one-stop catalog we can grant, in a single step, both publishing and master licenses to synchronize music in series, films, and trailers. Less administrative friction, more agility, and operational clarity that's appreciated when deadlines tighten.
When does one-stop music licensing make sense?
The one-stop model isn't just convenience – it's strategy when the project has certain characteristics:
Tight deadlines (shoot or post underway): when the calendar is pressing and you need to close master and publishing in days, not weeks. A single point of contact accelerates clearance exponentially.
Projects with many versions: trailers in multiple formats, regional spots, series with staggered releases… With one-stop we usually have instrumentals and alt-mixes ready for editing from day one.
Avoid administrative friction: if what you want is fewer endless emails, fewer crossed contracts between parties who don't talk to each other, and a single comprehensive approval that closes everything at once.
Unified legal certainty: when you prefer key rights to be under the same roof to reduce legal ambiguities; especially important in the changing streaming context, where exploitation windows are constantly being redefined.
Predictable budget and timelines: when production needs stable costs and to close without last-minute scares. Like, for example, a rights holder deciding to renegotiate when you're already in final mixes.
We want to use a specific song: how do we find and contact the rights holders?
If you already have the song in mind and it's not from a one-stop catalog, the process is longer but doable:
1. Identify the publishing side (sync):
Search for the song in PRO (Performance Rights Organizations) databases (for example ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) and note publishers and participation percentages. Yes, sometimes there are five composers with three different publishers. Take a deep breath.
2. Identify the master:
Check credits on the platform where the song is (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) looking for the record label, release year, and master owner. Sometimes this requires contacting the label or distributor directly.
3. Send a clear brief with this information:
Project: title, type (feature, series, documentary), use context.
Scene: how the music is used (background, featured, with/without dialogue).
Duration in use: exact seconds it appears on screen.
Media: film festival, streaming (SVOD/AVOD), TV, theatrical, trailer….
Territories: local, regional, worldwide.
Term: license duration (1 year, 5 years, perpetual).
Budget: realistic range.
Deadline: when you need an answer.
4. Negotiate each side... unless it's one-stop:
If it's not one-stop, you negotiate with the music publisher on one side and the label on the other. Can take weeks and several contract rounds.
Practical tip: if you're tight on time, prioritize one-stop catalogs from the start. In our case, beyond yes/no, we deliver instrumentals, stems, alt-mixes and cut-downs (:15/:30/:60) so editing has room to maneuver from day one.
Real budgets for film music
There's no universal rate for film music. It's negotiated case by case, and the final price depends on several factors:
On-screen use:
Background or featured music?
With dialogue over it or clean?
Total duration in use?
Main theme or incidental?
Is it for the trailer? (This usually costs more because it has more exposure)
Exploitation media:
Film festival only: the most economical option, only festival screenings.
Streaming (SVOD/AVOD): Netflix, Prime, Hulu, etc.
TV: traditional broadcast.
Theatrical: commercial cinemas.
All-media: all media included. The most expensive, but also the safest if the project has broad distribution potential.
Territory and term:
Local vs. regional vs. worldwide.
1 year, 5 years, or perpetual.
Song popularity and urgency: The more well-known the song and the tighter the deadline, the higher the price. It's supply and demand applied to intellectual property. In general terms, we could say that a license for film music can cost from $500 to more than $20,000.
What's a cue sheet and who delivers it?
The cue sheet is a document listing all music used in the work: song title, authors, on-screen duration, type of use (background/featured), publisher, PRO, percentages, etc. It serves so PROs can distribute royalties when the work airs on TV, streaming, or any public medium.
Who completes it? Usually production or the music supervisor. Sometimes the distribution platform (Netflix, HBO, etc.) requests it as a delivery requirement.
When? When closing picture lock or immediately before distribution/delivery to network or platform. Don't leave it for the last minute—platforms can reject deliveries if it's missing.
Why does it matter if we already paid licenses? Because the cue sheet doesn't charge the producer directly; it's the mechanism by which authors receive royalties via PROs each time the work airs. It's a technical-legal requirement for networks and platforms, and if missing, they can block your delivery.
If needed, we prepare the cue sheet with all necessary metadata so you can upload it without friction to the network, platform, or aggregator.
Can we use “classical” or public domain music?
Watch out for the legal nuance here, because it's a common trap:
The composition may be in the public domain (for example, a Beethoven symphony from 1800).
But the recording you want to use usually has active master rights. If you use a 2015 Berlin Philharmonic recording, that specific recording is protected even though the composition is old. You need a master license.
Options for using classical music without problems:
Record your own version (cover): you pay sync if the composition still has rights, but not master because the recording is new. If the composition is in public domain, you directly pay nothing, but make sure it really is according to the territory.
Use music library recordings: many libraries have versions of classics already free of publishing or in one-stop model.
Avoid “borrowing” audio from commercial recordings without licensing: that the composition is from 1800 doesn't mean you can use the Deutsche Grammophon label recording without permission. And no, that it “lasts just a bit” doesn't fix it legally either.
Shortcuts and best practices
After working on dozens of projects (Netflix and Hulu series, gaming campaigns like Assassin's Creed Mirage, independent features), we've seen what works and what generates avoidable delays. Here are some tips:
One-page music brief from the start: from the beginning, clearly define things like the desired atmosphere, concrete emotional references, estimated usage duration, realistic deadline or budget range.
Plan B from day 1: For each critical scene, have two music options with alt-mixes ready. If option A falls through due to budget or timing, it doesn't paralyze post.
A clear decision-maker: it is essential to have someone from legal or production with real authority to close licenses without having to escalate each decision three levels up.
Post deliverables ready: request from the start stems, clean instrumentals, and cut-downs in standard durations (:15/:30/:60) for trailers and spots.
Credits locked from now: format music credits as soon as you close each license. So there's no confusion at the last minute when delivery asks for the complete credit roll.
Quick FAQs (the ones everyone asks)
Does YouTube cover the music if the film only lives there? No. You need licenses just like any other medium. YouTube's Content ID detects protected music, but it's not an “automatic license”; it's a detection system that can block your video or divert revenue if you don't have the rights.
Can we use a cheap YouTube “cover” instead of the original? No, unless you have (1) sync license for the original composition, and (2) permission from the master holder of that specific cover. That it's on YouTube doesn't mean it's free to use.
What if we'll only do private screenings or festivals? It can legally be considered public performance depending on context and territory. It's wise to license even for festival-only, because if the project works and you want to expand distribution later, renegotiating from scratch is more expensive and slower.
What do we put in the end credits? What the license specifies: usually something like "Music by [Composer] / Courtesy of [Label or Publisher]" + PROs if applicable (ASCAP, BMI, etc.). Each license may have specific credit requirements, read it carefully.
Conclusion: music and film without legal drama
Using music in film doesn't have to be a maze. If you master the difference between sync and master, choose the right license model according to your distribution media, and work with one-stop catalogs, you can arrive on time and within budget without last-minute surprises.
The key is understanding that the law isn't at odds with creativity – it's there to protect creators, including you. The sooner you integrate music rights management into your production flow, the cleaner and more agile the entire process will be.
If you need to accelerate clearance or have a project with a tight schedule, Levantine Music is ready! Get in touch and we will be happy to help.
