What are the different types of music royalties and how do they work? Conventional music royalties can be a complicated subject. However, in order to keep this piece short and to the point we are going to generalise and cover the 3 most relevant aspects for a professional music buyer. These are: – Sync (or […]
What is a Performing Rights Organization?
When our clients talk to us about using royalty free music for public use, say in a cafe, restaurant or shop, they will often tell us that they’ve been approached by PRS or PPL and they are looking for some way to avoid having to pay a recurring annual fee, over £1000 I recently heard […]
YouTube Copyright Notice Explained
Digital technology is great, however, when combined with a complex subject such as music copyright it can make things even more complicated. Sometimes we license music to clients and they use it on YouTube and receive a Copyright Notice. This inevitably causes alarm and confusion. Quite simply, this notice is telling you that third party […]
Music Copyright is a Funny Old Thing
This post is just a little bit of trivia, nothing too heavy! According to Wikipedia, Copyright in Britain started as a reaction to printers profiting from unregulated copying of books. As such, Charles II of England passed the Licensing Act of 1662 by Act of Parliament. Copyright later became applied to a wide range of […]
Royalty free music – 6 myths uncovered
Myth 1 – Royalty free music is free to use Probably the most misleading term ever. It may may have free in the name but royalty free music is not free to use. The free part refers to the fact that no ongoing royalty payments are due for using the music, unlike conventional music licensing. […]
I have been given some royalty free music. Can I use it in my audio-visual project?
As an audio producer, I am sometimes given music from clients to mix with their project, for example, a voice over with background music. When I ask if they have the appropriate license, they sometimes reply “I found it on the web”, “it was given to me by a friend”, “it’s free to use because […]
Using Royalty Free Music Can Save You Time and Money
Let me tell you a story that will convince you that Royalty free music is by far the better option for using in your online video. I posted a tweet recently that reminded me of a conversation I had not so long ago. My client, who has given me permission to tell this story, purchased […]
Understanding Royalty Free Music: Music in the Ears of the Public
Using royalty free music is a straightforward process most of the time, however, complications can arise due to the complexity of the historic copyright and music licensing laws globally. This article outlines what the common issues are and what can happen. Many independent composers earn money from royalty free music licensing, but many also register […]
Copyright in Audio Book Recording & Production
When an audiobook is created there are various copyrights to consider. Often these aspects can get overlooked and only come to light when somebody has a hugely successful audio book generating lots of revenue. If you are hiring a voice over or company to record and produce your audiobook you should make a point of […]
Understanding Royalty Free Music: Industry Recognised but Widely Misunderstood
As mentioned in my previous post Understanding Royalty Free Music: A Slice of Royalty Pie, the term ‘Royalty Free Music‘ has become an industry recognised term, but people’s understanding of it varies considerably depending on their experience and knowledge of the subject. A lot of people may not be aware that there is no standard […]
