The decision to license your music is a big one, and you shouldn’t rush into things with the hope of making a quick buck and enjoying a monthly payday from licensing your music. What do you need to know before licensing? How can you turn licensing into a money-maker for you?
What Is Music Licensing?
Music licensing is the purchasing of the right to play or use a song. Anytime you hear music in a restaurant, on the radio, or even in movies and television commercials, it has been licensed. Therefore, the company using the song has purchased the right to play that music.
Before You Start Licensing
You should copyright your music before submitting it for licensing, as no licensing entity will accept your submission if it has not been copyrighted. You should also register your tracks with a PRO (Performance Rights Organization) so you will be paid royalties on your music when it’s replayed. When preparing to license, you should also have sound comparisons ready to go. Do you sound like Bruno Mars but with more guitar? Being able to describe your specific genre and sound is important when licensing music. You can also keep track of what you think your music would be a good fit for. A car commercial? Behind a makeup tutorial? In a horror movie? Being creative will help increase your potential licensing opportunities.
Why Should You License your Music?
Once you’ve registered your tracks and started to license your music, you can make money from your tunes either when someone wants to use your track in a project, or when it’s replayed. If you don’t take the time to copyright and register your music, anyone will be able to utilize your tracks for their projects without a license, without your permission and without you seeing any benefit other than potential exposure. Copyright laws require all businesses to get permission from songwriters and performers before playing the song in public, and licensing songs to businesses is a great way to have residual income from royalties when they’re played.
The Benefit of Licensing
Not only does licensing give you the opportunity to get paid for your music, it also gives you the chance to be discovered! Many of the artists whose songs were licensed for 30-second iPod commercials experienced massive career boosts in the aftermath. Licensing also offers you the chance to build up a longer resume. The greater number of song placements you have, the higher your chances will be for growing as a band or artist.
Work with the Professionals at ECHE Music
At ECHE Music, we are dedicated to helping independent Christian recording artists build their fanbase, promote their music effectively and learn the business of music. To join our community, please visit our website.