Content Creation Filmmaking & Videography Music Licensing & Copyright

As the internet becomes increasingly crucial to the lives of individuals, communities and businesses, regulations are getting tight. The law is tough on those who avoid music licensing for streaming services like YouTube.

However, It’s not just about the law. Licensed music helps talented musicians build sustainable careers, and it also gets you access to quality music for your media. While you can find and use tons of low-quality free music online, you’ll end up producing mediocre content. Licensing music for video can be a minefield if you don’t seek help from experts, but you can avoid free licensing pitfalls by using a music licensing company such as Audiosocket.

1. Learning About Music Licensing Makes You a Pro

Your audience is hyper-aware of the quality of your video content, and outstanding audio is just as important as the visuals. When it comes to filmmaking, sound evokes emotion in the viewer, adding an entire dimension to the experience.

However, licensing agreements for film and YouTube are highly complex. If you include music in your film, documentary or video without acquiring the necessary copyrights, you could find yourself in trouble. It’s a big task, but start off by learning about copyright law if you want to go it alone.

2. Avoid Lengthy Negotiations With Artists and Publishers

You might have your heart set on using several popular music tracks in your film or video. It’s important to understand that these songs often cost tens of thousands of dollars individually. Not only that, but you’ll need to negotiate royalties, draft legal agreements and wait for all parties to give consent.

Most hit records have multiple composers and producers. You’ll need a master license and a synchronization license to use one single composition. This can take months, which just isn’t an option if you create content regularly. Music licensing companies can also be difficult to deal with, requiring complicated contracts and severe restrictions.

Unless you have the budget or the legal power to deal with the music licensing department at major labels, you may need to find other solutions.

3. Maintain Artistic Integrity

The thought of using free music for YouTube videos might seem appealing at first. But it could get you in trouble later. The Google bosses are strict on copyright infringement and you ultimately risk getting your channel taken down if you don’t obtain the correct licenses. In some cases, you may be contacted by a music licensing organization, such as BMI or ASCAP or from a publisher or label. These fees and penalties for using music without permission can be very expensive.

A better option is to secure licensed music. Using a licensing Company like Audiosocket, you can choose a single track license or a monthly or annual subscription for unlimited access to tens of thousands of tracks. This is also a great option for licensing tracks for commercial use whether you need. a music bed, intros, outros, background music or a song to communicate a specific message. If free music for YouTube sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

4. Always Capture the Perfect Mood

The free YouTube music library is limited at best. Securing licensed music is the best way to find unique, high-quality tracks. Sound is essential for setting the mood of any visual form of broadcast media. Although we rely on our eyes for the story, music provokes the emotion we experience when watching something gripping.

Finding powerful, high quality music to meet your needs is not easy to search for. The search process can be tricky and cumbersome unless the music library is appropriately tagged and optimized for search. That’s where a specialty music library is great — professional classifiers know they need to tag their music properly to help you find exactly what you need, quickly.

5. Avoid Copyright Strikes

You risk losing revenue if you post licensed tracks without permission.

And statutory damages are steep. The law doesn’t require those who own copyrights to prove damage. Merely the presence of an infringing track is enough to trigger a claim. This law has generally been used against those pirating music on popular platforms and can apply to those who upload infringing tracks on YouTube.

It’s also worth noting that a piece of music doesn’t have to be registered to be covered under copyright law. It’s covered from the moment it is created. So unless a license explicitly states it is free, you may well be infringing. License-free music may not be the best option for your needs.

Find Out More About Music Licensing

Avoid sky-high license fees and stressful negotiations by subscribing to Audiosocket. We curate high-quality production music for content creators.



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