Every few weeks or so I'll get a phone call with an inquiry that goes something like this...
I’d like to use Elvis Presley's recording of 'Don't Be Cruel' in my film. Can you help me do that?
Regretfully, beyond recommending some other companies to investigate, I am not much help in this regard. Though licensing music is our core business, UniqueTracks only licenses recordings that we have created in-house or that we control the publishing rights to.
What these folks are looking for is a firm that will do “music clearance” work for them. Yes, there are companies you can turn to when you are looking to obtain music licensing rights but have no idea where to turn. These companies will help you acquire the rights to use famous songs but they are even better at finding the rights for obscure songs. Music clearance companies are experts at finding the needle-in-the-haystack information that will eventually track down the song you’re interested in. They will then act as your advocate with the publisher and record company to try and get you the best pricing available.
What is Music Clearance?
Music Clearance is the process of obtaining the permissions necessary to include music in a production. The music clearance process should encompass all music used in the production. This means every music cue, not just the soundtrack but also any source or background music.
For instance, if a film includes a scene where the characters are listening to music on the radio, the song being broadcast from the radio will need to be “cleared” - you will need to get permission to use the song. If the characters are at a bar and live music is being performed in the background, you will need to obtain the permissions necessary to use the song in that way.
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