Music is a key ingredient for most storytelling, and yet navigating complicated copyright laws for music tracks has long been a hassle for filmmakers, podcasters and advertising execs alike.

Universal Production Music’s licensing offerings streamline the process of finding affordable tracks for creative projects. If you have a specific vision for your next project, register to access a library of high quality tracks to easily and affordably stay on the right side of copyright law.

The history of music licensing is a push-and-pull between the interests of writers, performers, and the ever-evolving technology that allows for the dissemination of music. From the first mass-produced sheet music to today’s internet streaming considerations, music licensing has changed quite a bit.

The First Music Publishers

For as long as we’ve had paper and a way to notate music, composers have been able to sell sheet music of the songs they wrote. The first music publishers would mass print composers’ sheet music and take care of marketing and selling the product.

Naturally, musicians have also always made money from ticket sales for public performances. As early as 1897, there have been copyright laws to protect the public performance of musical compositions, so anyone looking to cover a song at a concert would need to give a small percentage to the original writers.

As technology allowed for sound recordings, the first performing rights organization was formed in 1914 for blanket licensing for music broadcasting.

There were no federal copyright laws regarding sound recordings until 1972. All recordings prior to 1972 are governed by individual state laws. That doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all on songs recorded before 1972, of course. Pre-1972 state copyright largely holds up in court.

Music in Film and Television

Even before dialogue was made possible, the “flickers” of early cinema were brought to life with accompanying music. This led to the development of a sync license, which allows a film to be synchronized with pieces of music for a fee.

Along with requiring film producers to license the music they wanted to use; the invention of television meant broadcasters were also included in the licensing relationship. For instance, a broadcaster could pay a fee to a music publisher that allowed them to use a certain song or composition for repeated broadcasts of a television show or movie.

Discover our catalog of production syncs to find music available for different types of licensing and check out past projects we’ve supported with our tracks.

Digital Disruption

The advent of the internet and streaming services further complicated the already complex process of music licensing. It’s now far more difficult to monitor the usage of copyrighted material, especially when it comes to social media. This lack of monitoring means that artists, as well as other owners of copyrighted material, could be losing out on profits.

With streaming platforms so accessible and less of a need for music publishers to get their music in front of audiences, many songwriters are also choosing to directly license their work themselves. Discover the importance of licensing your own song and protecting your creative legacy with the most advantageous strategy.

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Music Licensing

As anyone who frequents social media knows, artificial intelligence is increasingly creating more complex pieces of media. These creations are spurred on by human prompts, and usually draw from sound recordings that are protected by copyrights.

There are currently no clear legal decisions on what constitutes infringement in the A.I. space. This will be an evolving question for lawmakers in the next few years.

Production music licensing services help address modern complexities like A.I. by offering a large range of original songs and soundtrack options with flexible rights agreements that can be customized to suit your usage needs. This system allows artists to be paid fairly and content producers to easily search, download, and import high-quality music tracks without having to worry about copyright issues.

At Universal Production Music, we’ll help you understand the ins and outs of music licensing without having to compromise your creative spark.