What does it mean to buy a music licence?

A music licence is the legal right to use a specific recording in a specific context. Buying a music licence does not transfer ownership of the music — it grants you a contractually secured right of use that protects you from takedown requests, Content ID claims, and infringement notices.

Two distinct layers of protection matter for anyone using music in video:

• Composition rights — the copyright in the musical work and any lyrics. These rights belong to the composer or lyricist and are administered worldwide by collecting societies such as GEMA, PRS, ASCAP, and their equivalents.
• Master rights / sound recording rights — the copyright in a specific recording of a piece of music. These rights belong to whichever label, producer, or rights holder financed the recording. They exist entirely independently of the composition copyright.
• Sync licence — the right to synchronise a music recording with moving images (film, video, advertising, social media). For legally secure video use, you need this licence. It covers both layers above for your specific use case.

In short: A sync licence is the permission to lock a music recording to video footage and publish the result. It makes your project legally secure — towards platforms, clients, and collecting societies alike.

Why "free" or public domain music can still get your video claimed

Many filmmakers and content creators initially reach for apparently free sources: public domain compositions, "royalty-free" libraries, or tracks from stock portals with unclear licensing terms. The problem: the word "free" provides no protection against claims.

A composition can be free of copyright — Beethoven and Bach, for instance, whose protection periods have long expired. The recording you use almost never is. Every time someone performs and records a public domain work, a new, independent sound recording copyright is created for that recording. This right exists separately from the composition and can last up to 70 years from the date of first publication.

These recordings get registered in Content ID — YouTube's automated rights system, increasingly mirrored by Instagram — which matches audio fingerprints in milliseconds and fires a claim automatically. The consequences for you:

• Audio muted on your finished video
• Post demonetised or blocked
• Copyright strike on your channel
• Missed client deadline

"Royalty-free" tracks from stock libraries carry their own risks. The composition rights are often not fully cleared, and the master rights frequently belong to a third party already registered in Content ID. For professionals working with clients, a claim is not a technical nuisance — it is a reputational problem.

Anyone using music for Instagram Reels or Stories, client work, or long-running campaigns needs a licence with clearly defined sync rights — not a gamble that a "free" track will not trigger a claim.

Subscription vs. single licence: which model is right for you?

The music licensing market offers two fundamentally different models, which differ significantly in cost, term of rights, and flexibility.

Subscription libraries (Artlist, Epidemic Sound, and similar platforms) provide access to a large catalogue for a monthly or annual fee. The critical limitation: sync rights are tied to an active subscription. Cancel your plan and, in many cases, the rights for videos you continue to publish expire. A filmmaker who uses subscription music in a project and then cancels the plan can find themselves in legal grey territory with content already live online. The precise terms vary by provider and are rarely as clear as the marketing suggests.

Single licence / buyout model means you pay once for a specific recording and hold the rights permanently. No ongoing costs, no dependency on a running contract, no ambiguity on cancellation.

For those who want to go beyond licensing, Artyfile Limited Edition offers a unique model: buyers acquire a share of the master rights to a recording, receive a Music NFT, and earn proportionally from worldwide streaming revenues and future sync fees. This is not a licence — it is ownership of music as an asset.

How to buy a music licence at Artyfile — step by step

The process is designed so you can go from browsing to a finished WAV download in a matter of minutes — no application forms, no waiting periods, no back-and-forth.

Step 1

Find your track in the catalogue. Filter by mood, genre, or use case — for example Music for Videos or Sync Licensing Music. Preview any track, free, at any time.

Step 2

Add to cart. Choose between Artyfile Basic (licence) or Artyfile Limited Edition (licence + ownership stake). For most video projects, Basic is the right choice.

Step 3

Pay in EUR, USD, or GBP — no cryptocurrency, no specialist accounts required. Payment via Stripe, secure and instantly confirmed.

Step 4

Instant 44.1 kHz WAV download. Your file is ready the moment your purchase completes — no waiting, no support ticket. Drop it straight into your timeline.

Sync rights come directly from Artyfile. That means no additional collection society fees for you as the licensee, no Content ID claims on your channel, and no separate licence agreement to review or sign. Everything is included in the purchase price.

Ready to licence music the right way? Find your track from EUR 29.90 — instant WAV download, full worldwide sync rights.

What your Artyfile licence covers — and what it does not

Clarity over scope is essential, especially when you are working for clients or producing content with a long shelf life. Here is the full scope of an Artyfile Basic licence:

Covered:

• Worldwide use, unlimited in time
• Feature films, short films, advertising, brand films, social media content
• YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Vimeo, and streaming platforms
• Client projects and commercial releases
• No Content ID claims on your channel
• No additional collection society fees for you as licensee

Not covered (standard licence):

• Resale of the recording itself (you licence, you do not own)
• Use in physical products (e.g. ringtones, embedded firmware) — available on request
• Broadcast TV first-run rights for major networks — available on request via Contact

Every track in the Artyfile catalogue is recorded by internationally recognised artists and ensembles — including musicians from Abbey Road Studios and the London Symphony Orchestra. Production quality is non-negotiable: 44.1 kHz, professionally mixed, cinema standard. You hear it in the finished video — and your clients and viewers feel it.

For pricing and a direct comparison of both products: View Artyfile Pricing.

Frequently asked questions about music licensing

Paul Lorenz

CEO and Founder of Artyfile. Composer and music producer with 30 years of industry experience, over 500 million streams, and collaborations with Universal Music, Sony, Warner, Abbey Road Studios, and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Ready to buy your first music licence?

Legally secure music for video, advertising, and social media. One-time EUR 29.90, instant WAV download, full worldwide sync rights.

Or explore the full catalogue first: Browse Music for Videos