COMMERCIAL or BROADCAST
A commercial or broadcast license typically covers usages that involve the public broadcast or distribution of licensed music through traditional media channels. The commercial or broadcast license can include the following:
• Television Broadcast: Licensed music usage for use in television programs, shows, series, commercials, or any other content intended for broadcast on television networks.
• Radio Broadcast: The licensed music includes: radio programs, commercials, or any other content used for radio station broadcasts.
• Advertising and Commercials: The licensed music includes use in advertisements, promotional campaigns, commercials, jingles, or any other content created for commercial purposes.
• Online Streaming Platforms: Licensed music can be used on streaming platforms, primarily broadcasting audio or video content to the public.
• Indie Film: Use of music in a single film or video distributed online or for submission to film festivals. Not to be used for broadcast or promoting a product, brand, or service.
• Films / Trailers: Negotiable
PERSONAL or NON-BROADCAST
A personal or non-broadcast license covers usages not involving public broadcast or distribution through traditional media channels. Usage can include:
• Personal Projects: The licensed music is for personal projects, such as home videos, individual websites, or non-commercial presentations.
• Special Occasions: Creating a slideshow or film that covers a special event such as a wedding day, birthday, anniversary, or similar event. Not for creating a film or slideshow to promote a business related to the event.
• Business / Website: The licensed music includes: promotional materials, website background music, corporate videos, and internal use within a business or organization.
• Non-Profit: Use for creating a film or slideshow for a non-profit organization. Content may include company highlights, event coverage, cultural highlights, employee insights, or campaigns not involving commercial exploitation.
• Podcast: Individuals producing a podcast using the music as bumpers, underscores, intros, outros, or transitions within a single audio podcast episode.
• Vlog: Use a music track in a video - blog (vlogging) hosted on the web. It can be monetized through views, ads, YouTube, or other social video channels as part of the blogosphere world.
• Short Film / Student Film: The licensed music for short film/student film with limited budgets and distribution scope.
• Webisode: Use music in an episode of a series distributed as web television (webisode).
A music license for production is necessary to ensure you have the legal rights to use copyrighted music in your creative projects. Here are some reasons why a music license is essential:
YES, by using the commercial license.
NO, there are no additional fees or royalties.
Yes, you can use the music in broadcasts. The library's music is for various media productions, including television, radio, films, commercials, online videos, and more.
When a production company, client, or licensee licenses music from Leland Bond Music for use in a broadcast, audio-visual project, or streaming platform, they typically are not responsible for any additional fees or royalties, including public performance rights. Instead, it is the responsibility of the broadcaster, network, cable network, or streaming platform to handle these obligations.
These companies typically obtain a "blanket license" from Performance Rights Organizations (PROs) such as BMI or ASCAP. A blanket license allows them to use music from various sources, including our library, within their programming.
The responsibility for payment of performance royalties lies with the broadcaster, network, cable network, or streaming platform, facilitated through their blanket license and cue sheet submissions to the PROs.
As part of their agreement with the PROs, broadcasters, networks, cable networks, or streaming platforms must submit a cue sheet to the Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) like BMI and ASCAP. The cue sheet includes details about the music used in their productions, including each track's title, composer, and duration. This information helps ensure accurate royalty distribution to the appropriate rights holders.
We are here to support and provide any necessary documentation to assist with cue sheet requirements or further clarification. Please feel free to contact us if you have any specific questions or concerns regarding the licensing and usage of our music in your production.
When a music production library mentions audience sizes in terms of households, it typically refers to the estimated number of households that could potentially be reached or exposed to the licensed music. Here's what each category generally means:
1. Audience (up to 1 million households): This indicates that the license is suitable for content with a relatively smaller viewership or distribution, typically within a local or regional context. (Local)
2. Audience (up to 3 million households): This suggests a license that covers a broader reach, potentially spanning a larger geographical area or a combination of multiple local and regional markets. (Regional)
3. Audience (3 million or more households): This category represents licenses suitable for content with a wide-scale reach, such as national or international broadcasts, where the potential viewership extends beyond 3 million households. (National)
These categories help music production libraries tailor their licensing options based on the scale of the intended distribution and viewership of the content. It provides flexibility for content creators to choose the appropriate license that aligns with the expected audience size.
The responsibility for paying royalties for production music used in a broadcast lies with the entity that broadcasts the music. In most cases, the network or broadcasting company obtains the necessary licenses. It pays the applicable royalties, usually under its "blanket license," to the rights holders through Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) like BMI and ASCAP.
The details can vary depending on the licensing agreements and regulations in different countries or regions. Broadcasting companies often enter into agreements with PROs to obtain blanket licenses that cover a wide range of music used in their broadcasts. These licenses allow the broadcasting company to use the PRO's music catalog and ensure that the appropriate royalty payments go to the correct songwriters, composers, and publishers.
In conclusion, the client or production company that initially licensed the production music is typically not responsible for paying additional fees or royalties when the licensed music is in a broadcast.
P.R.O.s (Performing Rights Organizations) offer blanket licenses to music users, such as broadcasters, venues, and streaming platforms. A blanket license grants the licensee the right to publicly perform all the works in the P.R.O.'s repertoire, which typically includes a vast catalog of music from various songwriters, composers, and publishers. Instead of obtaining individual licenses for each song, the blanket license simplifies the process by providing a single license that covers a wide range of musical works. The license fees collected by P.R.O.s are distributed as royalties to the respective rights holders based on the frequency and extent of the music's public performance.
Do production music libraries offer blanket licenses?
Yes, production music libraries can offer blanket licenses to certain types of users. While production music libraries typically offer individual track licenses, they may also provide blanket licenses to meet the specific needs of certain clients. Here's some information about blanket licenses offered by production music libraries:
It's important to note that the availability and terms of blanket licenses may vary among different production music libraries. Each library may have its own specific licensing models and agreements, so it's advisable to consult with the library directly to understand the options they offer for blanket licensing.
PRO stands for Performing Rights Organization.
PRO music refers to compositions registered with and managed by BMI, ASCAP, or other Performing Rights Organizations. Performing Rights Organizations represent songwriters, composers, and music publishers collecting and distributing performance royalties.
When a musical composition is registered with a PRO, BMI, or ASCAP monitors and collects royalties for public performances of the registered works, this includes performances on radio, television, live venues, streaming platforms, and other public settings where music is performed or broadcasted.
PROs play a crucial role in ensuring that songwriters and composers receive fair compensation for the public use of their music. They license the public performance rights of musical compositions to broadcasters, venues, and other entities that use music in public settings.
The fees collected from these various licenses are distributed as royalties to the rights holders based on factors like the frequency of performances, audience size, and other relevant metrics. By registering their music with a PRO, songwriters, and composers can effectively manage and monetize their rights. In contrast, music users can legally obtain licenses to use PRO-registered music in public performances or broadcasts.
Additionally, there are performing rights organizations (PROs) in countries outside of the United States. These organizations exist in many countries worldwide to protect the rights of music creators and ensure they receive royalties for the public performance of their music.
Examples of PROs in other countries include SOCAN in Canada, PRS for Music in the United Kingdom, APRA AMCOS in Australia, and SACEM in France.
Music rights refer to the legal protections and permissions associated with the use, reproduction, distribution, and performance of music. These rights are granted to different individuals or entities involved in the creation and dissemination of music and ensure that they have control over how their music is used and that they receive fair compensation for its usage. There are several types of music rights:
Understanding and obtaining the necessary music rights is crucial to ensure legal compliance and to respect the rights of creators and copyright holders. When using music in various projects or platforms, it's important to secure the appropriate licenses and permissions to ensure that the rights of all parties involved are protected.
What is a Cue Sheet?
What is a cue sheet?
A cue sheet is a document that provides detailed information about the music used in an audiovisual production, such as a film, TV show, commercial, or documentary. It is a crucial tool for tracking and reporting music usage for royalty and performance rights distribution.
A typical cue sheet includes the following information:
Production Information: Details about the audiovisual production, including the title, episode/segment title (if applicable), production type, and total duration.
Cue Information: Each musical cue used in the production is listed separately, typically chronologically. The cue information includes:
You may need to include additional details such as the ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code) or additional information requested by the relevant organization.
Cue sheets ensure accurate royalty distribution to composers, songwriters, and publishers. Performing rights organizations rely on cue sheets to track and identify the publicly performed or broadcasted compositions, allowing them to allocate royalties appropriately.
Production companies, broadcasters, and distributors must maintain accurate cue sheets and provide them to the relevant performing rights organizations to ensure proper compensation for the music used in their audiovisual productions.
When is a cue sheet required?
The following scenarios are required:
Particular requirements for cue sheets may vary depending on the jurisdiction, the performing rights organization involved, and the licensing agreements in place.
It's a good idea to consult the relevant PROs, broadcasters, or licensing entities to obtain their specific cue sheet guidelines and ensure compliance with their reporting requirements.
Who‘s responsible for cue sheet submissions?
The responsibility for submitting a music cue sheet typically lies with the production company or the entity responsible for the overall production, such as a TV show, or movie. It is their responsibility to ensure that a cue sheet is accurately prepared and submitted to the relevant parties like BMI or ASCAP (PROs).
In the case of commercials, the responsibility may lie with the advertising agency or the production company responsible for creating the commercial. However, it's important to note that the actual responsibility for cue sheet submission should be defined in the contracts and agreements between the parties involved in the production.
It's advisable to consult with the relevant broadcasters, networks, or distributors to obtain their specific cue sheet requirements and guidelines to ensure compliance.
What if a cue sheet is not submitted?
If a production company, broadcaster, network, or streaming platform fails to submit a cue sheet or use an alternative reporting mechanism, it can affect the creators' royalties. Without accurate reporting, the PROs may not have the necessary information to identify the music used and allocate royalties to the appropriate rights holders, such as composers, songwriters, and publishers. In such cases, the PROs may face challenges in distributing royalties accurately. They might allocate the royalties based on general distribution rules, which may not accurately reflect the music usage resulting in a delay or potential loss of royalties for the creators.
Production companies, broadcasters, networks, and streaming platforms must fulfill their obligations to report music usage accurately and timely to the PROs, helping ensure the creators receive their deserved royalties for their music's broadcast or audiovisual use.
Are cue sheets the only option?
For production companies, broadcasters, networks, or streaming platforms, cue sheets are necessary to report music usage to performing rights organizations (PROs) and ensure proper royalty distribution.
However, cue sheets are not the only method for reporting music usage. Production companies, broadcasters, networks, or streaming platforms may sometimes have alternative reporting mechanisms, especially for digital media that utilize metadata and digital fingerprinting technologies to track music usage automatically.
These technologies are prevalent and help identify and report music usage without relying solely on manual cue sheets.
It's advised to consult the specific cue sheet guidelines the PRO or broadcaster provided to ensure you include all required information and format it correctly according to their specifications.
Where does the production company or client send a cue sheet?
The production company or the entity responsible for the overall production typically sends the music cue sheet to the relevant entities involved in the music licensing and royalty tracking process. Here are the common recipients and where the cue sheet is sent:
The specific submission process can vary, but cue sheets are commonly sent electronically via email or through dedicated online platforms provided by the recipients. It's important to follow the submission guidelines provided by the respective organizations or recipients to ensure proper handling and tracking of the cue sheet.
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Music that Moves, Sells, and Inspires
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