Licensing and clearance

Sometimes a creator or brand wants a real, recognizable song in a video, or needs to prove they are allowed to use the music they have. This category covers services that license commercial music and the systems that identify where music is used.

Lickd licenses well-known songs for YouTube and social videos, priced per track and type of use, which opens up music that royalty-free libraries do not carry. Songtradr runs a licensing marketplace and services for brands, agencies and media companies looking for music to sync with picture. Pex builds content identification technology that tracks where audio and video appear across platforms, which rights holders and platforms use to manage claims and licensing.

Licensing a well-known song for a brand campaign or a film is a bigger job than licensing a library track. It usually involves both the recording and the composition, separate rights holders, and terms that depend on territory, length of use and media. For anything beyond a creator license, get the terms in writing and ask a music licensing specialist. For everyday creator work, keep each license document with the project, and connect channels or whitelist videos where a service tells you to.

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3 AI music tools in licensing and clearance

Lickd

Licenses well-known commercial songs for use in YouTube and social videos, priced per track and use.

  • Works in the browser

Songtradr

Music licensing marketplace and services company connecting brands and media makers with music for sync.

  • Works in the browser

Pex

Content identification and licensing technology that finds where audio and video are used across platforms.

  • Developer API

Brands should plan music early. Clearing a well-known song can take time and the answer can be no, so have a library or commissioned alternative ready. If a campaign runs in several countries, ask whether the license covers each territory, each platform and paid promotion of the posts.

Store every license with the project files and a note of what it covers, so anyone who reuses the video later knows its limits.

Questions about licensing and clearance

Can I use a famous song in my YouTube video if I give credit?

No, credit is not a license. You need permission from the rights holders, usually through a licensing service, or the video can be claimed or blocked.

What is Content ID?

It is YouTube's system for matching uploads against reference files supplied by rights holders. A match can lead to a claim, which may block a video or send its ad revenue to the rights holder.

What rights does a commercial song license cover?

Usually the recording and the underlying composition, which may belong to different owners. Terms also depend on media, territory and duration, so read exactly what each license includes.

How do I dispute a wrong Content ID claim?

Use the dispute option in YouTube Studio and include your license details, such as the license certificate or your account and track ID. Libraries often have their own clearance steps that resolve claims faster than a dispute.

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