The Difference Between Royalty-Free and Rights-Managed Music
Even if you’ve got a few projects under your belt, you might still be a little confused when it comes to knowing the difference between royalty-free music for productions and rights-managed production music. Guess what? You’re not alone. At Universal Production Music, we are often asked about the differences between the two-- including the pros and cons of royalty-free music for videos. Royalty-free music for commercial productions sounds like a good deal because who wants to pay a fee they might not have to? However, when it comes to production music licensing, there are plenty of reasons to choose rights-managed music.
Royalty-Free Music Isn’t Free to Use
For starters, royalty-free music isn’t free-- you still have to pay the artist or record company for the song. Royalty-free means that you won’t have to pay every time you play it. Play that track 10 times or a million times-- it’s all covered in that initial price. If you use royalty-free background music for videos in your web series, for example, you might end up with a good deal if you get a million views. Of course, if it only reaches a thousand people, you might have massively overpaid. Be careful – the type of media, and how you can make money from your work, is often limited and strictly controlled.
With rights-managed music, you get what you pay for-- the money you pay for background music for commercials will be directly linked to how long your content airs. Overall, rights-managed music is the pro way to go; it’s easier to manage your costs and know that you only pay for what you really need. Royalty-free music libraries, though they may seem extensive-- won’t have the same amount of high-quality recordings.
Royalty-Free vs. Copyright-Free
Again, royalty-free music isn’t copyright-free. If you’re trying to save money on music rights, copyright-free audio might seem like a great choice. However, be aware that no intellectual property is ever really “copyright free”. Instead, copyright-free music generally means the artist and/or publisher has relinquished their option to register or enforce their copyright. Of course, they may choose to enforce their rights in the future, and your use of the music could risk being challenged. Also, there is a money connection here; There isn’t much profit to be made with copyright-free music, so there’s not that much money invested in creating it, and quality often suffers.
A serious production music company like UPM will own 100% of the rights to the music they offer, music often recorded in world-class studios. In contrast, a copyright-free music library might mostly offer glorified home recordings. Luckily, most production music companies can sit down with you and help you find a licensing deal that will get you the music rights you need for a price that matches your budget.
Work With a Trusted Partner
From music licensing for educational content to licensing for big-budget Hollywood productions, UPM knows the industry inside and out. Music licensing and copyright law can be confusing, but our team is more than happy to walk you through it. When you do your soundtrack music licensing with us, you can be confident that you’ll avoid copyright issues upon release. Find the backing tracks you like, create unbelievable content, and share it with the world with help from Universal Production Music.