TL;DR
Every recorded song has two copyrights — the composition (song itself: melody + lyrics) and the master (the specific recording). A license is a permission slip to use one or both. There are three you'll meet most: synchronization (pairing music with video), mechanical (reproducing the composition on streams, downloads, or physical), and public performance (playing music in public — radio, venues, streams).
1.Synchronization license (sync)
A sync license lets someone pair your composition with a moving image — film, TV, ad, trailer, game cutscene, YouTube video, TikTok brand campaign. Pairing the specific recording also requires a master use license for the sound recording; the two are usually negotiated together and, when one entity controls both, called a one-stop deal — supervisors love those because it's one email, one signature.
Fees vary wildly with prominence (background vs featured), term (perpetuity vs 1 year), territory (single country vs worldwide), and media (free TV vs paid streaming vs all media). "Buyout" means one payment for perpetual, worldwide, all-media use — you cash in once, then never again.
2.Mechanical license
A mechanical license covers the reproduction of a composition — every time a song is pressed to CD/vinyl, downloaded, or streamed on a service like Spotify or Apple Music. For your own recordings you already control this right. It becomes relevant when someone covers your song or when you cover someone else's. In the US, the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) handles digital mechanicals for streaming platforms; register there so you get paid.
3.Public performance license
Public performance covers any public play of your composition — terrestrial radio, satellite radio, streaming services, live venues, restaurants, retail. You don't negotiate these one-off. Instead, you affiliate with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) — ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC in the US; PRS in the UK; SOCAN in Canada; GEMA in Germany — and they collect blanket fees from every venue and platform, then pay you quarterly based on airplay logs and setlists.
4.The two copyrights, one more time
The song underneath — melody, chords, lyrics. Controlled by the songwriters (and their publisher, if any). Generates mechanical + performance royalties.
The specific recording of the song. Controlled by whoever paid for the session (usually the label; the artist if self-released). Generates master royalties and master-use fees.
A sync deal for a national ad needs both cleared. If different people control each side, you're not one-stop — the deal takes weeks and might die at negotiation. Getting to one-stop (or documenting exactly who to email) is the highest-leverage thing an indie artist can do.
5.What to do next
- 1Register every release with a PRO and the MLC. Free, ~15 minutes per song.
- 2Sign a split sheet with every co-writer and producer, in writing, before release. Verbal splits die when someone gets a placement.
- 3Confirm each song is one-stop — or document exactly who a supervisor should email for each side.
- 4Read our next guide: How to find music supervisors.
This guide is educational, not legal advice. Licensing fees, statutory rates, and PRO structures vary by territory and change over time — verify with qualified counsel before signing.