Music licensing for commercials
The clearance process in plain English — what you are buying, who has to say yes, and the fastest legal route from a shortlist to a signed certificate.
Licensing music for a commercial means getting written permission for two separate rights: the master recording and the underlying composition. Traditional clearance takes two to eight weeks and is quoted per side. Both copyrights are explained by the US Copyright Office; our sync licence guide for brands puts the same thing in advertising terms.
Melody licences start at $5. One fee covers the recording and the song, worldwide, for that piece of creative, with a PDF certificate issued the moment you pay.
Hear it on your own video first
Upload your cut, drop a track onto it and watch the real thing before you spend anything. No account needed, and your video stays on your device until you license.
- Licences from $5, covering the recording and the song worldwide
- Certificate issued the moment you pay, ready for any platform dispute
Pre-cleared tracks ready for commercial use
$5 licenceArt of Letting Go
Jay JammangAn upbeat, synth-driven pop anthem about breaking free from a toxic relationship and rediscovering confidence. Perfect for empowerment scenes, lifestyle content, makeover moments, and upbeat brand campaigns.
$70 licenceDo you
HausersA dark, groove-driven alt-rock track built around disillusionment and the quiet exhaustion of staying afloat. Low energy on the surface, but with an undercurrent of tension that never fully resolves. Sparse arrangement, E minor, and a vocal delivery that balances bitterness with something closer to resignation than anger. Raw and honest without being loud about it. Usage Recommendations: Scenes of quiet crisis, emotional burnout, or the specific fatigue of someone who has been holding it together for too long. Works well under moments of urban alienation, solitary reflection, or the aftermath of a decision that can't be undone. Suggested Usage Scenarios: FORMAT / MEDIA: TV drama, indie film, documentary, dark lifestyle content. VISUAL SCENARIOS: Someone sitting alone in a car outside a building, not getting out. A late-night city street seen from a window — lights, movement, but no connection. A person going through the motions of a routine that no longer means anything. A bar at closing time, last drink, nowhere to be. The walk home after something ended without a fight. EMOTIONAL THEMES: The exhaustion of surviving rather than living. Alienation in a world that moves too fast and asks too much. The dark humour of someone who sees through everything but keeps going anyway. Quiet rage that has nowhere to go. The moment before a decision, or the moment after — when everything is still but nothing is resolved. Dark. Tense. Raw. Sardonic. Restless. Popularity 6 | Energy 41 | Danceability 65 | Happiness 19 | Loudness -11dB OFFICIAL VIDEO: https://youtu.be/lyD_608Nu6k
$15 licenceMetal
Niki N. PhaserBrutal hybrid metal track combining crushing guitar riffs aggressive electronic textures and massive cinematic drums into an intense high impact sound. The relentless energy and dark futuristic atmosphere create a powerful sense of chaos adrenaline and destruction. Perfect for action trailers esports videos extreme sports gaming montages fitness promos and apocalyptic cinematic content. Also suitable for horror media combat sequences technology campaigns workout edits and heavy industrial visuals. aka “Metal” (from the album “Gym Beast”) Keywords: action, adrenaline, aggressive, bass, battle, cinematic, dark, death metal powerful, dramatic, electric guitar, electronic, energetic, esports, extreme, futuristic, gaming, gym, heavy, hybrid, industrial, intense, nu metal, powerful, rock, sport, suspense, technology, trailer, workout
$40 licenceHarbinger
Mock DeerHarbinger is a dark, cinematic instrumental built on a slow, half-time pulse and brooding atmosphere. The track moves with restraint and tension through its verses, allowing space and weight to build before opening out into a powerful, bursting chorus. When it hits, the energy expands dramatically, delivering a sense of release, scale, and emotional impact without losing its underlying intensity. Perfect for film and trailer use, dramatic documentary sequences, long-form storytelling, and visual narratives that require a strong build-and-payoff structure. Particularly effective for moments of revelation, transformation, or emotional release, as well as cinematic podcasts, moody promos, and night-time or wide-screen visuals.
$50 licenceMirie it is
Home Sweet SomewhereAnd old medieval song set to modern electronics. The earliest surviving secular song in the English language, from the 13th century. Perfect for historical documentaries, video content about lifestyle, gardening, travel, decoration, crafts. Also suitable for cinematography and computer game. Photo by Matthew Hacker on Unsplash
$5 licenceI Don't Wanna Lose You
Herman BookerMellow beat, sad and sentimental pop/soul track.
$10 licenceInsight
Stella WahlströmPerfect for a dramatic scene where something is slowly appearing or becoming apparent, hence the title “insight”. Solo piano. Picture by Joshua Sortino on Unsplash
$500 licenceELVIS - Remix
Marco PerniceA very upbeat instrumental track with an electro-funk vibe and dreamy, ethereal guitars (in the style of "The Alan Parsons Project" and "Pink Floyd"). Often used in stories, reels, and social media videos by commercial stores promoting their products. Ideal for sports, clothing, electronics, technology, media, music services and documentaries.
The two rights you have to clear
The composition is the song as written, controlled by the songwriters and their publishers. The master is the specific recording, controlled by the label or the artist. A commercial needs both.
This is where most budgets go wrong. A quote of $10,000 usually means $10,000 per side, and a track can be cleared on one side and quietly unusable on the other.
What sets the fee
Every quote is a function of scope, not of the music itself:
- Media: paid social sits at the bottom, national TV and cinema at the top
- Territory: one market is a fraction of worldwide
- Term: three months costs far less than perpetuity
- Exclusivity: locking competitors out multiplies the fee
- Profile: a recognisable recording carries a name premium on both sides
- Edit rights: cutting and looping is a separate permission in traditional deals
How long clearance takes
Going direct, allow two to eight weeks for digital and eight to twelve for broadcast, plus legal review. Multiple rights-holders on one song, which is normal, means multiple approvals in sequence.
Pre-cleared licensing collapses that to the length of a checkout, because both sides were agreed before the track entered the library.
What you should always get in writing
Whatever route you take, the paperwork should state:
- The exact recording, including artist and ISRC
- Which rights are granted — master, publishing, or both
- Media, territory and term
- Whether edits, cutdowns and re-versions are permitted
- Who is indemnified if a third party makes a claim
Frequently asked questions
How do I license music for commercial use?
Identify the track, find who controls the master and the composition, request a quote stating media, territory and term, negotiate both sides, then sign and pay before the ad runs. On a pre-cleared marketplace such as Melody, both sides are already agreed, so you choose the track and the certificate is issued at checkout.
How does a music licence for commercial use work?
It is a written grant of specific permissions, not a purchase of the song. You are buying the right to use a named recording in a named piece of creative, in defined media and territories, for a defined period. Anything outside that scope needs a new licence.
How much does a commercial music licence cost?
Traditional clearance for a social or digital commercial typically runs $500 to $5,000 per side, and $25,000 upwards for national broadcast. Pre-cleared marketplace licences start far lower — from $5 on Melody, covering both sides.
Do I need a licence if the commercial only runs on our own channels?
Yes. Owned channels are still commercial use. The exposure is smaller, so the fee should be smaller, but the permission is not optional.
Can I license music for a commercial the same day?
Through a pre-cleared library or marketplace, yes. Direct clearance with a label and publisher realistically cannot be done in a day, which is why last-minute campaigns end up with generic stock beds.
Ready to try it against your own footage?
Pick a track, drop it on your edit and see it before you decide. Licensing takes a couple of minutes when you are happy.
- Licences from $5, covering the recording and the song worldwide
- Certificate issued the moment you pay, ready for any platform dispute
Keep reading
Music for ads
The buyer's starting point, with tracks you can try.
How to get a sync licence
The clearance process end to end.
Sync licence cost
Price bands by media type.
What is a sync licence?
The short version for marketers.