Music for Commercial Use

What does commercial use of music mean?

Music is an integral part of many media like videos, films, podcasts, and commercials. For private holiday videos, free music often suffices. However, in the professional corporate and B2B sector, this isn't enough. "Business-related" refers to music used in company videos (e.g., GmbHs, GbRs, UGs, Ltd. etc.). "Commercial" pertains to content with promotional intentions, like commercials or paid vlog posts.

What do companies need to consider legally?

For music used in business and commercial projects, written permission, or a license, from the copyright holder is required. A signed P.R.O. exemption certificate is also advisable to avoid potential high back payments to a Performing Rights Organization. Both documents are included with every audiohub order.

What music can be used commercially?

In principle, you can use music commercially if you have permission from the copyright holder. If you want to use a popular chart song, you'd first need to contact the respective music publisher or record company. This process can take weeks or even months and can be very expensive. That's why there are providers of royalty-free or P.R.O.-free music where you can download and use the music for commercial purposes immediately after acquiring the license.

Where can I publish my business video with music?

Before licensing a song, it must be clarified which publication channels the license covers. Some licenses only cover publication on online platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok & Co., while others also include broadcasting media such as TV, cinema, and radio.

With audiohub, there's a simple licensing model:

Standard License:
Allows commercial use in one project.

Extended License:
Allows commercial use in multiple projects.

Both licenses are valid worldwide, have no time limit, and cover publication on all media channels.

Where can you purchase royalty-free music for commercial purposes?

1. Subscription providers with a time limit:
If you regularly need a large amount of music, subscription-based providers might be interesting for you. Here, you can access a wide range of music tracks for a monthly or annual fee. The major downside: If you terminate or pause your subscription, you can no longer use the downloaded audio files, and you cannot republish videos you've already created.

2. Single-license providers without time restrictions:
This option is especially suitable if you only need music occasionally. With this model, you acquire licenses for individual tracks. An example is audiohub. If you decide to purchase the Extended License for a song from audiohub, you can use it for as many projects as you want for the rest of your life.

3. Free audio libraries from platforms like YouTube or TikTok:
Caution is advised when using music commercially here. Although these platforms offer their music libraries, there are often legal pitfalls. On one hand, there are frequent warnings; on the other hand, using the music tracks is often limited to the respective platform. For instance, you can't share a viral TikTok video with such a song on YouTube or Instagram. A recommended article by WBS Legal currently addresses this issue.

4. Custom productions directly from the composer:
Here, you commission a composer to create a piece of music tailored specifically to your commercial project. Depending on the agreement, you can even acquire exclusive rights for the piece, meaning you alone decide on its use. However, these productions are often time-consuming and significantly more expensive than purchasing standard usage licenses. Therefore, this option might not be the first choice for many projects.

Browse through our extensive repertoire and download music for your business and commercial projects. Good luck!