But it can seem complex.
Put simply, if you want to edit music , make copies of it, perform a routine to the track at an event or upload videos of your performance to YouTube and social media, then you require a license.
So why do you need a license?
In simple terms, music copyright is a law that says two things.
1) If you create something, then you own it, and
2) as the owner, you can decide what happens to it.
So, if anyone wants to use a piece of music, they need permission from the owner, a license. When it comes to licensing music and editing and mixing it together, you typically require direct approval from the rightsholder which can be a time consuming and expensive process.
When clearing music, there are 2 main music rights that must be cleared before use; one being the Publishing Rights (the musical composition) and the other being the Master Rights (the recording). You must obtain approval from ALL Rightsholders involved in the work, before use. Here is a video which explains this further.
Our industry, for years, avoided licensing music, with around 95% of all cheer music mixes used in competitions being unlicensed or incorrectly licensed until Sony Records sued a US music producer for creating mixes without prior permission or licensing. Many Event Producer’s, music producers, camps, gym owners and coaches have been left feeling confused about what to do and what is required which is why ClicknClear was founded.
ClicknClear are a100% legal solution, enabling teams and music producers to simply and easily license music at an affordable rate. Licensing your music protects your team, coaches and Event Producer’s whilst ensuring artists are rightfully paid for their work If you are unsure if your music is legal, ask your music producer or company about their licensing practice and whether they are compliant with copyright law. You can also check their license agreements cover the following rights:
edit and adapt the music
create an mp3 of the mix and distribute copies of it
choreograph the routine to the mix
upload a video of the routine online
and that all of these rights cover BOTH Publishing and Master sides of the music.
At ClicknClear we are ready to go; providing a large catalogue of pre-cleared popular music which can be edited and adapted into a Cheer mix, 100% legally, for either $15 or $25, depending on the track. We are the first and only company to have secured these rights and are working closely with major and independent labels and publishers like Warner Music and Universal Music Publishing to continue opening up more of their catalogues.
Find out more and begin your music search here.