.webp)
.svg)
Avoid shoot delays: 5-step UK music licensing checklist for marketers
To use a commercial song in a UK marketing video, you must clear both the publishing (synchronisation) rights and the master recording rights. Start by identifying the exact recording and its writers, then contact the publisher and label directly, or shortcut the whole process with production music. PRS for Music, PPL/MCPS and the Musicians’ Union are the organisations you’ll likely deal with along the way.
TL;DR:
- Both publishing and master rights must be cleared separately by contacting publishers and labels, especially for tracks with multiple writers and rights holders.
- Negotiations with publishers, labels, and the Musicians’ Union are often handled independently, requiring specific contact approaches for each.
- Production music offers a fixed-rate, predictable alternative, with lifetime coverage often included, making it suitable for tight deadlines and fixed budgets.
- Clearances should be completed in a structured sequence, locking in the exact recording, metadata, and licensing terms before production begins.
- For complex deals, hiring a specialist or using a full-service production provider can streamline rights clearance and reduce administrative hurdles.
Table of Contents
- Publishing rights versus master rights: why you need both
- Who handles what: PRS, PPL, MCPS, publishers, labels and the Musicians’ Union
- Step by step: clearing a track for your UK marketing video
- Budgeting and timing: what UK sync clearance actually costs
- Alternatives to commercial tracks: production music, stock and bespoke composition
- Building a commissioning checklist for your next brief
- When to handle clearance yourself and when to bring in a specialist
- Getting your video made and its music cleared without the admin
- Where to go for official guidance and rate cards
- Sources
- FAQ
Publishing rights versus master rights: why you need both
Every commercially released song carries two separate sets of rights, and you need permission from both sides before it can appear in your video. The synchronisation (or publishing) right covers the underlying composition: the melody, lyrics and arrangement, owned by the songwriter and their publisher. The master recording right covers that specific recorded version: the one you actually hear, owned by the record label or the artist themselves.
You must clear both publishing rights and master recording rights to use a commercial song against visuals, according to Universal Music Publishing Group’s guidance. Miss one and you’re exposed, even if you paid for the other.
Things get more complicated when a track has several credited writers, each with a different publisher and a different percentage share. That means several separate negotiations rather than one tidy conversation.
To track down the right people:
- Search the PRS for Music and PPL repertoire databases for registered writers, publishers and label credits.
- Check the record label’s or artist’s official site for a sync licensing or business enquiries contact.
- Look at the track’s original release credits or liner notes for publisher and writer names.
Who handles what: PRS, PPL, MCPS, publishers, labels and the Musicians’ Union
Each body in UK music licensing covers a different slice of the puzzle, and knowing which one to approach saves you weeks of misdirected enquiries.
- PRS for Music represents songwriters and publishers, and administers performing and mechanical rights for the composition.
- PPL licenses the use of recorded music, primarily for broadcast and public performance of the master recording.
- MCPS, working alongside PRS, covers mechanical and synchronisation licensing for production music and reproduction of recordings.
- Publishers and record labels are the actual rights holders you negotiate the commercial terms with; PRS, PPL and MCPS mostly administer collective licensing rather than granting sync permissions themselves.
- The Musicians’ Union gets involved whenever session musicians played on the original recording and that recording is being put to a new use, such as an advert or corporate video.
GOV.UK’s own guidance confirms that you’ll probably need licences from PRS for Music and PPL for uses such as television, though marketing video sync clearance for a specific commercial use is typically negotiated directly with the publisher and label rather than through a blanket licence. That distinction catches a lot of marketing teams out, so contact the licensing body or rights holder directly to confirm what applies to your exact use.
Step by step: clearing a track for your UK marketing video
Clearance works best as a sequence rather than a scramble, and each step should be locked before you move to the next.
- Lock your edit and identify the exact recording and version you want, including any remix or radio edit distinctions.
- Gather metadata, including writer credits, publisher names, label details and a cue sheet noting the exact timing of the music in your edit.
- Approach the publisher for a sync quote and the label for a master quote separately, since they negotiate independently and rarely coordinate on price.
- Check whether session musicians need clearing through the Musicians’ Union, particularly for adverts or any use beyond the original release context.
- Finalise a written licence covering the specific use, territory, duration, any cut-down versions and your reporting obligations.
Rights holders can and do say no. Universal Music Publishing Group notes that approval is never guaranteed, since publishers and labels operate independently and may decline if the use doesn’t sit well with the artist’s brand. Always brief a backup track before you commit a shoot schedule to a single song.
Session musician clearance for new uses, including sync and advertising, sits with the Musicians’ Union, with fees set under MU and BPI agreements.
Pro Tip: Get a written “ballpark accepted” note from the publisher and label before you lock your production schedule. It won’t finalise the deal, but it stops you building a shoot around a track that later falls through on price or writer approval.
Budgeting and timing: what UK sync clearance actually costs
Price depends on how big the ask is: a well known artist, a national broadcast campaign and exclusivity all push the fee up, while a quiet online-only cut-down with a limited term costs far less. Territory, duration and whether the campaign includes paid media all factor into the quote you’ll get from a publisher or label.
Production music offers a predictable alternative. PRS/MCPS’s 2025 production music rate card sets fixed rates and defined licence categories for adverts, branded content and online productions, with lifetime-of-production coverage often included within the initial term. That predictability is exactly what a marketing manager working to a fixed budget and a fixed launch date needs.
Commercial track negotiations don’t run to that kind of timetable. Expect a ballpark quote fairly quickly, but final sign-off can be held up by writer approval, so build slack into your production schedule rather than assuming a quick turnaround. If your filming logistics are already tight, our Oxford filming guide covers other planning factors worth locking down alongside your music clearance.
Alternatives to commercial tracks: production music, stock and bespoke composition
Clearing a well known commercial song isn’t always the right call, and three alternatives are worth weighing before you go down that road.
- Production music is cleared fast, priced on a fixed rate card and often licensed for the lifetime of the production, making it the most predictable route for a marketing team on a deadline.
- Royalty-free or stock music is cheap and immediate, but watch the usage caps and check whether the licence is exclusive to you or shared with anyone else who bought the same track.
- Bespoke composition or re-recording gives you full creative control and sidesteps the master rights issue entirely, but you still need clear commissioning terms covering publishing assignment or mechanical rights.
PRS for Music’s guidance on production music notes that PROL specifically covers online communication to the public for content hosted on your own website, which matters if your campaign lives mainly on your brand’s site rather than paid social or broadcast.
Building a commissioning checklist for your next brief
A clear brief prevents most clearance headaches before they start. Put these details in writing whenever you’re commissioning a video or briefing a supplier:
- The exact edit, target platforms and territories the music needs to cover.
- Whether the campaign includes paid media, since that usually changes the fee.
- Any cut-down allowance you’ll need for shorter social versions.
- Licence term and renewal date, so nothing lapses mid-campaign without you noticing.
- Reporting obligations, since some licences require you to log where and when the music ran.
Keep signed licences, cue sheets, invoices and the original contact emails on file. If a rights holder ever queries your use, that paper trail is what protects you.
Pro Tip: Never assume a licence covers “everywhere, forever”. Confirm territory and term explicitly in writing, since an implied global or perpetual right is rarely what you actually bought.
When to handle clearance yourself and when to bring in a specialist
Simple, single-market briefs with production music are manageable in-house once you know who to contact. Complex deals involving a high-profile artist, exclusivity clauses or a rollout across several territories are a different matter, and that’s when independent legal advice earns its fee. Coordinating creative and clearance through one point of contact cuts down the back-and-forth between departments and keeps a campaign on schedule.
— Hook
Getting your video made and its music cleared without the admin
Chasing publishers, labels and the Musicians’ Union while also managing a shoot is a lot for one marketing team to run alongside everything else on your plate. Hook Digital’s video production service handles the creative and production side, and we coordinate music clearance as part of the project so you’re not managing three separate suppliers.
| What you get | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Single point of contact | One team managing production and rights clearance, not three |
| Transparent pricing reference | Check our pricing page before you brief |
| Project reporting | Clear record of licences, edits and approvals for your files |
Get in touch through our full service marketing page to request a quote for your next video project.
Where to go for official guidance and rate cards
Start any formal enquiry with the source that actually holds the answer:
- Gov for the general licensing landscape.
- PRS/MCPS production music rate card for fixed production music pricing.
- Universal Music Publishing Group’s sync guidance for how publisher negotiations work in practice.
- Musicians’ Union new-use guidance for session musician clearance rules.
For a broader look at comparable licensing routes, third-party coverage of music and media alternatives is worth a read too.
Sources
- How to License Music | Universal Music Publishing Group | United Kingdom
- Gov
- MCPS production music rate card (2025)
- Sync Licensing & Sync Rights for Music Users | The MU
- MCPS production music | PRS for Music
FAQ
Do I need permission to use a popular song in a marketing video?
Yes, you need separate permission from the publisher for the composition and from the label for the master recording. Both are usually required for commercial UK video use, and GOV.UK guidance points you toward the relevant licensing bodies to confirm exactly what applies to your use.
What’s the difference between a sync licence and a master licence?
A sync licence covers the composition, the melody and lyrics, and is granted by the publisher. A master licence covers the specific recording you want to use and is granted by the label, and Universal Music Publishing Group confirms you need both for synchronised use against visuals.
How much does it cost to license production music for an advert?
Production music is priced on fixed rate cards rather than negotiated individually, with categories covering adverts, branded content and online productions. The PRS/MCPS 2025 rate card sets out the exact categories and terms.
Do I need to clear session musicians separately from the label?
Yes, if the original recording used session musicians and you’re putting it to a new use such as an advert, the Musicians’ Union requires separate clearance with fees set under MU and BPI agreements. This is a cost that’s easy to miss when budgeting for a commercial track.
Can Hook Digital help clear music rights for my video?
Hook Digital coordinates music clearance as part of its video production service, working alongside the creative process rather than as a separate legal step. This keeps one point of contact managing both the production and the rights clearance for your campaign.
.png)
