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Info about royalty-free music

audiocrowd answers frequently asked questions about royalty-free music. If you miss information about this topic, do not hesitate and contact us.

What is a collecting society like ASCAP or GEMA?

The GEMA is the "Society for Musical Performing Rights and Mechanical Reproduction Rights". This and other collecting societies like ASCAP form contracts with artists (so-called protection or permission contracts). With this contract, a composer entrusts the GEMA or ASCAP or other collecting societies with monitoring the public use of his works.

Which responsibilities do collection societies have?

As soon as the work of a composer who has contracted a collecting society like GEMA or ASCAP is used, the collecting society has the right to collect a license fee (royalty) for the public broadcast or performance of his music from the user (e.g., a radio station, a restaurant, a concert venue, a store). Collected fees - minus the administrative costs - are redistributed according to a set ratio to the members of the GEMA or ASCAP.

What is royalty-free music?

Works become "GEMA-free" or "royalty-free" as soon as a composer is not registered with the GEMA or any other major collecting society or as soon as a GEMA member explicitly excludes some of his works (in the context of audiovisual productions) from protection by the GEMA. This does not yet mean that the music can be utilized commercially.

What are the advantages of royalty-free music?

Depending on the specific instance, royalty-free music is considerably cheaper than GEMA- or ASCAP-protected material. Once a license has been purchased, no other costs arise and there is no need to finance a costly bureaucratic structure. Costs are always transparent and can be easily planned. A license can be purchased very easily online in our shop.

Is royalty-free music professional?

Even today, many still consider royalty-free music as tootling or elevator music. And yet today, even royalty-free music is produced professionally and at a high qualitative standard and does not fall behind the GEMA or ASCAP repertoire in terms of quality. The music on audiocrowd is subject to strict quality tests and is produced in accordance with modern standards by expert composers and producers. Today, royalty-free music is diversely and creatively used by many renowned businesses.

Is royalty-free music legally safe?

The music on audiocrowd is legaly risk-free. For every purchase, you receive a verified license you can submit to the GEMA or ASCAP or any other collecting society. This document contains all relevant information on the composer and the work itself. Only with such a license is it possible to prove to a collecting society that you are utilizing royalty-free music.

What is license-free music?

License-free music is a misleading term, for it implies that the music is completely free to use. All music is protected by copyright, i.e., the composer of the work alone can decide on the utilization and distribution of his work. Because of this, "license-free music" does not exist.

What does "GEMA-free" or royalty-free mean?

The GEMA is the "Society for Musical Performing Rights and Mechanical Reproduction Rights" and a German collecting society like the ASCAP. The society forms contracts with artists (so-called protection or permission contracts). With this contract, a composer entrusts the GEMA with monitoring the public utilization of his works. As soon as the work of a composer who has contracted the GEMA is used, the GEMA has the right to collect a license fee (royalty) for the public broadcast or performance of his music from the user (e.g., a radio station, a restaurant, a concert veneu, a store). Collected fees - minus the administrative costs - are redistributed according to a set ratio to the members of the GEMA.

Which advantages does royalty-free music offer?

Royalty-free music tends to be cheaper than music of a major. In addition to acquiring a license, there are no additional costs. The costs are always transparent and easy to plan.