A mechanical license is required if you would like to record a composition on any audio only format – CD, cassette, LP, MP3. You must obtain a mechanical license if you wish to make a recording of a composition.

 

Many major publishers, including Cherry Lane, use the Harry Fox Agency to issue mechanical licenses on our behalf. Before contacting us, please look up the song you wish to obtain a mechanical license for on the Harry Fox website. The Harry Fox Agency can issue licenses for projects of all sizes. Their SongFile license is available for people manufacturing as few as 25 units. For more information please visit the SongFile section of their website. If you cannot find the song you are looking for at Harry Fox, please fill out the mechanical request from on our website.

 

A synchronization license is a license that permits you to synchronize music with an audio/visual work. Such works including television programs, commercials, Video/DVDs, slide shows, movies, film trailers, or any other type of audio/visual use in which music is synchronized.

 

No, the Harry Fox Agency only issues mechanical licenses on our behalf. You will need to contact us directly for any other type of license.

 

Synch licensing fees are determined on a case by case basis and are affected by a variety of factors such as song, use, timing, media, term and territory. Please be sure to complete all sections of the licensing form as accurately and completely as possible so that we may properly assess the appropriate fee for your requested use.

 

An in-house license would be a license for the use of our music non-broadcast productions such as corporate training videos, sales presentations, meetings and other industrial/non-broadcast types of uses.

 

Licensee is the person requesting the license. If you are requesting it, put your name. If you are requesting the license on behalf of an organization please put the name of the organization in the “Licensee” field and your name under “Contact name”. If you decide to use our song, the Licensee will ultimately be the signatory to the license.

 

Please put the name of the person in your organization that will be handling the licensing request. If that person is you; put your name

 

Please put the title of the production you are making NOT the name of the song you would like to use.

 

Yes, we cannot license music without knowing in what way you intend to use it. Please fill out both of those questions as completely as possible.

 

The use is how the viewer of the production will experience the song. You should have one of the following selected;

Background Vocal - This means a song with vocals is heard in the background of the scene.

Visual Vocal - This means somebody is seen singing on screen. This would include scenes of people singing along to music, scenes depicting karaoke performances as well as concert footage.

Background Instrumental - This is for uses where an instrumental song can be heard playing in the background of the scene.

Visual Instrumental - This is for uses where the scene depicts people playing instrumental music on-screen.

 

Options are for additional rights that you may or may not need at a later date. For example if your initial request is for a one year film festival license in the United States, you may want an option to sell your film on DVD, renew beyond your initial term or expand the territory, so that you may enter international film festivals.

 

Since the internet is accessible all over the world you will need a worldwide license for internet uses.

 

Each license is unique and the term will vary from license to license. Please specify how long a term you would like in your initial request.   The length of the term is a factor in determining our fee.

 

A master recording is the actual sound recording of the song. As the publisher we control the underlying intellectual property that is the “song” – the words and music. The sound recording of the song is usually controlled by the record label that released the album. There are exceptions and we do control some master recordings. Use the MusiSeek function of this website to see if we control a particular master recording you are interested in.

 

Yes you do. You will need to negotiate rights and fees for the use of whatever master recording you decide to use with the owner of that recoding. Unless otherwise stated, our quotes for use are for the song only, not the sound recording of the song.

 

Usually it is the record label that originally released the song or whatever company bought that label.

 

Yes, we do. Please use our Music Search on this website to see if we have a master recording you may be interested in.

 

If we are the only publisher of the song, then to license the song (not the master recording) we will be the only people you need to contact. However, many songs have multiple publishers. If there is more than one publisher for the song you are interested n using, you must contact each publisher and request a quote from them.

Publishing information can be found at http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm?mode=search or http://www.bmi.com/search. 

 

 

 

Yes. Any use of music requires a license, regardless of timing.

 

 

Yes. Any lyric change requires publisher/writer approval and may or may not be approved, depending upon the nature of the changed lyrics.

 

Why do you want a plot synopsis of my project?
We require this information for several reasons. First and foremost, we represent composers, whose songs are their artistic creation. It is very important that we and our composers understand exactly what type of production our music is associated with. Secondly, the plot and the manner is which a song is tied into it, is another factor in determining the appropriate fee for a song use.

 

Again,we require this information for several reasons. First, as above, we and our writers want to ensure that our compositions are not used in any manner that may be objectionable. A publisher/writer may deny permission to use a song, if the intended use is deemed inappropriate.

 

Secondly, the manner in which a song is used plays a large role in determining the appropriate fee for that use. A “visual vocal” use in which someone is singing a song on camera, merits a higher fee than say, incidental background music playing softly behind a scene. Also, the “fit” of the song in the scene is a major factor in determining fees.   If the song’s lyrics tie in perfectly to a scene, the use of that song in that particular seen is more valuable than other music, which may be chosen simple for the sound or “feel” of the music within the scene.

 

We will do our best to address your request as quickly as possible. Please understand that we receive many requests every day and work is involved in processing each one of those requests. Most uses require the approval our songwriters or their representatives, many of whom have extremely busy schedules. Please allow at least two weeks before expecting to receive a quote.

 

We will do our best to address your request as quickly as possible, but it is unlikely that we will be able to respond within a day, due to the volume of requests we receive and the time and research necessary to process those requests.

 

Yes, a publisher or songwriter has complete discretion over whether or not their song may be used.