How do I license music for a film?

To license music for a film, you need two permissions: a sync license from the composition owner (publisher) and a master license from the recording owner (label or artist). A one-stop catalog like The Rubbs controls both rights, so a single agreement clears the track for worldwide use.

What is one-stop music licensing?

One-stop licensing means a single owner controls 100% of the master recording and 100% of the publishing rights. Filmmakers sign one contract, pay one fee, and receive immediate worldwide clearance — no chasing labels or publishers separately.

How much does it cost to license music for an independent film?

Independent film sync fees vary widely. Boutique one-stop catalogs typically license tracks from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per placement depending on media, term, and territory. The Rubbs offers custom quotes based on project scope.

── GUIDE · MUSIC LICENSING

How to License Music for Film

A one-stop guide for independent filmmakers — sync rights, master rights, and why worldwide clearance in a single contract matters.

── 01 · THE TWO RIGHTS

Every piece of recorded music has two separate copyrights. The composition — melody, lyrics, arrangement — is owned by the songwriter or a publisher. The master recording — the specific performance captured in the studio — is owned by the label or artist. To place a track in a film, you need permission from both.

The permission for the composition is called a sync license. The permission for the recording is called a master license. Both must be in writing, and both must cover your intended media, term, and territory before the film can be exhibited, sold, or streamed.

── 02 · WHY ONE-STOP CLEARANCE MATTERS

When the same entity controls 100% of the master and 100% of the publishing, the track is called one-stop. One conversation. One contract. One fee. Immediate worldwide clearance.

The alternative is chasing a label in one country, a publisher in another, and split co-writers who may be unreachable. For independent films with tight schedules and finite budgets, the legal risk of a partial clearance — an unsigned co-writer, an unclear territory — can hold up festival submission, streaming deals, and international distribution.

The Rubbs catalog is 100% one-stop: every track ships with master and publishing already cleared, ready to license in a single agreement.

── 03 · WHAT A SYNC LICENSE COVERS

Media. Film festivals, theatrical, streaming (SVOD / AVOD), broadcast, trailers, social cutdowns.
Term. How long the license is valid — typically 1, 3, 5, 10 years, or in perpetuity.
Territory. Where the film may be shown — a single country, a region, or worldwide.
Exclusivity. Whether the track may be used by anyone else during the term. Most sync licenses are non-exclusive.

── 04 · THE LICENSING PROCESS

Pick the track. Search a one-stop catalog by tempo, mood, and instrumentation.
Request a quote. Share your project scope: media, term, territory, budget range.
Sign the license. Countersign a single agreement covering master and publishing.
Receive deliverables. High-resolution WAV stems, cue sheets, and a signed clearance letter for distributors.

── 05 · COMMON PITFALLS

"Royalty-free" is not the same as cleared. Many stock libraries only license the master. If a distributor asks for a publishing indemnity, you have none.
Festival cut ≠ distribution cut. A festival screening license does not cover streaming or theatrical release. Clear the widest media you might ever need upfront.
Undisclosed co-writers. On non-one-stop tracks, a single unlisted co-writer can block a release months into post.

── 06 · LICENSE WITH THE RUBBS

The Rubbs is an architectural audiovisual and sonic studio. Every track in the sync catalog is 100% one-stop, with master and publishing controlled in-house and worldwide clearance ready on signature. Custom scoring is also available for filmmakers who need something written to picture.

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