Licensing and copyrights

Music is protected under two types of copyrights:

The Composition: the melody and lyrics, owned by the songwriter and music publisher.

The Recording: the specific performance of that composition—such as a Tency Music re-recording.

To legally use a song, you must get permission for both the composition and the recording, unless it’s in the public domain:

The recording is licensed through the producer or record label (such as Tency Music).

The composition is usually managed by a music publisher and/or music rights societies (e.g. ASCAP, BMI, SESAC in the U.S., PRS in the UK, SACEM in France).

For U.S. users, we also offer a streamlined option through our partner, Easy Song Licensing, to help secure the necessary cover song license.

A publishing company manages the composition of a song—the music and lyrics written by the songwriter(s).

A record label manages the recording—the actual audio performance of that composition.

To license a song properly, you often need permission from both: the publisher (for the composition) and the label or licensing company (for the recording). Each party earns royalties for the rights they control.

When using a Tency Music recording, you're responsible for securing the proper rights for both the recording and the composition. Tency Music, as a music producer and licensing company, can grant you a non-exclusive Master Use license for our recordings. However, we do not provide licenses for the underlying composition (music and lyrics). To comply with copyright laws, you must obtain a separate license for the composition, typically from:

• A music publisher
• Or your local music rights society (e.g., ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC in the U.S., PRS in the UK, SACEM in France)

For video or film use, a synchronization license is required and must always be obtained directly from the music publisher(s).

Yes but you need two separate licenses to legally use music in any audiovisual project (e.g. film, video, commercials):

1. Master Use License – for the recording
2. Synchronization License – for the composition

Tency Music can provide the Master Use license for our re-recorded tracks. This allows you to use our licensed recordings in visual content such as commercials, social media videos, or films.

However, to be fully compliant, you must also obtain the Sync license for the composition from the appropriate music publisher(s).