Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Independent Music Library?

The Independent Music Library is a collection of music that has been commercially released by independent artists

What is an independent artist? What rights do I need to control?

An independent artist is an artist or band who releases their music without being signed to a record label and/or a publisher - i.e. they independently control the rights to their music.

There are two copyrights to think of when you sync music - one is the copyright of the sound recording, the other is the copyright of the underlying composition or song.

If you control one or both of these rights to your music, then you can assign The Independent Music Library to be your sync representative.

Are you looking for library music or production music?

No, we are not a traditional music ‘library’ made up of production music - we are a collection of great music that has been commercially released by some of the best independent artists around

What is the difference between a label and a distributor?

A record label will typically control all the sound recording rights for your music - this includes sync rights, and things like releasing the music on streaming and download platforms and physical records.

A distributor will typically only distribute your music to streaming and downloading platforms, or perhaps press physical copies of your music - but they do not control the rights - they are simply offering you (the rights holder) music distribution as a service.

Because under a distribution deal you control all the rights to your sound recordings, you are able to use a service like The Independent Music Library for your sync licensing. We also offer our services on a non-exclusive basis so you are always free to choose who does your licensing for you.

What if I have a record label?

Typically a record label will have the exclusive right to licence your music to be synced to TV, Films, Adverts or other media. This is different to a distribution or label services deal, where they may not have sync rights or any rights beyond distributing to streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music.

If you do have a record label who controls these rights, then we may still be able to work with you on a procurement-only basis (as the label will handle the licensing side) or on a publishing-only basis (if you do not have a publisher).

If this is you, please reach out to info@independentmusiclibrary.com and we can discuss this further.

What if I have a publisher?

A publisher will typically control all the rights to your songs - including the sync rights (but not the rights to the sound recording). However some publishers offer admin-only services - meaning they may have non-exclusive sync rights.

If you do have a publisher who controls these rights, then we may still be able to work with you on a procurement-only basis (as the publisher will handle the licensing side) or on a recording-only basis (if you do not have a record label).

If this is you, please reach out to info@independentmusiclibrary.com and we can discuss this further.

What if my songs have co-writers?

If you do not have 100% of the writing credit on your songs, then we will only be able to represent your percentage share. This is pretty typical in music publishing land, so do not worry!

In these cases, we will need to know who your co-writers are, and if they have a publisher. If they do not have a publisher, it might be a great opportunity to get them to join The Independent Music Library too so we can represent 100% of the song rights to make licensing quick and easy for everyone!

What if I am a member of PRS or another collection society?

Collection societies or PROs such as PRS, IMRO, ASCAP and BMI do not control sync rights, so being a member of a PRO will not affect your ability to use The Independent Music Library for your sync licensing.

If you are a member of a society not listed then please reach out to us info@independentmusiclibrary.com and we can discuss this further to make sure we don’t need any additional permissions.

You do not need to be a member of any PRO to get started, however we do recommend joining one if your music is used on any traditional media so you can collect any residual royalties.

What if I am a member of PPL, SoundExchange or another neighbouring rights society?

Neighbouring Rights collection societies collect royalties when your music is broadcast on TV, Radio and many more usages. They do not control sync rights, so being a member of one of these societies will not affect your ability to use The Independent Music Library for your sync licensing

It is free to join PPL, and we recommend you do join them or an equivalent society - especially if you control your recording rights. You can find out more info here: https://www.ppluk.com/membership/why-become-a-member/

After I sign up, what happens next?

Once you have signed up, we will reach out asking for more detailed information about your music, the rights ownership and any other deals that you have which may affect how we can work with you.

Once we have this information and we have imported your data into our system, you’re all set!

Should I list you on my website or socials as my sync agent?

Absolutely! Music supervisors and brands are constantly on the lookout for music to use on their next project. It is especially important for Independent Artists to offer contact details as there is no label and/or publisher representing them.

By listing The Independent Music Library as your sync representative on your social media platforms and on your website you are signalling to these people that your music is ready and able to be synced, and they will know exactly who to contact to get started.

Something as simple as “Sync Contact: info@independentmusiclibrary.com” in your about section is ideal.

What if I have used a sample?

Right now we are not accepting any music which contains samples to the library.

This includes interpolations (i.e. samples where only the song has been used, and not the original sound recording as well)

This rule will not be in place forever, however licensing music with samples is much more complex and as a small start-up we are not able to facilitate this yet. Bear with!

What if I have used pre-made loops, beats or other production sounds?

If you have used any pre-made loops, beats or other similar items either from a DAW or beat library such as Splice, then we will require a copy of the licence showing that you have purchased the right to use these beats.

We are able to licence music which uses these types of samples, however we will only do so on-demand and on a case-by-case basis. I.e. we will not actively promote these tracks to brands or music supervisors, however if you are approached by someone wanting to licence these tracks, we are happy to represent you.

This is due to these samples being non-exclusive, meaning they could appear on any number of other tracks that have also been released - this causes havoc with audio fingerprinting software which is used by many platforms for track identification.

This rule will not be in place forever, however licensing music with samples is much more complex and as a small start-up we are not able to facilitate this yet.

What is Sync?

Music sync is the term used for when music is put to a moving image - such as a TV show, advert, video game or film. If someone wants to use your music in this way, they must pay a license fee to the rights owners of the music.

There are two types of music rights - one is the copyright of the sound recording, the other is the copyright of the underlying composition or song. If you are an independent artist, you likely own both of these rights yourself.