FAQ

FAQ

No matter what your level of experience is with music licensing, everybody has questions. This FAQ should help first-time and experienced licensees alike. Here are some answers to the questions we hear most. Have one that's not listed? Don't hesitate to contact us directly. MusicDealers.com takes each and every artist, label, and client relationship seriously.

I'm not that familiar with music licensing. How does it work?

The world of music licensing is all around you. Any music you hear in a commercial, movie, video game, or on a TV show was licensed. When you as an artist license a track to a company, you give them the right to use your music for whatever purposes you've agreed to. In return, that company will pay you for letting them use your music. And here's the best part: You're not actually selling your song. You still retain all the rights to your music so you can license a song over and over again. Zero risk, endless opportunity. Every reason to put your music to work.

Who can signup to MusicDealers.com?

From independent bands to established music design production houses to home studio music producers to platinum recording artists, anyone who owns the rights to their original music can sign-up to MusicDealers.com as an Individual Artist account.

Managers and labels who upload music on behalf of their artists can sign-up as a Label/Manager account. Here, a manager or label can create multiple artist accounts under one managerial account.

What is the benefit of signing up?

By signing up to MusicDealers.com, you not only give your music the best chance of being placed in a variety of media (film, TV, commercials, video games, etc.), you give yourself the best chance of making some extra cash and promoting your skills. We've established relationships with some of the biggest brands and companies in the world so your music has the ability to be heard by the biggest music purchasers in the industry.

The beauty of it all? You keep all the rights and 100% ownership to all your music. At MusicDealers.com, you literally have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

What fees are involved?

Everybody's favorite question. At MusicDealers.com, there are no signup fees. Zero. Our contract is simple: We work on a percentage basis so we don't get paid unless you get paid, and any licensing fee or revenue created by us is split 50/50 between you and MusicDealers.com.

Put it this way: We don't get a check unless you get a check, and our check is the same amount as yours.

What happens to my music once I upload it to the site?

As soon as your music is uploaded, our in-house music experts analyze and categorize it using an extensive set of variables such as genre, sub genre, tempo, emotion, key, and rhythmic feel. The result is an expansive catalog that can be quickly, easily, and efficiently searched by us and our corporate clients in order to pinpoint the perfect track for the job. We pride ourselves on speed. After all, a fast turnover rate means more money for everyone involved.

Who has access to my music if I upload it to the site?

MusicDealers.com understands your music isn't just a form of self-expression, it's your business. It's a commodity and should be safeguarded as such. The only people with access are you, MusicDealers.com staff, and approved clients that are looking to license your music.

How do I get paid?

Short answer: You get a check in the mail four times a year.

Long answer: Every April 1st, July 1st, October 1st, and January 1st, MusicDealers.com will process payments due to you for every track you sold in the preceding quarter-annual accounting period.

Within forty-five (45) days after the close of an accounting period, an earnings statement and a check will be sent to the name and address you provide on your account.

You'll have the right to change the dates of the accounting periods with sixty (60) days notice, but no accounting period shall exceed three (3) months in duration.

If I place a track, do I get paid royalties?

Another huge benefit of MusicDealers.com: About 75% of our placements pay royalties. In other words, your placed track can keep paying you for years past the point of license. But in order to receive royalties, your music must be registered with a P.R.O. a.k.a. Performing Rights Organization. Check out a list of P.R.O.'s worldwide here. The minute one of your songs is placed, MusicDealers.com will notify your P.R.O. of the exact media and details of the placement. Your P.R.O. will then track your plays and send you royalty checks directly.

We can't stress enough how important it is you register your songs with a P.R.O. Doing so gives your music the power to work a lot harder for you. Who doesn't want more checks in the mail?

Is my music still 100% mine?

Unquestionably, undeniably without a doubt: YES. This is a totally non-exclusive website. We do not lay claim to any of the rights to your music. Even when you place a track, it's still 100% yours. License it again, put it on an album, remix it and play it at your mom's birthday party, whatever. It's your music, do what you want with it.

Can I work with other companies/ Is this a non-exclusive contract?

When we say no strings attached, we mean it. Our contract is 100% non-exclusive so you're free to explore any and all opportunities for your music. Any music-licensing site that doesn't give you this freedom isn't worth your time. And you can tell them we said that.

Once I upload my music can I remove it?

Hey, it's your music, of course you can remove it. You don't even have to give us a reason. How? Simply click the "remove" button next to each one of your tracks. Your music will be erased from the catalog within 30 days of your request for removal.

Why does MusicDealers.com add a "tag" to my music? What is a tag?

We add to the end of every track title in our catalog. We "tag" or "rename" tracks for three reasons:

1) To fulfill our 50/50 publishing split. While MusicDealers.com doesn't own any of the actual rights to your music, we are income participants for 50% of the subsequent publishing royalties.

2) To help your P.R.O. distinguish track placements that MusicDealer.com secured for you.

So you retain all the rights to your original "untagged" track and are free to do whatever you want with it.

Still confused? This should clear things up: Say you have a track called "Get Up and Dance" and MusicDealers places it in a Nike commercial. At the same time, you independently place it in an episode of The Office on NBC. When your P.R.O. is notified of these placements, the Nike commercial track would be called "Get Up and Dance- MDV" while The Office version would be just called "Get Up and Dance". Any royalties you earn through The Office would have nothing to do with us and go directly to you.

A tag protects you by ensuring we only share in 50% of the publishing royalties from placements that we secure, while you retain 100% ownership. You can still license it again to someone else, release it on your own, whatever.

Essentially, we tag tracks so you retain all the rights to your songs. "Tagging" helps you, not us.

How long is the term of the contract?

As long as you want it to be. Since there's no defined term on the contract, you can get out of it at anytime. Upon your request to end the contract, your account and music will be removed from the site within 30 days.

How can I increase my chances of actually placing a track?

First and foremost, always upload instrumental versions of your songs. Often, a client will hear and like a song but only want the instrumental version.

Another way: upload your lyrics; our catalog can be searched by keywords. If your song contains words about breakfast and Kellogg's is looking for music for a cereal commercial, your track will be more likely to make the list.

And sometimes it's a just matter of odds. The best way to increase your chances is to upload as many tracks as you can. The more tracks you upload, the more likely it is you'll place one.

Lastly, produce the best music you can. There's a ton of talent on MusicDealers.com, make sure you're one of the best.

Got more questions? Never hesitate to ask. You can always reach us by email at info@musicdealers.com

Can I upload a track with a sample from another recording in it?

Absolutely not. All music uploaded to Musicdealers.com must be 100% original and free of any and all samples from other recordings that you do not have the rights to. Samples from royalties-free libraries and sequencing programs such as Reason, Garage Band, Logic, Abelton Live etc. are fine. These types of samples are free for any artists to use as long as they are actually from these royalty-free libraries. If you upload tracks that use samples from recordings that you do not own the rights to, or are not royalties-free samples, you compromise your relationship with Music Dealers and forfeit any opportunities to have your music licensed. So always double check, and always make sure your music comes from you and not anybody else’s recordings.

How do I know if I have properly submitted my song to a job?

To make sure that you have submitted a song to a job properly, simply click "Job Submissions" under your picture on your profile page. You will then see a list of songs that were successfully submitted.

I received an email notification about my song being added to a playlist. What does that mean?

Getting your song added to a playlist is the first step to getting your music licensed to a client.  If you received an email notification that your song was added to a playlist, that means a client came to us with many specifications regarding the type of music they are looking for and your music met some or all of that criteria.  We added your song to a playlist and sent it off to a client for placement consideration.  This doesn't mean that you have placed the track, but means the client is listening to your song and you are one step closer to landing a placement. The main reason for the notification is to keep our artists in the loop with what's going on with their music, since we don't post all active jobs on the Deal Board. Please do not respond to your playlist notification email. If your songs gets placed, we will contact you immediately.