Why Music Licensing Isn’t One-Stop Shopping: Understanding Publishing vs. Recording Rights
If you’re a filmmaker navigating music licensing, one of the most important things to understand is this: every song has two sides, and each side requires its own license.
Let’s break it down.
The Two Sides of Every Song
When you want to use a piece of music in your film, you need to secure rights from:
The Publisher – This side represents the songwriters and composers. These are companies like Universal Music Publishing, Sony Music Publishing, or Warner Chappell. They protect the composition—the lyrics and melody—and collect royalties when it’s used.
The Record Label – This side owns the specific recording of that song. That might be Universal Music Enterprises (UME), Sony Music Entertainment (SME), or Warner Records. They promote and sell the recorded performance by the artist.
Here’s where it gets tricky…
Don’t Let the Names Fool You
Just because both the publisher and the record label might have “Universal” or “Sony” in their name doesn’t mean they’re the same company. In fact, they often operate out of entirely separate offices, with different business models, priorities, and licensing teams.
Sony Music Publishing ≠ Sony Music Entertainment
Warner Chappell ≠ Warner Records
Universal Music Publishing ≠ Universal Music Enterprises
And if you only clear one of those rights? You’re not legally covered. That’s a costly mistake.
What This Means for Filmmakers
You’ll need to contact both the publisher and the label.
You’ll negotiate two separate licenses.
You’ll pay two separate fees—one for the song, one for the recording.
You may even need to find or commission a new recording if you can’t clear the original.
Understanding this dual structure is essential to staying legal and professional when using music in your projects.