Clearing rights – Clearing rights refers to obtaining permission to use a musical work or recording in films, TV shows, advertisements, video games, and other audiovisual media. This permission comes in the form of a synchronisation licence (synch licence). Music supervisors, synch agents, or rights clearance specialists typically handle this process.
Unlike in the US or UK, Collective Management Organisations in many European countries also grant synch licences for certain uses. Therefore, country-specific knowledge about who to ask permission is needed.
Two types of rights must be cleared: the master rights (for the sound recording) and the publishing rights (for the author’s rights/copyright). Master rights are typically held by a record label owning the recording, but might also be held by the artist in case they self-produced and released the recording and are thus rights holders. The publishing rights are typically held by music publishers, directly by songwriters, or in some European countries, represented by CMOs. Depending on the song and the number of rights holders, obtaining the licences can be a long and complicated process that requires multiple steps and thorough knowledge of copyright laws.
