Music Rights by Use Case for Royalty-Free Music | Soundtaxi

When the license doesn't match the use

Your new corporate film is finished. The track fits, the license is bought, and the video is live on your website. Then new ideas come up: the clip should run as a paid ad on Instagram, then as a spot on local radio and finally on a loop at your trade show booth. At this point at the latest, a tricky question arises: does your license cover all of this? Often the answer is no. A music license never applies to every use, but always to a specific use. This holds true even if you use royalty-free Non-PRO music. Anyone who produces videos, podcasts, ads or events should therefore know music rights by use case. This guide explains which rights matter for which use. You will learn how to recognize the right license tier and which mistakes get expensive. By the end, you will know how to choose the right license for royalty-free music in every project.

Key points at a glance

• A music license always applies to a defined use case, not to any use you like.
• The greater the reach, advertising budget or number of copies, the broader the license has to be.
• Advertising, radio, cinema and TV spots need higher license tiers than a normal social media post.
• Public performance such as hold music, trade shows or in-store music is a use case of its own.
• If you later use a track for further purposes, you often need a new or larger license.

Music rights by use case, simply explained

Think of your driver's license. With a standard car license you may drive a car, but not a truck or a coach. The license is valid, it just doesn't fit every vehicle. The bigger the vehicle, the higher the license class has to be.

Music works in a similar way. A license for a social media video does not yet allow you to run a TV commercial. The greater the reach, the higher the advertising budget and the longer the run, the broader the license has to be. The track stays the same, only the use changes.

A simple analogy

Imagine a rented apartment. You may live in it, but you may not open a café in it. The rooms are the same, but the use is different and requires a different contract. In the same way, a music license distinguishes between private use, online publication, advertising and public performance.

Which rights are behind a music license

Every piece of music is protected by copyright. In addition, performers and producers hold neighbouring rights in the recording. If you know the definition and legal basics, you will quickly understand why the use case matters so much. The German Copyright Act (UrhG) divides the rights in a work according to the type of use.

A license only grants you the rights you need for your use. The following overview shows which right is affected by which use.

In the media industry, people also talk about synchronization rights. This means permission to combine music permanently with images, for example in a video or a commercial.

The most important use cases at a glance

Every use raises its own questions. The table shows you at a glance what matters in each case.

Social media, YouTube and website

A video on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok or your website makes music accessible on the internet. The platforms automatically match every upload against large databases. On YouTube this system is called Content ID. If it detects a protected track, you risk muting, blocking or diverted ad revenue.

For this use, what matters most is how many channels you publish on and whether you monetize them. Be careful with free tracks labeled “royalty-free”. The difference between Non-PRO, license-free and royalty-free determines whether claims might still come later.

Podcasts

Podcasts are streamed online and usually published on many platforms at once. What matters is whether you use music in a single episode only or permanently for the whole series. An intro, an outro or a music bed plays in every episode. For that you need a license that covers the entire series.

Advertising: online ads, radio, cinema and TV

As soon as music promotes a product or a brand, the requirements go up. Advertising reaches many people and directly serves sales. Licenses for advertising therefore depend on three questions: How large is the advertising budget? Does the spot run regionally or nationally? How long does the campaign run?

For online ads, the advertising budget usually determines the license tier. Radio, cinema and TV spots are licensed by region and duration. If you want a well-known hit, you negotiate directly with the publisher and label, which costs time and a lot of money. Royalty-free production music by composers outside PROs such as GEMA, on the other hand, is made for such uses from the start and can be licensed quickly.

Corporate films, explainer videos and corporate TV

A corporate film rarely has just one place of use. It runs on your website, on YouTube, at client meetings, on the intranet and perhaps at a trade show. So plan all uses before you buy. Also pay attention to cutdowns and language versions, because some licenses limit how many you can have.

Trade shows, events and live streams

At trade shows, corporate events, live presentations and live streams, an audience hears the music directly. Legally, this is a public performance. This is where the GEMA presumption and burden of proof becomes particularly important in Germany. GEMA, Germany's PRO, initially assumes that any music played in public belongs to its repertoire. With Non-PRO music you pay no GEMA fees, but you must be able to prove where the track comes from.

Hold music, in-store music and point of sale

Music in a phone queue, in a salesroom or at the point of sale plays continuously for your customers. With PRO-registered repertoire such as GEMA's, ongoing fees apply. For background music in shops, remuneration for neighbouring rights is added on top, which in Germany is collected by GVL. The number of locations also matters. A license for one branch does not automatically cover the whole chain.

DVD, Blu-ray, video games and apps

When music is sold on physical media, the number of copies is decisive. A license for 1,000 DVDs does not cover 20,000 copies. This also applies to video games released on physical media. For apps, check whether the license explicitly names this use.

Education, charity and private projects

Student productions, university projects and charity videos often have small budgets. At Soundtaxi they are therefore included in the most affordable license tier. Purely private videos that you only show to your closest family and friends don't need a license. However, as soon as you upload such a video publicly, it counts as a publication. If you work as a wedding videographer for clients, you are using music professionally anyway and need a license.

How Soundtaxi matches use cases to licenses

At Soundtaxi, the use case directly determines the license tier. A single-track license applies to the project you specify when you order. After the purchase, you download the track together with the license and invoice. All prices include 7% VAT (as of October 2026).

Single-track licenses

Physical copies means, for example, DVDs, Blu-rays or video games.

Subscriptions for regular needs

For uses that don't appear in any tier, Soundtaxi offers an individual license. Examples the provider names are feature films, national TV spots, CTV and multiple use.

What Soundtaxi offers for search and protection

• Catalog: over 30,000 tracks and 262 playlists, including collections such as “Podcast: Promos/Ads”, “Corporate Beats” and “Bold Ads”.
• AI search: similarity search based on the sound of a specific track, keyword search across title, artist, mood and genre, and a descriptive search that understands scenes, images and atmospheres.
• Personal search: on request, the Soundtaxi team will find suitable music for you.
• Tune Match AI: enter an artist or song title and get similar-sounding alternatives.
• Social media: the music is intended for Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and Twitch, without claims or copyright strikes.
• YouTube whitelist: Soundtaxi whitelists your channels and those of your clients. If a claim still appears, Soundtaxi clears it immediately.
• Service: support, individual license and usage rights, Dolby Atmos mixes, single sign-on and API integration.
• Experience: agencies, brands and filmmakers have been licensing their music from Soundtaxi since 2005.

Step by step: how to find the right license

Enough theory, now it gets practical. With these steps, you can reliably assign every project to the right use case.

1. Collect all places of use: write down every place where the music is to be played, including later ideas.
2. Estimate the reach: clarify region, advertising budget and planned number of copies.
3. Set the duration: consider how long spots or campaigns are to run.
4. Identify the highest requirement: the most demanding use determines the license tier.
5. Specify the project correctly: when you buy, describe exactly what you are using the track for.
6. File your records: store the license, invoice and proof by project. The article on license certificate and documentation shows how to do this.

Common mistakes with the use case

Many problems arise not at the time of purchase, but afterwards. A project grows, and the license doesn't grow with it. These are the classic pitfalls:

• Using a license for normal social media posts for paid ads as well.
• Increasing the advertising budget without adjusting the license tier.
• Running a regionally licensed spot nationwide.
• Simply carrying a track over from one project into a new project.
• Using a hold music license for one location in several branches.
• Uploading a privately edited video publicly later on.

Your checklist before buying royalty-free music

Before you buy a license, go through these questions. That way you avoid expensive re-licensing.

1. Where exactly will the music play: online, on the radio, in cinemas, on TV or on site?
2. Is it advertising, and how large is the budget?
3. Is the use regional, national or worldwide?
4. How long should the music run?
5. How many channels, locations or copies are planned?
6. Do you need several cutdowns or language versions?
7. Does the license also cover later uses that are already foreseeable?
8. Do you have a safe place to store the license and invoice?

The five key takeaways from this guide

If you only want to remember a few points, remember these:

1. Every license has a use case. It only allows use for the purpose it was granted for.
2. Reach determines the tier. Advertising budget, region, duration and number of copies determine scope and price.
3. Advertising is a use of its own. Paid ads and spots need higher licenses than normal posts.
4. Public performance counts too. Events, hold music and in-store music follow their own rules.
5. Planning saves money. If you know all uses before buying, you choose the right license straight away.

Your next steps

Take your next project and write down all planned uses. Then match them to your provider's license tiers. For unusual uses, ask for an individual license before you buy.

It is also worth looking at related topics. These include the license models in detail, choosing between a single license and a subscription, and selecting music for commercials. Commissioned compositions for exclusive campaigns can also be interesting if you want to dig deeper.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a license for YouTube on Instagram as well?

That depends on the scope of the license. Many licenses bundle several online channels. At Soundtaxi, for example, the STANDARD license covers social media, website and mobile app together.

What happens if my video is later supposed to run as an ad?

Then you need a license that covers advertising use. For paid online ads, the tier usually depends on the advertising budget. Ideally, clarify this before the campaign starts.

Do I need a separate license for phone hold music?

Yes, hold music is a use case of its own. With PRO-registered repertoire such as GEMA's, ongoing fees apply. With Non-PRO music you pay once for the license, but keep an eye on the number of locations.

Is one license valid for several projects?

A single-track license is usually only valid for the project you specify when you buy it. For recurring projects, a subscription is a good fit. Multiple use can be licensed individually.

How long is a license for commercials valid?

Radio, cinema and TV spots are often licensed for a limited period. At Soundtaxi, the PREMIUM license covers national radio and cinema spots as well as regional TV spots for one year. For other terms, you request an individual license.

Do I need a license for a private video at all?

Not as long as you only show it to your closest private circle. As soon as you post it publicly, you need a suitable license. This applies all the more if you produce videos professionally for clients.