What is Non-PRO / Royalty-Free Music?

Non-PRO Music, Royalty-Free Music & Production Music explained

In the Soundtaxi Production Music Library you will find both Non-PRO music and PRO-registered music. All tracks are clearly labeled accordingly.

There is no difference in quality between Non-PRO and PRO music. Our music is used internationally by companies, agencies, film productions and content creators for advertising, social media, YouTube, TV, podcasts, websites and streaming productions.

What is Non-PRO music?

Non-PRO music means that the music is not registered with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) such as GEMA, PRS, ASCAP, BMI, SUISA or SOCAN.

• No additional royalties
  Using Non-PRO music does not require additional performance or mechanical royalty payments to a PRO.
• Internationally cleared
  Tracks labeled as "Non-PRO" on Soundtaxi are free from claims by domestic and international Performing Rights Organizations.
• Easy to find
  You can easily display only Non-PRO music by using the Soundtaxi search filter.

What is a Performing Rights Organization (PRO)?

Performing Rights Organizations such as GEMA, PRS, ASCAP, BMI or SUISA administer performance rights on behalf of composers, songwriters and publishers. They collect royalties for certain public uses of music, including broadcasting, streaming, public performance and commercial use.

Difference between Non-PRO and PRO-registered music

PRO-registered music is affiliated with a Performing Rights Organization.

• PRO-registered Music
  On Soundtaxi, these tracks are labeled with organizations such as GEMA, PRS, ASCAP, BMI, SUISA or SOCAN.
• Additional obligations
  Depending on the country and type of use, additional reporting, licensing or royalty payments may apply.
• More administrative effort
  Rights clearance and licensing structures are often more complex than with Non-PRO music.

What does "Royalty-Free Music" mean?

The term "Royalty-Free Music" is often misunderstood.

• Royalty-Free does not automatically mean Non-PRO
  Many royalty-free tracks are still registered with a Performing Rights Organization.
• No recurring license fees
  Royalty-Free usually means that no recurring license payments are owed to the licensor.
• Check PRO registration
  Additional royalties or reporting obligations may still apply depending on usage and region.

What does "license-free music" mean?

The term "license-free music" is misleading. Music is generally protected by copyright and always requires permission or a valid license for usage, even if offered free of charge.

What is public domain music?

A musical work enters the public domain once all contributing authors have been deceased for more than 70 years and copyright protection has expired. Public domain compositions are generally also Non-PRO. However, new recordings or arrangements may still create neighboring rights or new copyright protections.

TV & Radio Broadcasters

TV and radio broadcasters usually have blanket agreements with Performing Rights Organizations such as GEMA, PRS, ASCAP, BMI or SUISA.

• No additional royalties for producers
  In many cases, broadcasters already cover the required performance licensing fees.
• Cue Sheets
  Producers often only need to submit cue sheets listing the music used in the production.

Social Media & Video-Sharing Platforms

Platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or Vimeo generally maintain their own agreements with Performing Rights Organizations.

• Platforms handle performance licensing
  The platform operators are usually responsible for paying royalties to PROs.
• No additional direct royalties for creators
  In many cases, content creators do not incur additional direct royalty costs.
• Own websites may differ
  Using music on your own website or platform may involve different licensing requirements depending on the country and type of use.

TV Advertising

Music used in TV commercials broadcast by public or private TV stations with blanket PRO agreements is often not subject to separate royalty billing.

• Broadcaster agreements
  Major broadcasters typically report music usage directly to the relevant Performing Rights Organization.
• No additional direct royalties
  Advertisers and producers usually do not incur additional direct PRO costs for TV commercial broadcasting.
• Composer royalties
  Royalties for composers and publishers are generally distributed through the broadcasters' reporting systems.

Important to know

• Non-PRO does not mean free of charge
  A valid music license is still required to use the music. For private, non-commercial projects, we offer a selection of free royalty-free music.
• Clear labeling
  Every track on Soundtaxi is clearly marked as either "Non-PRO" or "PRO-registered".
• Full transparency
  This allows you to know in advance whether additional reporting or royalty obligations may apply.

Further information

Find out more about production music in the Wikipedia article on Production Music.