Music in film and TV productions
When using music in film and TV productions, you must have permission to use the music. See here how you should proceed.
The rights to music in film and television productions must always be cleared and reported. They must be because the creators of the music have the right to be compensated for the value the music adds to the production. There are different rules for clearing and reporting depending on the role of the music. And on this page, you can find answers to typical questions. If not, you are always welcome to contact us at Koda or the Nordic Copyright Bureau.
- Contact Koda at [email protected] or +45 33 30 63 20
- Contact Nordic Copyright Bureau (NCB)
How to get permission to use music in movies and TV
When using music in film or TV productions, you must either contact NCB (owned by Koda) or the rights holders directly to obtain permission to use the music. Who you need to contact depends on the production and the type of music. See more here:
Types of productions and music
Specially composed music
Commissioned music or custom-composed music is music that is created specifically for your production by a composer. You must seek permission through NCB or buy out the music through an agreement with the composer.
Contact NCBLibrary music/production music
Most broadcasters and production companies have their own agreements with catalog publishers, which have catalog and production music. This means that you do not need to seek permission to use the music yourself.
Existing or commercial music
You must seek permission from NCB or directly from the rights holders if you use existing or commercial music. It depends on the type of production you are working with.
Music rights in film and TV
Copyrights
Master rights are the rights to use a specific recording of a song, and are often owned by a record company (label) or the artist themselves. Contact them directly to obtain a music license. If you are unsure who to contact, NCB can help facilitate the connection.
If you are producing TV, you should clarify with the broadcaster whether the master rights are covered by their agreement with IFPI. If the music is not covered by such an agreement, you will need to negotiate the price with the rights holder.
If you make your own recording of a song (e.g., if an actor sings the song, etc.), you do not need to contact anyone, as you have made your own recording and thus own the master rights yourself.
Copyrights
The copyrights are the rights of the composers and lyricists. Depending on the production you are making, you must either contact NCB or the rights holders directly to obtain a music license. In this case, the rights holders would be a music publishing company (publisher) or the composer themselves.
NCB has fixed rates, while the price is negotiated freely with the rights holders. Find NCB's rate calculator here.
How to report music from movies and TV
You must report all music usage in your productions to both Koda and NCB. It is important because your music reports are used to ensure that the rights holders receive the correct royalties.
You must report the music by filling out a cue sheet (music report), which must always include:
- Key information about the production.
- Music usage (jingle, background, live, or logo).
- Composer/songwriter.
- The duration of the music.
If you use commercial songs repeatedly, you can combine the duration and report the song once. For specially composed background music, you can also combine the duration and register the music as one work with the film's title.
You must send your cue sheet to [email protected] and [email protected].
Live productions?
You must report live or live-on-tape productions in the same way as other television programs. If you use commercial music, you must also report the production to NCB.
See how to fill out the cue sheet in this video:
Questions about music in movies and TV
Do you use music online?
When you or your business use music online, you must obtain permission to use it.
Learn more about using music online