Music in Films, TV Series and Advertisements
Music plays a central role in films, documentaries, TV series, advertisements and other audiovisual content. We want to help productions use music creatively, get the licences they need and report their music use correctly. Please contact our customer service, if you have any questions.
Illustrative infographics for the use of music online and on social media
Information and advice for media music composers and AV production companies
In order for music authors – composers, lyricists, arrangers and music publishers – to receive royalties for the use of their music, it’s important that the identifying music information is correct and accompanies the content files throughout the project. Unfortunately, the music information is often missing or differs from the information reported to Teosto.
If the names of the musical works and their authors are not the same on the cue sheet and in the work notifications, it will not be possible to identify the works in the performance reports of films and TV series. If the work cannot be identified, it will not be possible to allocate and distribute the royalties for the music to the music authors and publishers. The accuracy of the information is particularly important if the content is sold or distributed for performance abroad.
The key identifying music information includes
Read more: Synchronisation and performances: who obtains the licences and where can you get them?
Checklist for music information
| COMPOSERS AND PUBLISHERS | PRODUCTION COMPANIES |
|---|---|
| 1. Submit a work notification in Teosto’s web service. 2. Make sure that the titles and author information of your works are written correctly on the cue sheet and match the information in the work register. 3. Ask the production company to also notify you if a production containing your music is sold abroad. Also find out what the international title of the content is. 4. Please report to Teosto in which country and media the film or series containing your music is being shown. We will submit the claim to the copyright society of the country in question. With the claim, we will ensure that performing right royalties for the use of your music are also collected abroad. | 1. Get a synchronisation licence for including music in AV content. You can find more information about the licensing party on the NCB price list. 2. Complete the NCB application for a music reproduction licence if the reproduction licence is granted by NCB. 3. For films and series, list on the cue sheet at least all of the information mentioned on the CISAC cue sheet form. For advertisements, fill in the music-related information in Spotgate (instructions). 4. Ask the composer of the commissioned music to check that the music information recorded on the cue sheet or entered into Spotgate is correct. When it comes to cue sheets, it is particularly important that the titles of the works (Music Title) are the same as the titles reported to Teosto by the composer in the work notification. 5. Download the CISAC-approved cue sheet template. You can also use another form as a cue sheet, as long as it contains the same information as the CISAC-approved form. |
Obtaining a licence for music use
- Films, programmes and advertisements can either use existing music that has already been reproduced (recorded) and published, or the music can be composed as a commissioned work for the film or series.
- The rights to use existing music and commissioned music are administered either by the music author themselves, their publisher or Nordisk Copyright Bureau NCB– depending on the type of production and the geographical area for which the licence to use the music is required. The rights to use the music in advertisements are always administered by the music author or their publisher.
- The NCB’s price list for AV productions shows which party grants music licences in which situation.
- If you need to obtain a licence to use the music from the author (self-administration), or from the publisher of the music in the case of published music, you can request their contact details from Teosto’s customer service.
- The AV Music service of Teosto and Gramex will help you to find out which rights you need and to obtain them. The service is free-of-charge but it is currently only available in Finnish.
More information
When adding music to AV content that is shown publicly, two separate licences are required to use the music: a synchronisation licence and a performing licence.
You need a synchronisation licence to add music to a moving image. The licence is obtained by the producer of the content (production company). The issuer of the licence and the collector of the royalties depends on the type of production, the type of music and the geographical area for which the music use rights are to be acquired.
A performing licence is required for the performance and broadcasting of content containing music. The licence is obtained by the content performer or broadcaster (media company, operator, cinema, online service, etc.). You can almost always get the performing licence from Teosto.
Existing music, recorded music
The AV production company obtains the licence
- For synchronisation
- Depending on the type of production and the geographical area for which the licence is applied for, synchronisation licences are granted and invoiced by:
- Nordisk Copyright Bureau (NCB)
- the author themselves or their publisher.
- For the use of a recording
- The use rights to the recording are granted and royalties are collected either by Gramex or the financial producer of the recording (usually the record company).
- For reproduction, i.e. making copies for cinema distribution
- The reproduction licence is granted and the mechanical royalties are collected by Teosto.
- Depending on the type of production and the geographical area for which the licence is applied for, synchronisation licences are granted and invoiced by:
The performer of the content obtains the licence
- For performing or broadcasting a film or series that contains music
- The licences are granted and the performing right royalties are collected by Teosto.
If the author self-administers their music, including the performing right royalties and the reproduction royalties, the AV producer and the content performer agree with them on all rights and royalties.
Commissioned music
The music author or their publisher agrees on a commission fee with the AV production company.
The AV production company also obtains a licence
- For synchronisation
- The synchronisation licence is granted and synchronisation royalties are collected either by the author or their publisher
- Nordisk Copyright Bureau (NCB) will handle the licensing and royalty collection if the author or publisher has authorised NCB to license the synchronisation on their behalf
- For reproduction, i.e. making copies for cinema distribution
- The reproduction licence is granted and the mechanical royalties are collected by Teosto.
The performer of the content obtains the licence
- For performing or broadcasting a film or series that contains music
- The licences are granted and the performing right royalties are collected by Teosto.
For cue sheets and advertisements, the production company is responsible for entering the information in Spotgate, including the music information. It’s always a good idea for the music author or publisher to be active and work with the production company in order to ensure the correctness of the music information.
The production companies do not separately check the title and author information of the music in the work register or from Teosto, which means that, especially in the case of commissioned music, the music author themselves must be precise with the titles of their works so that the title registered with the work notification, and not the working title, ends up on the cue sheet.
If the titles and authors of the music do not match in the work notification and the cue sheet, it will not be possible to allocate the royalties collected for the use of the music to the correct work and its authors, which means that, in the worst case, no royalties will be received.
The royalties collected by Teosto and NCB for the use of music are allocated to music authors and publishers on the basis of the works and their author information. The author of the music (or, in the case of published music, the publisher) reports the information to Teosto by submitting a work notification, with which the work is registered in the international work register. After registration, the information about the work will be available to more than 100 copyright societies.
In film and series productions, the content is always accompanied by a cue sheet, which the production company uses to communicate the author and technical information of the content to the parties distributing and performing it.
When it comes to music, it must be ensured that the work and author information for the music used in the content is the same on the cue sheet as in the work notification. It is particularly important to ensure the accuracy of the information if the content is distributed and performed outside Finland.
If this information does not match, the music royalties cannot be allocated correctly or distributed to the music authors and publishers!
A cue sheet is a document that compiles all the technical and author information of the produced content. The cue sheet also displays the identifying information of the music added to the production.
The identifying information of the music includes:
- The title of musical work (Music Title)
- ISWC and ISRC codes (optional)
- Author information: composer, lyricist, arranger and publisher (Music Interested Party Role)
✓ It’s also the responsibility of the production company to record the music-related information on the cue sheet so that it accompanies the content when it is distributed and sold to, for example, foreign TV broadcasters.
✓ It’s the responsibility of the music author or publisher to ensure that the music-related information is correct on the cue sheet and matches the information in the work register. You can check the registered information reported with the work notification in the Own works section of Teosto’s web service.