Synchronisation (or ‘sync’) is a term used commonly in the music industry when music is combined with a form of visual media (e.g. TV shows, movies, music videos, videos of performances, animations, video games, advertisements, etc.).
There are two main ways music is synchronised:
Music recorded at the same time as video footage (eg. a recording of a live performance)
Music added to visual media in post-production (eg. music used in film, TV, advertisements and video games)
If you are synchronising copyright music with any visual media and sharing that audio-visual material with others - whether in person at an event or exhibition, streaming online, or providing copies or downloads - you will usually need permission from the copyright owner(s).
If your audio-visual media is for private and domestic use only, please go here (OneMusic NZ).
As a general rule, sync licences are not administered by APRA AMCOS and these are administered directly by the owner(s) of the synchronisation rights in the song – such as the music publishers, songwriters, and/or record labels.
Sync licences for the musical composition are usually administered directly by a music publisher, or if the song is not published, by the songwriter(s).
Search our Song Catalogue to find the publisher or copyright owner. If you can't find the details you're after, please email [email protected] for further assistance.
Unless you are using a recording of a song that you own, you will need a licence from owner(s) of the sound recording. This may be the record company and/or artist who released the recording. Rights connected with sound recordings are often called the master rights.
If you require assistance identifying the master rights holders of a commercial sound recording, please contact Recorded Music NZ.
Depending on how you are making your audio-visual media available, you may also require additional licensing from APRA AMCOS or OneMusic Australia.
Sharing and streaming online – you may need a separate licence to cover the communication and reproduction of music from an online platform. Please contact [email protected].
Displaying audio-visual material at an event or exhibition - you may need a licence from OneMusic New Zealand to cover the public performance of the music.
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