Music Synchronization License
Permission to use a piece of music in visual content.
A licence that grants permission to use a specific piece of music alongside video content, such as an ad, a film, or branded content. It's a separate right from simply owning or streaming a song, and going without one is one of the most common (and expensive) IP mistakes in branded content production.
- Business days
- 1–5Business days
- Lawyer reviewed
- 100%Lawyer reviewed
- Surprise bills
- $0Surprise bills
What a Music Synchronization License should include
The composition and the recording — two separate rights, usually owned by different people, both of which you need.
Scope of use — the production, media, territory and term the licence covers.
Fee — the amount, and whether anything further is payable on wider use.
Credit — how the work and its owners are credited.
Warranties — the licensor's confirmation that they hold the rights they are granting.
Performing rights — what the licence does not cover, and what is handled through a collective.
When you need one
Before music appears in a video, ad or film. The common and expensive mistake is clearing one right and not the other: a licence to the recording is not a licence to the underlying composition.
How Ruby drafts it
Tell us what you need
Describe the agreement, your business context, and how fast you need it. A few smart questions, not a legal questionnaire. Your price and turnaround are confirmed before anything starts.
Ruby drafts it
Once pricing is confirmed a qualified Ruby lawyer is assigned to your file, and the first draft is built from your answers and real Canadian statute.
A licensed lawyer reviews every line
A lawyer licensed in Canada reviews and finalizes the document before it reaches you, and writes the plain-language summary that comes with it.
Signed, stored, and yours to revisit
You get the final agreement and its summary, stored so you can come back to it rather than hunting through email for the current version.
The fee is set before any of that starts. Hourly billing moves as scope does; a flat fee is one number, confirmed in writing, that doesn’t change after the work is done. See how Ruby prices agreements.
Or did you mean one of these?
These get confused with a Music Synchronization License often enough to be worth ruling out before you buy the wrong document.
Questions people ask
Because a song is two works. The composition — melody and lyrics — and the specific sound recording are separate rights, frequently held by different owners. Using the track requires permission for both.
Generally not. Performance is typically administered through a collective society, which in Canada means SOCAN for the performing rights in musical works. A sync licence covers putting the music together with the visuals.
There is no reliable duration below which use is safe. Short excerpts have been the subject of claims, and the practical answer for commercial content is to clear it.
Looking for the plain definition rather than the document? See Music Synchronization License in the Ruby legal glossary.
This page is general information about Canadian business law and is not legal advice. Laws differ by province and change over time, and how they apply depends on your circumstances. For advice on your situation, speak with a lawyer licensed in your province.
Need a Music Synchronization License?
Ruby drafts it for a flat $799 CAD, confirmed before any work begins, with a licensed Canadian lawyer on every document.