Types
Types of music licenses we can assist in clearing/securing for you:
- Master-Use License: Grants the licensee the right to use a recording of an underlying composition for audio/visual projects, like film, TV, and commercials, among others.
- Synchronization License: The Sync License grants the licensee the right to use an underlying composition in audio/visual projects like film, TV, and commercials, among others.
- Mechanical License for the USA and Canada: Grants the licensee the right to reproduce an underlying composition for the purpose of phonographic sales (ie downloads, CDs, vinyl, etc.)
- Print License: Gives you the right to print lyrics or notes in a book, magazine, ebook or other publication.
- Grand Performance License: Gives you the right to perform a song for the public as part of a play, musical or other live performance.
Request a license
The best way to request a license is to go directly to the page of the song you're looking for and choose Request a synchronization license. It guarantees a fast processing and avoids your request ending up in the spam folder. However, you can also e-mail us at info@secondhandsongs.com.
Recent
Consult the list of compositions that have been licensed with the help of SecondHandSongs. And here are a few detailed examples of licenses we helped to clear and secure:
- San Francisco written by Walter Jurmann, Bronislaw Kaper and Gus Kahn. Used in a hurdy gurdy sold in the San Francisco Bay area.
- You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) written by Sylvester and James Wirrick Used in a cover song.
- L'amour d'un garçon with French lyrics written by Françoise Hardy Used in a documentary film on love and sexuality within the disabled community.
- Everybody Loves a Clown written by Leon Russell Tommy Garrett and Gary Lewis. Used in a thriller movie based around social media controversy.
- Get Ready written by Smokey Robinson Used in a cover song released on CD and on Youtube.
- Keep a Knockin', but You Can't Get In written by Perry Bradford Used in a documentary about a salsa singer.
- I Want to Break Free written by John Deacon Used in a music video used in social media and TV interviews.
- Jolene written by Dolly Parton Used in a fashion presentation streamed online.
- She Hangs Out written by Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry Cover song.
- Il mio miracolo written by Romano Musumarra and Giorgio Pintus Used in a master's thesis.
- Down at the Old Bull and Bush written Andrew Sterling and Harry Von Tilzer Used in an animation film.
- Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree written by Johnny Marks Used in a greeting video for a school.
- My Funny Valentine written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart Used in a cover song.
- I'll Be Home for Christmas (If Only in My Dreams) written by Buck Ram Walter Kent and Kim Gannon Used in a movie.
- In the Pines traditional. Used in a movie.
- Tobacco Road written by John D. Loudermilk Used in the documentary The Shadow Line directed by Nicolás Combarro.
Testimonials
- Robert Emmons (Owner San Francisco Mercantile): After spending hours online trying to research music copyrights and the process of how to get permission to use a specific song, I finally found SecondHandSongs. Their licensing partners quickly found the owner of the copyright I needed and negotiated a license for our use of the music. They responded quickly and professionally and saved my company valuable time. SecondHandSongs will be who I reach out to in the future for any music rights questions and licensing needs.
- Abner Benaim (Award-winning director at Apertura Films): I wrote a message online saying I was having a difficult time getting a very famous song on budget, and that our deadline was NOW! By the end of the day, the license was guaranteed, and the next day I already had my paperwork in order.
- Ben Haven Taylor (Director of "In The Off Season"): The sync licensing team at SecondHandSongs not only delivered licenses and masters quickly and efficiently, but also excelled as creative consultants in the complex process of music supervision. They are a joy to work with and will always be my first port of call while looking for music and rights in the future.
- Jeff Denton (Writer and Producer of "The Toybox"): During pre-production, I searched the internet and found the perfect song that my production team and me wanted to use as the theme that ran throughout our movie. We discovered it on a public domain website but couldn't find a second resource anywhere that could confirm that it was actually in the public domain. Six months later, and having exhausted BMI, ASCAP, and every other musical data base I could come up with, I was referred to SecondHandSongs. They found the song, identified its public domain status and master-rights owner, and had it licensed to me within days. What I was most impressed and appreciative of, was that it was all done during a holiday week. Many thanks!
- Nicolás Combarro (Director of "The Shadow Line"): I used SecondHandSongs to clear the rights for a very important song in my film. Not only were they extremely attentive to my needs, but they were also able to successfully navigate a very complicated sync licensing copyright within my budget and just in time.
Disclaimer
Please note that we are in no way affiliated with any of the copyright holders of songs listed, but work with our clients as a third-party licensing agent to seek out appropriate parties and negotiate favorable terms within your budget and timeframe.