"Sync licence" and "master licence" get used as if they were the same thing, or as if one replaced the other. They are two halves of the same permission. Once you see that a recorded song carries two separate copyrights, the rest of music licensing becomes much easier to follow.
Why does one recording have two copyrights?
Because the song and the recording are different things. The musical work is the song as written: melody, harmony and lyrics. The sound recording, often called the master, is one particular recorded performance of it. Copyright law protects each separately, and they are frequently owned by different people, which is why using music in video can need two permissions.
In Australia, copyright arises automatically when a work is created, with no registration, as IP Australia explains, and the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) treats musical works and sound recordings as distinct kinds of subject matter. APRA AMCOS puts it simply: there are two sides to every sync, the song and the recording, and both need permission.
APRA AMCOS gives a neat example. The Easybeats' songwriters wrote "Friday On My Mind" in 1966. When Ben Lee released a cover decades later, the songwriters still earned royalties on the song, while Ben Lee's label earned royalties on his recording. Same song, two copyrights, two sets of owners.
What does a sync licence cover?
A sync licence, short for synchronisation licence, is permission to pair the musical work with visual media such as a film, ad, game or online video. It deals with the composition and lyrics, not any particular recording. It usually comes from the music publisher or, if the song is unpublished, directly from the songwriter.
You will also see the word used more loosely, to mean "permission to put music in my content" as a whole. That is how it is often used for a single agreement covering both sides, so always check what a particular licence actually grants.
What does a master use licence cover?
A master use licence is permission to use one specific sound recording, the exact audio you hear, in your project. It usually comes from the record label that released the recording, or from the artist if they own their masters. A different recording of the same song is a different master and needs its own permission.
This is why a famous song can be licensable for a film but a particular famous recording of it is not: the publisher may agree while the label declines, or the other way round.
| Sync licence | Master use licence | |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | The song: composition, melody, lyrics | One specific recording of the song |
| Who usually grants it | Music publisher, or the songwriter if unpublished | Record label, or the artist if they own the master |
| Using an existing recording | Needed | Needed |
| Recording your own cover | Needed | Not needed (you own your recording) |
| Artist wrote and released it themselves | Often one agreement from the artist covers both | |
When do you need both, and when is one enough?
To use an existing recording in a video, you generally need both: the song from the publisher and the recording from the label. If one person or company controls both sides, for example an independent artist who writes their own songs and self-releases, they can grant everything in a single agreement. The industry calls these tracks one-stop.
Covers and re-records work differently. If you or your band record a new version of someone else's song, nobody else owns that recording, so there is no master licence to get. You still need sync permission for the song itself, and the publisher can set limits on how it is arranged or used.
One-stop tracks are the reason independent catalogues are faster to license. Two negotiations become one, and there is no risk of getting a yes on one side and a no on the other. The glossary entry on master, publishing and one-stop covers the terms in more detail.
Where do performance rights fit in?
Performance and communication rights are a third layer, separate from both. In Australia, APRA AMCOS administers the performing right in songs and PPCA administers it in sound recordings. Those rights are licensed to whoever plays or streams the music publicly, such as venues, broadcasters and platforms. A sync or master licence does not include them.
APRA AMCOS is clear that, as a general rule, it does not issue sync licences for songs: those come from the rights holders. Depending on how your finished video is shown, extra licensing for performance or communication may apply, which is explained in what APRA AMCOS and OneMusic cover.
How does a cadential. licence fit this picture?
A cadential. licence is a single sync licence from the artist, issued per song and per use type. Artists on cadential. warrant that they own or control the rights needed to grant it. Like any sync licence, it does not include public performance or communication rights, which are licensed separately through organisations such as APRA AMCOS.
If a song you want has a publisher or label involved and you are unsure who controls what, ask before you build your edit around it. That one question saves more trouble than anything else in this guide. It is also worth understanding how payment models differ, covered in royalty-free music vs a sync licence.
Two copyrights, two permissions, unless one party holds both. Keep that in mind and most licensing questions answer themselves.
- Sync licensing glossary
- Royalty-free music vs a sync licence
- What is APRA AMCOS OneMusic, and do creators need it?
Questions, answered
Do I need both a sync licence and a master licence?
If you want to use an existing recording, usually yes, because the song and the recording are separate copyrights that are often owned by different people. When one party controls both, such as an independent artist who wrote and released the song themselves, a single agreement from them can cover both.
If I record my own cover of a song, do I still need a master licence?
No master licence is needed for a recording you made yourself, because you own that recording. You still need a sync licence for the song from its publisher or songwriter before you put your cover in a video, and the arrangement must stay within what they permit.
Does a sync licence include performance rights?
No. Performance and communication rights are a separate layer, administered in Australia by APRA AMCOS for songs and PPCA for recordings. Platforms, broadcasters and venues usually hold those licences themselves. A sync licence is about putting the music into your content in the first place.
Sources
- What is Sync?, APRA AMCOS
- Synchronisation, APRA AMCOS
- How music copyright works, APRA AMCOS
- Types of IP, IP Australia
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own project, talk to a lawyer. Licence details on cadential. are set out in the licence terms.