Music Licensing - When do you need Music Licensing and why is it important?

Can you imagine a world without music? You can’t, can you? Because music is so much a part of human life that it’s practically everywhere and part of nearly everything we know.

Your morning commute to work has a playlist and so does your workout session.

You linger at your favorite coffee shop because the tunes they play match the feeling you feel with every sip you take.

Your favorite movie cannot be separated from its theme song. It’s not “Titanic” without “My Heart Will Go On” right?

You and your significant other have a “song” that celebrates your love and relationship.

We could go on. But you get the picture.

Music completes our experience of life and the world.

And with music being such an important part of humanity, it’s only fitting that there are rules and laws that protect music and the brilliant people who make them.

This is where MUSIC LICENSING comes in. In a nutshell, Music Licensing gives you legal rights to use and adapt music and/or audio for whatever creative, marketing, or business purposes you may have.

And let’s face it, music and audio (the right music and audio) really makes everything better.

As we already mentioned, music is everywhere and used for everything. But today we want to focus on four (4) instances when we need music licensing and why it is important.

1. Advertising

Whether it’s a television commercial, a digital ad on social media, a radio plug, or any form of advertising that involves the use of music or audio – music licensing is a must. Music licensing benefits your marketing campaign or brand initiative because licensing already existing music or audio saves you time and money versus producing a completely original one on your own.

Music licensing will help you get the rights to use either the Original Sound Recording (OSR) or you can also process the license of music or audio so that the law allows you to produce an adapted version – like in instances where the melody is catchy and you want to infuse your own lyrics to it so that it matches your product or service promotion or whatever campaign or initiative you intend to use it for.

Advertising - Homonym licensed the song “Pure Imagination” for PLDT and Smart’s internet of Possibilities campaign.

2. Film and Television

One can argue that a film or television show is made “iconic” by its soundtrack or theme song as much as the storyline and characters. Just look at how everyone is talking about Bruno, right?

Without music licensing, music cannot be used (in part or whole) as the background music to any of our favorite scenes on film or television.

Music licensing also protects the rights of the artists who make music so that they feel the benefits of the love we give their music, which encourages and inspires them to continue making more music.

Film and Television - Homonym licensed five songs for the soundtrack of the award-winning HBO Miniseries, On The Job (Season 2). | Photo Credit Jai Bernardo,

Reality Entertainment

3. Games

From the moment we open that game app or power up our game console – their signature sound or music comes on and immediately signals our brains that it’s time for some epic FUN!

Music licensing allows the use of music and audio that gives gamers that immersive experience as they engage in playing their favorite games. Music licensing helps gaming companies secure all the rights they need not just to use music and audio to make their game awesome but also to protect that signature sound their game has from being copied by another game.

Games - Homonym worked with the Game Development Association of the Philippines (GDAP) to provide music for a Philippine Folklore inspired game for the Hineleban Foundation.

4. Cover Song Licensing

To get 100% legal clearance from publishers so you can distribute and monetize your cover songs on streaming platforms everywhere.

Are you ready to make music licensing work for you? Contact us today and we would love to help you out!