Synchronization – licences for film and TV
Music in film and TV is licensed through a one-time payment. This is called synchronization of music and visuals. When the music is later used in a TV broadcast or during a film screening a fee is paid for those music performances, but step 1 is to secure the synchronization rights and that is done by the person who creates the production/film/commercial.
The producer pays for the permission to distribute their production in the way specified by the music license. The fee the producer pays is then handled by Stim to be paid out to the music creators and music publishers who own the rights to the music.
Things to consider
All licensing of existing music is done via NCB, Nordic Copyright Bureau, except for the exceptions stated below. NCB normally applies fixed prices. The remuneration is then paid out to the music creators by Stim.
Synchronization license — what applies?
Synchronization occurs when music is used together with moving images – for example in a training film, a recorded concert, or a workout video with background music. This applies whether the music is added afterwards or heard during recording.
For certain smaller and non-commercial productions, Stim can, since April 2021, offer synchronization licenses directly – without going via NCB. This applies, for example, to training films, exercise videos and other simpler contexts. Below you can read more about what applies in these cases and how to obtain a license.
Which licensing route you should choose depends on the type of production you're making. Here is an overview:
| Rightsholders | NCB | Stim | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trailers, promotional videos, commercials (advertising films) | TV productions (including other productions made by professional producers of audiovisual content intended for online use) | Corporate presentations, PowerPoints, training videos and similar productions for internal use | |
| TV drama broadcast outside the Nordic countries | TV drama broadcast in the Nordic countries | Educational productions | |
| Documentaries intended for cinema/theatrical release | Documentaries not premiering in cinemas | Dance and fitness videos | |
| Short films intended for cinema/theatrical release | Short films not intended for cinema/theatrical release | Art projects | |
| Corporate productions intended to be shown outside the company | Concerts | ||
| Feature films | Church services | ||
| Theme tunes, so-called bumper videos and main titles/lead motifs | Youtube |
How to obtain a synchronization license
Stim's licenses Music at work respectively Streamed music to picture (subject to a fee respectively not subject to a fee) include synchronization already for the smaller productions mentioned in the table above under "Stim". If you already have one of these licenses you do not need to obtain a separate synchronization license. However, you will need to update your information on music usage so that the license fee is correct. You can easily do this by logging in to My Pages and going to the service "Manage licenses".
If you want to combine picture and music for e.g. an exercise video or other items listed above then you can easily obtain a license in Stim's shop.
A synchronization license costs from SEK 600/year per production.
Example 1:
A church records a concert and the film is published on their website. Only live music is included in the film. Stim's licenses for live streaming and sync are sufficient since the church is not a professional audio and video producer.
Example 2:
A company records a training film (which contains music) for the company's employees. The company has already signed "Music at work" where synchronization is included; they only need to update their details on My Pages.
Example 3:
A yoga studio plays background music in training films that are then uploaded to their website. The yoga studio already has a license for background music at gyms. They now need to take out a streaming license from Stim, where synchronization is included.
Recorded music requires additional permissions
If you use a specific recording – for example a song recorded by an artist – permission is also required from the owner of the master (the sound recording). This is usually a record label.
Stim or NCB do not handle these rights, so you need to contact the master owner directly to get permission to use the recording.
I want to use copyrighted music in my video on YouTube, how do I do it?
To use copyrighted music in a video, approval is required from those who own the rights to the music. One way to proceed is to contact and negotiate with all rights holders for a song or songs you want to use. After that you need to pay an agreed fee. Here, the copyright holders determine the cost and the price can vary from song to song.
Another way to use copyrighted music in a video on YouTube is to create an account with Stim's music service Cora Music. It is a music library that offers copyrighted music for YouTube videos. For only SEK 249 per month you can download and use as much music and sound effects as you want. The license continues to apply to uploaded videos, even if you choose to cancel your subscription.
Read more at coramusic.com
Limitations – when is Stim's license not sufficient?
Stim's license does not apply to:
- Commercials
- Trailers or idents
- TV productions
- Cinema films or drama productions
- Company presentations that will be shown externally
In these cases, a license is required from NCB or directly from the rights holder.
If you have other questions about synchronization please contact our customer service