Music-video rights: check the song, recording and visuals

Map the layers of the project

• The song: identify the writers, publishers or other parties authorised to approve the use of the composition.
• The recording: establish who controls the exact master being used and any restrictions in its agreements.
• The visuals: review footage, photographs, artwork, animation, stock assets and other material incorporated into the video.
• The people and production: keep appropriate contributor agreements and permissions for the actual shoot and intended uses.

Describe the use before asking for permission

Write a short production brief: the track and version, how much music is used, the type of video, intended platforms, territories, term and whether the project involves paid advertising or a brand. Include edits, trailers and cut-down clips you intend to publish. An approval for one music video should not be treated as approval for every later campaign.

A practical clearance sequence

1. List the parties who control the relevant song, recording and visual assets. If somebody claims to represent them, confirm the scope of that authority.
2. Ask for permissions covering the specific production and uses. Where a platform licence is proposed as the basis, check exactly what it covers for your account and content type.
3. Agree fees, credits, approvals, restrictions and permitted versions in writing before committing to publication.
4. Check the final edit against the approvals, including any changed music, newly added footage or advertising use.
5. Retain the approved master, rights documents and published links together so you can respond accurately if a claim arrives.

Your own recording can still involve other people

Being the artist in the video does not establish that you alone control the song, master or visual assets. A co-written song, a licensed beat, a label agreement or commissioned footage can add permissions to check. Use the beat-licence checklist if the music is built on licensed material and the publishing guide to identify the composition side.

A platform claim is not a permission system

An upload remaining online, a Content ID match or a revenue-sharing outcome does not by itself establish that you have every required licence. Platform availability and legal permission are separate questions. Do not dispute a claim simply because you paid an editor; assemble the actual rights record first. See Content ID and conflicting claims.

International use needs a specific scope

Rights and exceptions vary by territory, and the platform’s arrangements may differ by use or account. Do not treat a US audio mechanical-licensing route as a worldwide video permission. If your proposed basis is uncertain, ask the relevant rightsholder or a qualified professional before release. This guide organises the questions; it does not issue a licence or determine a legal exception.

DistroBolt and creative work

The Release Promo Pack edits supplied material under an agreed brief. That does not grant rights in somebody else’s music, promise sync placement or include every video-distribution destination. Confirm the actual service and your permissions before supplying material.