LICENSING INFO

Music Licensing Services

Source Music Group, Inc.

At SMG we have several ways you can procure music or lyrics from our catalogue.  Learn more about our various options below.

Synchronization License

Our most commonly granted license is a synchronization license.  A “Synch” or “Sync”is any license granted for a song used in a film, film trailer, video game, television commercial, web videos, and a number of media placements. 

Mechanical License

SMG also grants mechanical licenses for songs we represent.  The difference between a synchronization licensing request and a mechanical requests is simple:

• a synch request deals with any song to be used with a visual medium (a video game, film trailer, television advertisement) 
• a mechanical license is for licensing of audio only–songs for a recorded medium (a CD compilation or deluxe digital edition/re-issue package, etc.)

Master License

A master license refers to the recorded side of music (not publishing), and is typically handled by the record label who released the track and holds the master rights to the song.

Print License

Want to use a song lyric we represent in a book or magazine?  That’s an example of a print license, which is any license that is not set to moving images/not using the recorded music portion of the song, just the lyrical element.  Sheet music also falls under our print license.

Production Music License

SMG  is also home to TRI-SHE*KIETA Productions and Publishers, which provides catalog, news and custom music production to a wide base of clients for use in film, television, advertising, local broadcast, film trailers, corporate clients, etc.  Formed by Anthony Stephens and John Bellamy, in recent years the company has added Staggers Music, Clear Vision Music, and percussionist Que Stephens in becoming a full service one stop music solution.