Step by step guide

Step 1   What's my budget?

If money is no object and you have plenty of time, then you can use just about any music you like. So if you want Luciano Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma for your title sequence followed by a sprinkling of Madonna and finishing up with a Coldplay track for your end credits, no problem, just make sure you have plenty of money to spend!

Back in the real world, you'll probably have a limit to what you can spend on music, so knowing what you can get for your money helps you to get the best value for your programme.

Step 2   How much music can I afford?

The cost of a music licence depends on 4 factors:

• Type - Commercial, Library or Specially composed

• Territories - limited geographical area or worldwide

• Duration - generally, the more you use, the more it costs. You can often get 'buy out' deals which allow you to use as much as you like for a set fee.

• Media - TV / Radio / Online & Mobile / Cinema / All media

Step 3   Narrow it down

Things you will know for sure are:

• The duration of your programme
• Number of programmes in your series
• Territories you will be broadcasting to

Once you've started your edit, you'll begin to get a feel for where the music is needed and start to have a best guess for the overall duration of the music and therefore its cost. 

Step 4   Work out your costs

Library / Production Music managed by PRS for Music

See Production Music rate card 2012 for rates

Library / Production Music NOT managed by PRS for Music

See individual supplier's website or brochure
 

Commercial Music managed by PRS for Music

Contact PRS for rates

Commercial Music managed by PPL 

See PPL website

Commercial Music NOT managed by PRS for Music or PPL

Contact publisher or PPL
 

Specially composed music

Deal directly with the composer and their publisher

Step 5  Choose your music

Now you should have a good idea of how much music you're using and what it's going to cost so you can start to search music libraries or choose commercial tracks to place into your edit.

Step 6   Fill in your Music Cue Sheets

You'll use the music cue sheet to report what music you've used and obtain the licence to use it.

Download music cue sheet template

If your production company has a blanket licence agreement with PRS for Music, then you won't have to pay for the music directly from your production budget, but you must still fill in a music cue sheet to report what you are using.

Larger production companies will often have a music clearance dept (BBC, ITV,C4,C5 have these) who will deal with the publisher or PRS for Music for you. Just let them know what you need.

Some music will fall outside the scope of the blanket licence agreement so don't assume you can use a piece of music without checking first.

If you don't have a department for clearing music then you'll have to contact the music owner yourself.

Step 7   Obtain the licence

Production Library Music managed by PRS for Music.

Report your music cue sheet to PRS for Music within 7 days of your programme being delivered to your broadcaster.

Go to PRS for Music to register and obtain the licence. Once you've entered all your music cues, PRS for Music will send you an invoice and once this is paid it becomes your licence and should be kept in your production file.

Any blanket licence agreement will also apply but you must still report the music you have used.

Production Library Music NOT managed by PRS for Music.

Independent music libraries charge differently. Check the terms and procedure with the library managers.

Commercial Music managed by PRS for Music

Report your music cue sheet to PRS for Music within 7 days of your programme being delivered to your broadcaster.

Go to PRS for Music to register and obtain the licence. Once you've entered all your music cues, PRS for Music will send you an invoice and once this is paid it becomes your licence and should be kept in your production file.

Any Blanket Licence Agreement will also apply but you must still report the music you have used.

Commercial Music managed by PPL

See PPL website

Commercial Music NOT managed by PRS for Music or PPL

Contact the record company directly

Specially Composed Music

Deal directly with the composer, although he or she may be tied to a publishing company in which case you'll need to obtain their permission as well.