Licensing tips from #1 global music game publisher
As a music game publisher, music licensing plays a crucial role in crafting an immersive and captivating experience for players. The process of licensing and collaborating with artists and labels requires careful negotiation and evaluation. Drawing from our experience in driving Amanotes to global charts of music game publishers, this blog post aims to explore the significance of music licensing and provide essential tips to build a robust music licensing process.
What is Music Licensing?
Music licensing refers to the process of obtaining legal permission from the publishers, labels, music providers and the collective organizations or performing rights organizations to use copyrighted music in-game. It involves acquiring the rights to use music compositions created by songwriters, arrangers and musicians — normally represented by publishers and PROs/MCA, and, recordings, or soundtracks performed by the artists, the bands, managed by the music labels/music providers. Licensing agreements are typically negotiated with the copyright owners or their authorized representatives, ensuring that the company has the necessary permissions to incorporate music into the game.
Why is Music Licensing Important?
Music licensing holds immense importance for music game publishers and the broader music-related industry. The process of working with artists, publishers and labels can be unpredictable due to the responsiveness of the relevant parties, however, securing the licenses before using any copyrighted works is a must. Let’s explore the reasons why music licensing is crucial:
Complying with Copyright Laws: Unauthorized use of copyrighted music can result in legal consequences, including lawsuits and financial penalties. Securing music licenses ensures that you respect intellectual property rights and adhere to copyright laws, protecting your game and your reputation as a responsible developer.
Economic Benefits: Music licensing establishes a win-win situation that benefits both artists and game publishers. Artists receive royalties and fair compensation for their creative work while game publisher gain access to high-quality music libraries. This contributes to the total revenue and fosters overall growth of the whole music industry.
Enhanced Player Experience: Licensing empowers music game publishers to curate a diverse and compelling music library. Specific licenses such as mechanical licenses, remix licenses not only provide permission but also allow publishers to innovate and explore unconventional approaches, resulting in a more captivating gaming experience for users. By seamlessly synchronizing suitable lyrics with gameplay, publishers enhance player immersion.
Strengthening Brand Identity: Well-chosen licensed music can enhance your game’s appeal and differentiate it from competitors as a large & updated licensed music library showcases the brand’s commitment to enrich musical experience
Four Tips for Effective Music Licensing:
Pick Your Strategy:
Choosing the right licensing strategy is crucial for building your music library. Consider the following approaches:
- Working with Major Publishers: Collaborating with major publishers allows you to access popular hit tracks, attracting a broad user base. However, this approach may involve lengthy negotiations and higher licensing costs. Evaluate your budget and long-term goals to determine if this strategy aligns with your game’s vision.
- Indie and Regional Publishers: Licensing from indie and regional publishers can provide you with a vast selection of tracks, enriching your music library and enhancing user experience. These partnerships often offer more flexibility in terms of negotiations and budget requirements. Explore collaborations that align with your game’s genre and target audience.
Diversify Your Library:
While hit tracks are appealing, don’t overlook the value of music libraries songs in the public domain. These can serve as excellent alternatives to expand your library quickly and cost-effectively. Partnering with music companies like Epidemic Sound, Audio Network, SynchedIn or other music libraries can provide experiences for long-time players, complementing your top hits and offering a diverse range of musical options.
Understand user insights:
Identifying user segments and their music listening habits, music game publishers can tailor their licensing choices to align with the preferences and interests of their target audience. For example, through data analysis, a music game publisher may discover that a significant portion of their user base belongs to the “pop music enthusiasts” segment who primarily listen to mainstream chart-toppers. Armed with this knowledge, the publisher can focus on licensing popular hits from major labels to cater to their users’ preferences and maximize engagement. Beside if the report reveals that target users enjoy playing music games during relaxing moments, the publisher may focus on licensing soothing instrumental tracks or calming melodies to create a tranquil atmosphere that complements the players’ preferences and gameplay habits.
Optimize Your Workflow:
Efficiently managing the licensing process is vital to ensure a smooth integration of music into your game. Consider the following steps:
- Research and Monitoring: Stay updated with the latest music trends and charts relevant to your game’s genre to identify potential licensing opportunities and ensure your library remains fresh and engaging. The charting performances of the songs should be taken into strict consideration, however appearing on the chart is not enough. There are numerous tools in the market that empower us to dig deeper into detailed audience demographics of specific artists/bands and how they can match our own user base. Besides, we should keep in mind that we will not only secure the master license but also synch license from the publishing side to make the song legally published on our platforms. Take songdex.com, ASCAP or BMI repertoire websites to do specific research on your expected song list and secure 100% of the songs!
- Recommendation Lists: Develop a recommendation list based on metrics such as the Streaming Index (total song streams), Recency Index (song release date), and Artist Popularity. This comprehensive approach allows you to curate a balanced and appealing music library for your players.
- Approval and Integration: Once songs have been approved by your product team and licensors, pass them through your Music and Games team for gameplay synchronization and integration. This collaborative workflow ensures that the licensed music seamlessly enhances the overall gaming experience.
Conclusion:
We hope that the above are valuable insights into the importance of music licensing for music game publishers. Licensing is a complex field, we invite industry experts to contribute their knowledge and tips to foster a collaborative learning environment. Together, let’s continue to innovate and optimize the licensing process, ensuring the respect of artists, captivating player experiences, and the growth of the music industry.
Content contributor: Carter Pham- Licensing Lead at Amanotes
