Master Use License

Audiodrome Toggle Info   |   Last Updated: March 25th, 2026   |   4 min read   |   Glossary

Audiodrome is a royalty-free music platform designed specifically for content creators who need affordable, high-quality background music for videos, podcasts, social media, and commercial projects. Unlike subscription-only services, Audiodrome offers both free tracks and simple one-time licensing with full commercial rights, including DMCA-safe use on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. All music is original, professionally produced, and PRO-free, ensuring zero copyright claims. It’s ideal for YouTubers, freelancers, marketers, and anyone looking for budget-friendly audio that’s safe to monetize.

A master use license is permission to use a specific sound recording in a project such as a film, ad, video, game, or other audiovisual work. It covers the recording itself, not the underlying composition, which is why a separate sync license is often needed for the song.

Quick facts:
Also called: master license – master rights clearance – master recording license
Applies to: film, TV, ads, branded content, social video, games, trailers, client deliverables
Used for: clearing a specific recorded performance of a song for audiovisual use
Not the same as: sync license, public performance license, or mechanical license.

Example:
A brand wants to use a well-known commercial recording in a product video. It needs a master use license for that exact recording and a separate sync license for the composition before the music is cleared properly for the edit.

Gotchas:

  • Clearing the song is not the same as clearing the recording – the composition and the master are separate rights layers.
  • A master use license is tied to a specific recording – switching to a different version, remix, live take, or cover can trigger a new clearance path.
  • Public performance licensing does not replace master clearance for audiovisual use.
  • There is no general compulsory master use license for this kind of video use – the owner of the recording must authorize it.

FAQs

It covers the right to use one specific sound recording in the project you are making. That means the licensed asset is the recording itself, not just the song written underneath it.

Yes, when you are pairing music with video, clearing the recording alone is not enough. The composition and the recording are separate works, so both sides may need clearance.

The party that owns or controls the master recording grants it. In practice, that is often a record label or another owner of the recording copyright.

Recording a new version can remove the need to license the existing master, but it does not remove the need to clear the composition for audiovisual use.

Related terms

Sync License • Sound Recording Rights • Synchronization Rights • Mechanical License • Public Performance Rights • Publisher • Rights-Cleared Audio • Usage Scope