Sync, PRS and PPL for musicians putting out video

By James Jones, founder of Granary Digital · Updated 5 November 2026

A video that uses a released track needs clearance for the song, for the recording and for the picture. Each comes from a different place, and a licence for one does not cover the others. Clear all three before you post, so the video is not pulled after release while the paperwork is sorted out.

The three rights

• The song. The writers and music publishers own it. PRS for Music administers the rights of composers, lyricists and music publishers for songs.
• The recording. The record company or the artist owns it. PPL, and its sister company VPL for music videos, administer the rights of record companies and performers for sound recordings.
• Sync. This is permission to combine the song with moving pictures. Neither PRS nor PPL says its licence covers sync, so ask the publisher for it directly.

Do you need a licence for a video on your website or social?

The government guidance says you might need a PRS for Music and PPL licence for copyright music used online. It also warns that using copyright music online without a licence is infringement, and that the owner could bring a claim for damages. The page lists online services such as streaming, webcasts and podcast downloads. It does not mention social video, so treat it as a starting point, not the full answer for a music video on Instagram or YouTube.

Steps before you post

1. List every track in the video, including the intro, the background and any cover or remix.
2. Check the credits on the release, or ask the label, to find who wrote and who publishes each song.
3. Ask the publisher for a sync licence for the picture you are making. Ask the label or artist for permission to use the recording. Get both in writing, with the platforms, the territory and the period covered.
4. If you use library or production music, keep the licence and the track name with the final video file.
5. If you wrote and recorded the music yourself, you still need to check whether a co-writer, a session player or a producer has a share.
6. Keep one folder with the licences, the credits and the final cut.

A worked example

A three-piece band shoots a video for a new single in a studio over one day. The band wrote the song with a producer, and the label owns the recording. Before the edit, the band asks the producer and the publisher to agree in writing to the sync for the video, and asks the label for the recording permission. The video goes on YouTube, Instagram and the band's site. The band keeps the written agreements in the same folder as the final cut.

Common mistakes

• Assuming one licence covers the song, the recording and the picture.
• Using a remix, a live version or a demo, and assuming the clearance for the original covers it.
• Posting first and asking for permission afterwards.
• Leaving a background track in the final cut that was never cleared.
• Using a track from a film or game soundtrack without checking who owns that recording.

If you are planning the video, the music licensing for filmmakers in the UK page covers the same ground from the production side. For the shoot itself, see planning a one-day music video in a studio and the music video studio hire page. If you are shooting with us, send us the track list before the day, so the edit can be planned around what is cleared.

Sources

• GOV.UK, music licences for online and mobile use, read 5 November 2026
• PPL, Licensing, read 5 November 2026

The picture at the top of this page is an illustration, not a photograph of a client or a real job.