Start with the delivery, not the download
A useful music licence checklist starts with a description of the finished production. Write down who will publish it, where it will appear, whether it includes paid promotion and who is paying for the work. Then compare that brief with the actual licence. Finding an attractive track is only the creative half of the decision.
For a client video, the handover needs to make sense to someone who was not involved in the edit. A producer, social manager or replacement editor should be able to identify the track, find the permission and understand any conditions that still apply. Build that evidence package while choosing the music, rather than trying to reconstruct it after a claim.
1. Make a one-page project brief
Give the production a stable project name. Record the client’s legal or trading name, the team member obtaining the licence, the intended publishing accounts and the expected release date. Add the planned formats: a main film, shorter cut-downs, language versions or a separate advertising edit. These details are a practical brief, not a substitute for the provider’s definitions.
Use a short question beside each variation: is this still the same permitted production, or does it need separate registration? A thirty-second cut of the same film and a new campaign using the same song are not automatically equivalent. If the licence leaves that distinction unclear, send the examples to the provider and keep the written answer with the job.
2. Match the person buying to the person publishing
Check who becomes the licensee. It might be the editor, a production company or the client. A shared folder containing a song does not explain which of those parties holds permission. Ask whether the finished production can be delivered for the client to publish and whether the client needs its own account or channel registration.
Providers can separate personal, commercial and client use. For example, Artlist’s published model distinguishes Social from Pro / Business, while Soundstripe’s client-project guidance directs users to the coverage included in their plan. Use the exact plan, not the brand name, as the item being checked.
3. Put distribution and advertising in separate boxes
List each distribution destination. An organic upload, a sponsored post, a paid ad, a website embed and a television delivery can involve different permissions. A client’s casual description of a video as “just for social” is not specific enough if the media buyer plans to promote it later.
Make the scope visible in the approval email. A useful line reads: “Current clearance request: one client video for these named channels; paid advertising is included only if confirmed in the attached licence.” This is an example of a documentation habit. Adapt it to the actual agreement and avoid turning it into a promise broader than the provider has made.
4. Save a track-and-licence record
Create a small evidence folder containing the track title, artist, source URL, download date, invoice and licence document. Save the relevant terms or a dated reference to them. Include the project identifier used in the provider’s registration flow. If attribution is required, keep the exact credit text beside the export checklist.
Give the files human-readable names. “Client_Project_Track_Licence” is easier to find than a collection of anonymous downloads. Keep previews separate from licensed production files, and label alternate versions so another editor does not accidentally replace a cleared track with a different recording.
5. Check the calendar and channel workflow
Ask what event must occur while a subscription is active: download, project registration, completion or publication. Do not reduce those different rules to “I paid once.” Also record what happens to existing productions after cancellation and whether a future production needs renewed access.
If the provider has a channel-clearance process, assign an owner for it. That person should know which account performs registration, which channel IDs belong to the client and where a claim would be reported. Do not ask a client to share a password simply to complete a music-licensing handover.
6. Hand over the decision as well as the file
Before the final export, give the client a concise scope summary, the evidence folder and the required credit. Ask them to tell the production team if the use changes. A new advertiser, campaign, territory or publishing destination is a reason to review the permission again, not to assume that the previous email covers everything.
For a concrete starting point, compare the InAudio workflow with the alternatives in our 30-site comparison. The 16-point methodology provides the questions to apply consistently. Select the service whose actual agreement fits the job, then keep a record that the next person can understand.