10 Questions to Ask Before You License an Original Song

Licensing a song takes a few minutes. Releasing it, promoting it and possibly shooting a video around it takes months. The questions you ask up front decide whether those months go smoothly.

Here are ten questions to answer before you pay for any original song, from any source, grouped by what they protect. For each one, there's a short note on why it matters and where to find the answer.

Questions about your rights

1. What exactly does this license let me do? Look for the core grant: recording your own version and releasing it on streaming services, in downloads and in live shows. Note any limits on territory, term or format. On Starchild, writers keep their copyright and a license grants recording and release rights according to its terms.

2. Is it exclusive, and can it become exclusive? A non-exclusive license means other artists may record the same song. That's normal and affordable. On Starchild, exclusive terms are $60 for 3 months, $100 for 6 and $150 for 12; the song comes off the marketplace for the term and returns afterward unless renewed, and some songs have a waitlist.

These two questions set the boundaries for everything else. A license that covers streaming but says nothing about live shows, or an exclusive term that ends the week your campaign peaks, is worth knowing about before you pay. Our guide to what rights you get walks through a typical bundle.

Questions about credit and proof

3. Who wrote it, and how should I credit them? You'll need the writers' names, and publishers if any, for your distributor's songwriter fields. Get them in writing with the license so you can copy them exactly. On Starchild, licensed downloads carry the writer and license information.

4. How do I prove I'm licensed? Distributors and platforms sometimes ask. You want a document that names you, the song and the license, and that someone else can check.

Credit and proof are the two things you'll be asked for most often after release. Your distributor needs the credits on upload day, and a platform review or a brand partner may ask for proof months later. Every Starchild license comes with a license certificate verifiable at starchild.music/verify, which answers both in one document.

Questions about what you can do creatively

5. Can I change the lyrics, melody or arrangement? Arranging a song in your own style is normal. Changing its lyrics or melody is a different matter, and needs the writer's permission.

6. Are music videos, social clips and ads covered? Putting music with picture is a synchronization use. On Starchild, licenses cover your music video. For anything else, check whether your license mentions video and advertising, and ask before you sign a brand partnership.

The U.S. Copyright Office notes that the compulsory license for cover recordings doesn't allow changing the basic melody or fundamental character of a song, and the Harry Fox Agency says its mechanical license doesn't authorize changes to the musical work. If you already know you'll want a lyric tweak, ask the writer before you license. On video, ASCAP defines sync rights as the use of a recording of a song in audiovisual form and lists music videos as an example, which is why it's worth confirming video coverage before you plan a shoot.

Questions about money and files

7. What files do I actually receive? A license to record might come with only a reference demo, with a full instrumental you can sing over, or with every production element separated.

8. Will I owe anything after the first payment? Ask whether the fee is one-time and whether any ongoing royalty obligations come with the release.

On Starchild, licenses are one-time purchases. The tiers run from the $30 Song License to the $50 Song + Instrumental and the $60 Personalized Productions, which includes every production style with instrumentals. Stems are a separate package priced per song. On songs where the writer has opted in, a $99 Royalty Free add-on lets you keep 100 percent of your release royalties. Our comparison of royalty-free and licensed songs explains the difference.

Knowing what's in the package also shapes your budget. If you get an instrumental you can sing over, your production cost may be close to zero. If you only get a demo, plan for a producer to rebuild the track.

Questions about the song itself

9. Is the song human-written, AI-assisted or AI-generated? This affects how the song can be registered and how some platforms treat it. ASCAP, for example, states that members may not currently register fully AI-generated works.

10. Have I heard it in my key and my style? A great song in the wrong range or the wrong genre is still the wrong song for you.

Ask the seller directly about how a song was made. On Starchild, every song carries an AI-transparency label (human-made, hybrid or AI-generated) on its song page; human-written vs. AI songs covers why that matters. Then audition before you buy. Starchild songs are produced in many styles, including country, acoustic, rock, electronic and Latin, around the same vocal, so you can hear how a song sits in your lane before licensing. Start with songs by genre and our guide to auditioning songs.

Before you check out

• Save the license terms and certificate in your release folder.
• Write down the writers' names exactly as listed.
• Note any exclusive term's start and end dates.
• If anything in the terms is unclear, ask before you pay.
• For complex deals involving labels, brands or several territories, have a music attorney review the agreement.

Sources

• U.S. Copyright Office: Circular 73, Compulsory License for Making and Distributing Phonorecords
• Harry Fox Agency: Can I incorporate an existing work into a new song?
• ASCAP: Common Licensing Terms Defined
• ASCAP: Registering Your Music
• U.S. Copyright Office: Circular 56A, Copyright Registration of Musical Compositions and Sound Recordings