Thousands of our members have benefitted from the many services and features on Broadjam, but it is still a very competitive market. In that spirit, we want you to be aware of what is involved in the licensing submission process.
- All songs submitted are presented to and listened to by the opportunity provider; we guarantee this or your account will be credited.
- Although Broadjam is one of the primary sources of music for the opportunity providers who work with us, we are not the only one. Providers source music from numerous suppliers and we cannot guarantee that a Broadjam artist will be selected for each opportunity.
- We screen our providers and only those with credible backgrounds will post an opportunity on Broadjam.
- Each opportunity has terms and conditions that you must agree to before submitting songs for consideration. Be sure to read the terms for each opportunity before submitting. As the owner of the song, you have the right to decline any offers made by the provider. If you have any questions about the terms please feel free to contact us.
- Providers always have access to your submissions and can easily come back to license a song that was submitted to a different project in the past. In other words, your submission could be selected by the provider in the future for a different project. It's always a matter of timing - matching the right song with the right project.
- Music licensing is a competitive area of the music business and most artists who participate will see their fair share of rejections, but landing the right placement can make all the hard work and patience worthwhile. Remember to read the criteria for each opportunity carefully and feel free to ask us questions along the way.
Music Licensing FAQ
We encourage you to read through the following FAQ and check out the music licensing successes page to hear what songs from Broadjam artists are being licensed for film, TV and ads.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why do I need to pay for each submission to music licensing opportunities?
Answer: Broadjam is similar to the post office - you pay us to administer and deliver your materials to a destination.
- How long does it take for a decision to be made for each opportunity?
Answer: Each opportunity has an "Expected Decision Date" to give you an idea of when a final decision will be made for an opportunity. The expected decision dates can range from a few days to several months depending on the opportunity. These dates are merely estimates, since there are many variables that can delay a project. The opportunity provider will keep you updated with their progress if a project is delayed.
- What is the peer rating system for opportunities?
Answer: Rating submissions allows you to hear how other artists interpreted the opportunity. When you submit to a licensing opportunity, we encourage you to participate in the peer-rating process, but it is not required. Peer ratings do not affect your chances of being licensed. You get a chance to hear other entries and rate the appropriateness of other songs submitted to the opportunity. The opportunity providers will have the option to sort the submissions in the order that members have determined is most to least appropriate. All entries are still presented to the opportunity provider and they will listen to each submission. By default, songs are listed for the opportunity provider by date of submission.
- Am I required to rate songs for each opportunity that I submit to?
Answer: No. Peer ratings are completely voluntary and do not affect your chances of being selected for a licensing opportunity. However, if you want to see the rankings for your submissions you'll just need to complete 2 sets of peer rankings for each song that you submit. If you do not complete peer ratings for any opportunity, your songs will still go through the peer rating process and be presented to the provider. Also note that some opportunities pay out $50 to the artist with the top-rated song, but in order to be eligible you must have completed 2 sets of ratings for each song you submitted.
- Does Broadjam screen songs before they get to the licensing opportunity provider?
Answer: No, but occasionally a provider may ask us for assistance in the screening process. This is rare, but the option is available if a client requests it.
- Will the licensing opportunity provider listen to my song?
Answer: Yes. In your submission status page you'll be able to track when the provider logs in to review entries, listens to your songs or checks out your profile. If your song is not listened to by the provider, you will receive a credit on your account for the amount of the submission fee.
- Who am I submitting my songs to?
Answer: Film and TV music supervisors, ad agencies, publishers, song-pluggers, video game companies, producers - anyone who is looking to license music for a project may use Broadjam as a resource. Broadjam members have placed songs with the following companies: Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, MTV, FOX, VH1, Oxygen, Disney Channel, E! Network, NASCAR, ESPN X Games, ESPN, SPEED Network, Big Ten Network, Versus TV, NHL, NBA, MLB, D4 Creative Group, Rex Benson Music Group, HD Music Now, Songs to your eyes, Discover Mediaworks, John Roach Projects, Inc., Tinderbox Music, House-Autry, Kwik Trip and Dance Dance Revolution (Konami).
- Who am I competing with when I submit songs for licensing consideration?
Answer: You are competing with other Broadjam members and any other music sources the opportunity provider may have.
- Am I required to copyright my songs before I submit to licensing opportunities?
Answer: No - you are not required to copyright your songs before you submit to licensing opportunities.
- Do I need to register my songs with a Performance Rights Organization?
Answer: It is advisable, but not required. If your songs are not registered with a PRO, we suggest that you register them before or shortly after making a submission to a licensing opportunity.
For musicians, Performance Rights Organizations exist to collect and distribute royalties on the behalf of musicians and other audio and video artists for the use of their musical compositions (i.e. lyrics and musical notes) by others. You may be a registered member of a performance rights society (PRS), but that does not mean that your songs are registered. Oftentimes, when artists sign up with a PRO, they will also register their entire catalog of songs. Other artists register only a few songs. You must have registered your songs with a PRO to receive royalties through the PRO for songs that are performed.
- May I submit demos or are they looking for broadcast-quality material?
Answer: Unless the opportunity description specifically states that production quality is not an issue, you will need to submit broadcast-quality recordings to music licensing opportunities.
- What happens when my song is selected?
Answer: If your song is picked for the project, the opportunity provider will contact you directly. Make sure your contact information is accurately filled out in your Broadjam account so it's easy for them to get a hold of you if your song is chosen. Most providers prefer email. At that point, they will work out the details with you directly.
- If my song is selected, how do I get paid?
Answer: If your song is selected for a project, the opportunity provider will contact you and work out the payment terms directly.
- I am a publisher or label that represents other artists. May I submit songs for the artists that I represent for licensing consideration?
Answer: Yes, as long as you have obtained all worldwide publishing and master rights to the materials.
- What is the Opportunity Timeline?
Answer: The Opportunity Timeline shows actions by the opportunity provider, as well as general events related to the opportunity.
Please Note: Opportunities launched prior to 9/17/2010 may not include certain provider actions and status updates.
- Why is there no Expected Decision Date for some opportunities?
Answer: Expected Decision Dates only apply to opportunities posted after 9/17/2010.
- Why do you show us which songs are being considered for a project even if they aren't my songs?
Answer: The feedback we received from members is that they wanted to hear the songs that were being selected and considered, regardless of who submitted them, so they could listen and learn. We thought it would be helpful for everyone to hear the ones that were selected along with the ones that were in the final running.