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How To Get A License To Play Copyrighted Music On Twitch

Is there a certain song you want to play on your stream, but it’s copyrighted and you don’t know what to do? Keep reading as I go over how you can get licensed to play copyright music on your streams.

How To Get A License To Play Copyrighted Music On Twitch

Most streamers who get a license to play copyrighted music on Twitch do so by using companies that have contracts with record labels to use their copyrighted music, such as lickd.co. Streamers may also get permission from the copyright holder themselves to use their music, but this is far less likely.

To expand a little further, the way that lickd.co works is they have special contracts with artists and recording labels that allow them to lend the music these artists have created to other creators for their own use.

As a small creator it is very challenging to get through to some of these major artists and record labels who own the rights to the music to get permission to use their music.

Lickd basically acts as an intermediary between major copyright holders and small creators who want to use their music. You pay Lickd and then they allow you to use the music.

Although Lickd does have a pretty good selection of songs to choose from, they do not have EVERY copyrighted song available.

But if there is a song that you feel like you MUST have for your stream, Lickd is going to be your best bet to get permission to use that song.

Personally, I like to use something like Epidemic Sound for my music. They won’t have many songs from popular artists, but their music is still incredible and they have sound effects you can use as well.

Not to mention they have music for every genre and so you are bound to find something that fits your stream. If you want to check them out, use my link here and you get a 30 day free-trial which you can cancel at any time.

However, like I already touched on, if there are just some songs you are itching to have on your stream, then keep reading as I’ll cover pricing and other commonly asked questions when it comes to licensing copyright music for your streams.

How Much Does Music Licensing Cost?

Licensing music usually costs between $23 and $50 per song; however, this price can increase drastically depending on the song, the artist, and the record label. Lickd.io for example offers licenses to certain copyrighted songs for $15 a month plus an additional $8 (minimum) per song being licensed.

Luckily, this $8 is only paid once per song, but still, $23 to use one song seems like a steep price to pay. Furthermore, $8 is the lowest amount you will pay for a song.

When I was researching their site I found some songs that cost over $30 just to acquire the licensing. On top of that, with some songs you are very restricted as to where and how you can use their music.

Several of the songs I found are only able to be used on Youtube even after acquiring the licensing.

Now I am not trying to be too harsh on Lickd. I actually really like them and from other content creators I have spoken to they are a quality company and by far the best option for getting permission to use copyrighted music.

And to be honest, if you tried to obtain some of these licenses without going through someone like Lickd it would probably cost you hundreds of dollars and lots of time getting in touch with the right people. And it’s honestly doubtful these major record labels would even sell you a license to use the music.

For this reason, although Lickd is a little pricey themselves, they are the best option for those looking for copyright music to use on their streams.

Can You Play Copyrighted Music If You Give Credit?

You cannot play copyrighted music, even if you give credit to the artist(s). Copyrighted music can only be played if you have explicit permission from the copyright owner. Some music will have terms that specify that the music can be played if given proper credit, however this is rare.

Some streamers and content creators falsely assume that they can use copyright music on their streams as long as they give credit to the artist, but this is just not true.

To use another artists music on your streams you must have permission from the copyright holder, or use a royalty free music service where artists give permission for their subscribers to use their music.

In rare circumstances the copyright holder of a song will give permission for it to be used as long as credit is given, but this is the exception and not the rule. It’s always better to just play it safe.

What Happens If You Play Copyrighted Music Without A License On Twitch

If you play copyrighted music without a license on Twitch your channel can receive a DMCA claim from the copyright holder and a copyright strike from Twitch. After three copyright strikes from Twitch your account is suspended permanently.

Although having your account perma-banned is the ultimate punishment, even just having copyright music playing in your VODs will cause your VODs to be muted where the music is playing.

Playing copyright music on Twitch, without the proper permissions, is just not worth it. In fact, copyright music being played on streams was the reason so many streamers went though recently and deleted several of their old VODs.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t play any music on your stream. There are a ton of copyright free playlists available on Spotify, Youtube, Soundcloud, and more. With Twitch swinging the ban hammer around like they do, I’d much rather use these playlists than take the risk.

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For even more streaming tips and how-to content check out my Youtube channel here. And if you want to check out my streams then stop by my Twitch channel here.

👋 Hey There, I'm Eric!

Since 2018, I've been making streams come true.

I like gaming, streaming and watching other people stream. I created this website to help streamers, viewers, and gamers answer questions they have regarding live streaming, gaming, and PCs. I am a Twitch affiliate and currently stream on Twitch 3 days a week. I also have a Youtube channel where I make videos about streaming. I hope you find my content helpful. Feel free to stop by one of my streams to say hi.