Texas Tech University has contractual agreements in place with four Performing Rights Organizations (PROs). A PRO negotiates licensing and royalties between rights holders (musicians, composers, and publishers) and users of copyrighted works. The PRO monitors performances of music and collects license fees from business entities that use the music registered with them and distributes royalties to composers, songwriters, and music publishers.

Texas Tech’s agreements are with the following PROs: Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Society of European Songwriters, Artists and Composers (SESAC), and Global Music Rights (GMR).

These agreements give Texas Tech the right to host live public performances of musical works, play recorded music, or utilize other copyrighted works. These licenses provide permission to use certain music and copyrighted works for events, including sporting events, fairs/festivals, student/faculty/staff receptions, social gatherings, student and faculty orientations, and commencement exercises. These licenses also permit the use of music to be played in academic buildings, athletics facilities, the Student Recreation Center, residence halls, libraries, and the Student Union. They also allow music to be played on the campus radio station.

The catalogs for each organization can be found below:

• BMI
• ASCAP
• SESAC
• GMR

Depending on your use case, the blanket music licensing agreements may be insufficient. You must obtain additional licenses. Please contact contracting@ttu.edu for guidance. Departments do not have the authority to execute licensing agreements. A Synchronization License, a Master Use License, or Label Waiver might be required. 

Quick Definitions and Examples of Additional Licenses

• Composition: The Composition is the written words and music for a song.
• Sound Recording: The Sound Recording is the specific recorded performance of a composition.
  Example: "I Will Always Love You" was written by Dolly Parton. Whitney Houston performed one of the most famous Sound Recordings of that Composition.
• Synchronization License: Issued by the publisher for the use of the composition in video content. The work is "synced" to the visuals in the video. The license will include specific terms and fees for the usage.
• Master Use License: The owner of the Sound Recording, which could be a label or an independent artist directly, will license the use of the specific track in video content. This should include the same terms as Composition use.
  Example: If you wanted to use Whitney Houston’s version of "I Will Always Love You" in an ad, you would need a Synch License from Sony Music Publishing (Dolly Parton’s music publisher) and a Master Use License from Arista Records, the label who released the song.

Through the campus PRO agreements, Texas Tech may broadcast a live event via its institutional website that features music cataloged with BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, and GMR. Rebroadcasts/recordings of live events (that feature recorded or live music) on social media channels such as Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube are not permitted under the terms of our campus agreements as these instances would require a Synchronization License and a Master Use License executed through the Contracting Office.

If you have recorded a live concert or an event in which live music was performed, you have created a new Sound Recording. Instead of a Master Use License, the label, or independent artist, must grant permission to use that specific recording. You will need the following:

• Synchronization License: Every song will have to be licensed with the music publishers.
• Label Waiver: The Record Label must approve and issue a label waiver.
• Public Performance: The PRO (blanket license mentioned above) will need to be provided with a Cue Sheet for the program, which lists every Composition, Songwriter, and Music Publisher, so that the PROs can distribute the appropriate royalties.

Exception: NPR/PBS broadcasts do not require these licenses or waivers.

To use any recorded music in video content you must get permission and license both the Composition and the Sound Recording. For more information, please refer to the music licensing information within the Office of Marketing and Communications.