What if your music is already licensed? Understanding direct licenses beyond local collecting societies
In many countries, the moment a song is identified by Shazam or listed in a collective management organization (CMO) database, people assume that a license from the local CMO is always required.
That’s not necessarily true. Especially in the European Union and countries with liberalized copyright markets, there’s another legal pathway that is often misunderstood: the direct license.
What is a direct license?
A direct license is a legal agreement between a rightsholder (author, publisher or qualified representative) and a user (e.g. a store, hotel, or restaurant) that allows the use of music without going through the national collecting society.
This system is fully legal and supported by EU Directive 2014/26/EU, which ended the monopoly of local collecting societies and gave authors the freedom to choose how and through whom their works are licensed.
Why this matters for your business
Using music with a traceable direct license means you are legally covered and can avoid unnecessary payments to collecting societies — as long as:
- the music is not represented in exclusive terms by the local CMO
- you can prove payment and validity of the license (e.g. invoice, timestamp, license certificate)
This is especially important for international catalogs. For instance, in the US, the major societies like ASCAP and BMI work under non-exclusive mandates. As clarified in the ASCAP Compendium, Section 1.3:
“The rights granted by the Writer to ASCAP are non-exclusive.”
This means an American song might be legally used in Europe through a direct license obtained from a qualified operator — even if that song is listed in a CMO database.
What happens during an inspection?
If your business is inspected by a CMO or authority, it’s your responsibility to show evidence of a valid license. The inspector may verify, but they cannot charge you a second time for the same song if you’ve already paid through a legitimate and authorized operator.
Double payments are not only unfair — they may be challenged legally, especially under EU law.
MoosBox: direct, simple, certified
At MoosBox, we work exclusively with fully licensed royalty-free music and direct authorization from rightsholders or international aggregators. We provide:
- ✅ A valid license certificate (EU compliant)
- ✅ A timestamped archive of your usage
- ✅ Optional documentation about chain of mandate
If you’re inspected, you’re protected.
Want to learn more?
This article is not legal advice. If you’re unsure about your situation or licensing model, consult a trusted copyright lawyer and explore our resources:
