What is the most expensive song to license?

It's actually THE most expensive song to license. So what is it? It's AC/DC's “Thunderstruck”. The producers of “Varsity Blues” paid $500,000 to use it, and that was all the way back in 1999.

What is the most expensive copyrighted song?

AC/DC – Thunderstruck

The band received $500,000 for “Thunderstruck” when the song was featured in the 1999 film “Varsity Blues.” When AC/DC realized how easy the money was, they licensed “Back in Black” to Walmart for a television ad and even gave the retailer exclusive rights to sell their “Black Ice” album.

How much does it cost to license a popular song?

If it is a song by a small independent artist, the cost of a license could be between $50 and $150. However, if you're looking to license famous songs by top artists, the price can skyrocket to several thousand dollars without any problem.

Is it expensive to license a song?

The cost to license a copyrighted song can vary widely. The cost for a song from a small independent artist might be less than $100, while a track by a major artist or label can run thousands of dollars. Some licenses might also charge you a percentage of revenue instead.

What is the most expensive song ever produced?

As of January 2018, the most expensive music video ever made was 'Scream' by Michael and Janet Jackson, which cost seven million U.S. dollars to produce.

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What album took the most money?

1. Michael Jackson – Invincible. The final studio album released by The King of Pop Michael Jackson is reported to be the most expensive album ever made.

What was the biggest budget on a music video?

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“Scream” by Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson. At a cost of $7 million, it was listed in the Guinness World Records as the most expensive music video ever made.

How much does it cost to license a Beatles song?

Billboard estimates rights to the songs cost $10 million.

According to Danny Boyle and the filmmakers, it takes more than money to get to use Beatles songs.

How much does it cost to use a Queen song?

Licensing is the fee that you pay to use someone else's copyrighted music so that you do not get in trouble for copyright infringement. The average cost to purchase rights to a song will be between $50 and $150 for an independent artist. Famous songs can cost $500 to $5000 or more.

How much do commercials pay for songs?

Commercials fetch even more money: "a song can command anywhere from $25,000 to $500,000 plus per year. The typical range for a well-known song is $75,000 to $200,000 for a one year national usage in the United States, on television and radio."

How much does a movie pay to use a song?

The synchronization fees charged by music publishers for major studio films are usually between $15,000 and $60,000 (with the majority ranging from $20,000 to $45,000) but can be lower if the music budget is small or higher if the song is used several times in the motion picture, if the use is under the opening or ...

How much is easy licensing?

Since it is geared towards independent artists, Easy Song Licensing is really affordable. To obtain a mechanical license for a song, you pay $14.44 per song, plus royalties. The royalties go directly to the songwriter. Easy Song Licensing only keeps their service fee, which is $14.44 per song.

How much does it cost to use a Nirvana song in a movie?

Meanwhile, Primary Wave has licensed 13 Nirvana songs to film and television productions for an estimated $480,000, compared to Jonas Brothers, who made around $1 million for 105 licenses in 2008 alone.

How much is Thunderstruck license?

'Thunderstruck' was licensed to the film for a massive $500,000. "I remember being absolutely horrified when I heard that number," Golubic recalls. "And we spent a lot of time coming up with what we thought were great alternates, but there was going to be no budget on that, and they had money so they paid for it."

How much does AC DC make in royalties?

13. AC/DC: $10.1M. AC/DC, which owns its catalog and receives a higher royalty rate because of that, released its 17th studio album, Power Up, in 2020, and it contributed to physical sales of 427,000 records from its catalog — ranking the Australian headbangers seventh in that category and sixth in sales royalties.

How much does it cost to use an AC DC song?

“Varsity Blues” was released over 20-years ago and the song has been used in tons of films and tv shows since then. Imagine how much royalty money the band and the record company has received for it's use. Now they're saying on average, it will cost about $50,000 to $60,000 to obtain a license to use the song.

Who gets Freddie Mercury's royalties?

After his death on November 24, 1991, Freddie gave his home, 50 percent of his recording royalties and most of his wealth to Mary Austin, with the remainder going to his parents and sister. Mary was Freddie's closest friend throughout his life, and they were often seen out together before his illness.

How rich is Brian May?

Brian May is an English musician, singer, guitarist, songwriter and astrophysicist who has a net worth of $210 million dollars. Said to be one of the greatest guitar players of all time, he rose to international fame as the guitarist for the rock band Queen.

What is Bohemian Rhapsody worth?

Bohemian Rhapsody earned more than $900 million worldwide against a midsize budget of roughly $55 million, becoming one of the most profitable films of 2018 and the highest-grossing biopic in movie history. Throw in its four Academy Awards and there's no debate it was a massive success for 20th Century Fox.

How much do the Beatles make a day?

The Beatles still rake in £67,000 a day from a company they formed before they split, nearly 50 years ago. Apple Corps, set up in 1968 to manage their affairs, declared a turnover of £24.4 million for the year ending January 31.

How long does a song copyright last?

As a general rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years.

Who owns the license to the Beatles?

While the publishing rights for most of the band's work is owned by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, a joint venture between Sony and the estate of Michael Jackson, the North American rights to six early songs were held separately, by the Pincus family of publishers in New York.

Who has the most expensive music video ever?

1. 'Scream' More than a quarter-century later, “Scream” still holds the Guinness World Record for the most expensive music video ever made. According to Business Insider, “Scream” tipped the financial scales with a 13-piece set, a $65,000 CGI spaceship and $175,000 spent on lighting alone.

What is the longest music video?

The music video for Twenty One Pilots' "Level of Concern" ran for just over 117 days, smashing the previous record. Twenty One Pilots has officially set a new record for the longest music video of all time – clocking in at just over 4,264 hours.