SAMPLE CLEARANCE
Sample clearance service
for artists and labels.
Tell us what you know. You do not need to arrive with the rights already mapped. Audio Motion can organise source research, rights-holder outreach, terms, approvals and the evidence trail.
Think an exception may apply instead? Start a Fair Use / Fair Dealing review →
ARTIST & LABEL RELEASE CHECKLIST
Sampled audio, replays and interpolations need different rights routes.
The clearance route depends on what appears in the new recording. Sampling original audio raises sound-recording rights as well as composition rights; a replay or interpolation can still require composition approval.
Source evidence
Share the source track, artist, sampled timestamps, a private reference to the new work and how the material has been changed. Keep unapproved audio out of public links.
Ownership research
Identify the sound recording and publishing controllers independently. Old recordings, catalogue transfers and multiple writers can complicate the route.
Release scope
Give expected release date, distributor or label, territories, formats, promotional plan and any existing owner communication. Do not treat silence or a verbal response as clearance.
What the brief should produce: A source-by-source rights status and documentation trail; approval is complete only when required agreements are signed.
Need a sample cleared?
Send the basics now. You can provide recordings and agreements later through a secure, agreed channel.
SAMPLE RIGHTS · RELEASE PLANNING
Sample clearance company support, from source identification to signed permissions.
Samples can involve the sound recording, the underlying composition or both. Replaying a recognisable musical phrase rather than copying audio may change the master enquiry, but does not automatically remove composition rights. Each sampled source needs its own evidence trail.
Before distribution
Share the source recording, sampled timecodes, the new track, expected release date, platforms and whether the release is already scheduled.
Master and publishing
Establish who can decide on each applicable right. An acknowledgement or negotiation is not a licence; collect approvals and signed terms before marking a source as cleared.
Fees, shares and deadlines
Service work, any upfront payments, ownership shares and royalties can be separate negotiation points. Read what affects sample clearance costs.
Working to a deadline? Check the pre-release steps, or use the sample-clearance checklist.
Start a sample clearance request →CLEARANCE KNOWLEDGE CENTRE
Know the rights. Make the right request.
We can organise source identification, rights-holder research, outreach, negotiation records, approval evidence and final clearance tracking. Whether a use is legally permitted depends on the relevant approvals and agreement terms. Specialist legal advice should be used where needed.
What happens after the sample enquiry?
We review each sampled source separately, distinguish copying a master from re-playing a composition, and identify the approvals needed for the planned release. A requested clearance is not a licence. Rights holders set their own terms and may decline.
Prepare a sample clearance request → · Understand clearance costs and timing →
Using the original recording in a film, TV programme or advertisement rather than sampling it in a new release? Build a music licensing brief → or see famous-song clearance →.
FREE PRODUCTION RESOURCE
Before you request music rights, get the brief right.
Know what to collect for a recording, sample or song clearance: usage, versions, territories, rights controllers, deadlines and sign-off evidence.
View the music clearance checklist → Download the clearance briefing templateA sample enquiry is not a sync licence enquiry
Using part of an existing recording inside a new song is different from licensing that recording to accompany picture.
Direct audio sample
A copied sound recording typically raises master and underlying composition permissions. Identify timestamps for both source and new track.
Interpolation or replay
A newly performed element can remove use of the original master, but composition and possible arrangement permissions still need checking.
Release-ready evidence
For each source, record controller, negotiated terms, approval and executed documents. Only human review can mark the case cleared.
Every recording and production has different terms. AMM does not claim ownership of third-party songs shown in screen credits; rights are confirmed case by case.