Clearhly is a music rights marketplace where verified labels, publishers and independent artists list their catalog and license it to producers, brands and creators. Listing is free. You decide which uses you offer, whether each use is negotiable or has a fixed price, and you are paid through Stripe when a deal closes.
Every holder business is verified before it can sell, so licensees know they are dealing with a real company.
How licensing your catalog works
- Apply and get verified. Apply as a rights holder and complete business verification (KYB). Set up payouts with Stripe once before your first listing goes live.
- List your catalog. Add recordings and songs, say which rights you control and which uses you offer. Listing costs nothing at any catalog size.
- Choose a pricing mode per use. Keep a use negotiable, or set a fixed price with fixed terms. Fixed-price uses can be Instant, signed once by you as a standing offer, or Approve each, where you accept or decline every request.
- Add co-owners. If you own only part of a track, invite your co-owners with their percentage. Each owner confirms their share, sets their own pricing and signs only for their part.
- Get paid. The licensee pays through Stripe. Funds are held for 14 days, then released to your connected Stripe account with the success fee already deducted.
Use types that apply
You choose, per listing, which of these use types you offer.
- Cover version. Record and release your own version of the song.
- Remix. Rework the original recording into a new version.
- Sample. Use a piece of the original recording in a new track. If the melody or lyrics are recognizable, the song side must agree too.
- Interpolation. Re-record a melody or lyric from the song in a new track, without using the original recording.
- Film, TV & Trailers. Put the music to picture in films, TV shows, documentaries, trailers and web series.
- Video Games & Apps. Use the music in video games, mobile apps, VR/AR and other interactive experiences.
- Advertising & Branding. Use the music in commercials, brand videos, product promos and other marketing.
- Social Media & Online Video. Use the music in YouTube videos, TikTok/Reels/Shorts clips, podcasts and livestreams. Includes uploads to your own YouTube channel (e.g. lyric or live videos).
- Compilations & Re-releases. Put the original recording on a compilation, playlist album or re-release.
- Lyrics & Karaoke. Show or print the lyrics, or use the song in karaoke versions.
- Public Performance & Live Events. Play the music in venues, shops, gyms, at live events or on radio and TV. Public performance (radio, TV, venues) is licensed by collecting societies like GEMA, PRS or ASCAP, not through Clearhly.
- AI Training. Use the music to train AI models. There's no standard license for this yet, so describe the terms in the request.
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost to list music on Clearhly?
Listing is free. Rights holders pay a success fee of 8% of the upfront payment only when a deal closes, with a minimum and a maximum per deal. Revenue-share-only deals have a flat fee. See the pricing page for the exact amounts.
What is an Instant license?
An Instant license is a fixed-price offer you sign once as a standing offer. Licensees who accept your price and terms can sign and pay straight away, without waiting for you. If you change the terms, you sign again.
Can I approve each request instead?
Yes. With Approve each, licensees request at your fixed price and you accept or decline, with an optional reason. Requests you do not answer expire after 7 days.
What if I own only part of a track?
Add your co-owners with their percentages. Shares for each right type must total 100% before the listing is fully available. Each owner licenses, signs and is paid only for their own share, and nobody is charged unless all owners agree.
Why do I need business verification?
Verification (KYB) shows licensees that a real business stands behind each listing and is required before you can receive payouts.