In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, evergreen content—videos, blog posts, and other media designed to remain relevant over time—has become an invaluable tool for brands. However, with the benefits of this strategy comes a hidden challenge: managing music licensing for content that lives indefinitely online.
Brands often fail to account for the expiration of music licenses, which can leave their content vulnerable to legal and financial risks long after it was published. In this read, we explore the risks associated with evergreen content, why licensing compliance is essential, and how MatchTune can help your brand rectify expired music licenses.
The Rise of Evergreen Content
Evergreen content is a cornerstone of modern digital strategies. Unlike time-sensitive campaigns, evergreen content delivers ongoing value, helping brands generate engagement, leads, and brand awareness for years. Whether it’s a timeless product tutorial video or a customer success story, evergreen content is meant to endure.
However, the longevity of such content often creates a significant blind spot: expired music licenses. Many licenses are typically granted with a specific fixed term or scope of use. Once those terms expire, the music in your content becomes non-compliant, leaving your brand at risk of copyright infringement claims.
The Risks of Expired Music Licenses
Failing to manage music licensing for evergreen content can lead to several serious consequences:
Legal Action and Financial Penalties: Expired licenses transform compliant content into copyright violations. Brands found using music without an active license can face lawsuits, fines, and expensive settlements. These costs can, and have, ranged from thousands to even hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, depending on the infringement’s scale and duration.
Reputational Damage: Copyright issues don’t stay private. Legal disputes over music licensing can harm your brand’s reputation, leading consumers to question your commitment to ethical practices and corporate social responsibility.
Content Disruption: Rights holders may demand the immediate removal of non-compliant content, interrupting your marketing campaigns and forcing you to find licensed alternatives on short notice.
Curious to learn more about the risks of non-compliant music usage? Check out our article on the subject, with relevant case studies, here.
Staying Compliant in the Era of Evergreen Content
To maintain the benefits of evergreen content without the risks, brands must proactively manage their music licensing. This includes:
Tracking License Expirations: Keep detailed records of when licenses were acquired, their terms, and when they expire. Regular audits are crucial.
Updating Legacy Content: If licenses have expired, you’ll need to either renew them or replace the music in the content.
Future-Proofing New Content: Ensure any music used in your campaigns is either fully licensed for indefinite use or can be easily swapped out if the terms change.
How MatchTune Protects Your Evergreen Content
For many brands, tracking and managing music licensing is an unneeded headache. That's why MatchTune’s AI-driven platform takes care of this, ensuring that your content remains fully compliant throughout its lifecycle. Our technology offers:
Vulnerable Song License Identification: MatchTune flags music with expired or risky licenses in your existing library, allowing you to address issues before they escalate.
Zero-Claims, Pre-Cleared Music: Choose from our vast catalog of fully licensed music that’s tailored to your brand’s needs, ensuring future content is legally protected from day one.
Seamless Music Replacement: If a license expires, our platform makes it easy to replace tracks with compliant alternatives, even with existing voice overs, keeping your evergreen content active and worry-free.
Evergreen content is a powerful asset, but only if it remains safe from legal and financial risks. With MatchTune, you can future-proof your brand’s music licensing strategy and focus on delivering enduring value to your audience.
Looking to protect your content? Reach out to MatchTune today.