1.) Music publishers typically charge two types of cost. First is the up-front payments, this will be paid to the publisher before you can use the music. This might be true for popular and established publishers with a lots of hit songs in the catalog. For example, if you need to license the song “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin for your upcoming film production project, after agreeing to the terms set by the music publisher you might pay the sync fee in advance, as well as other payments such as the use of the master recording.This upfront fee for popular and established hit songs range as low as $500 to above (one aspect of application only).

BUT…. other publishers might not asked for an up-front fee. Especially if you are licensing unknown songs, less established songs or songs from an independent artist or music publisher; the license fee will be low or free.

2.) The second type of payment is the one after the use of songs/music. Depending on the licensing agreement or terms and conditions set by the music publisher, you might be obliged to pay licensing costs after your project made some money or released to the public.

This depends on your budget, you might pay as little as $100 to above.
Other music publishers does not require this.

3.) However the most obvious costs of music license if you are publicly performing an artist song which are affiliated with ASCAP is to pay performance royalties. But if you are producing a film project which will be shown in malls; you as a producer will not be paying performance royalties since you are not the one publicly performing the song. But the owner of the theather or in malls will be the one to pay performance royalties.

4.) Performance royalties depends on the use. If you are an owner of a commercial radio station, it may depend on the song number of rotation. Contact ASCAP and BMI for details.

5.) If you like to avoid paying performance royalties, then license songs that belongs to public domain. These songs that does not copyright holder and can be used by anyone, so if you use these songs you will NEVER pay a performance royalty.

6.) Even if the music publisher or songwriter is NOT affiliated with performing right societies like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you are still liable to pay performance royalties NOT to the societies but to the music publisher/ songwriter directly. Once you use copyrighted material (EXCEPT the one in public domain), you are OBLIGED under the law to pay performance royalties, failure to pay constitute a copyright infringement, and you might be caught sooner and might be higher than what you would normally pay.

7.) If you avail the services of royalty free websites (by paying a single lump sum for the use of song material). It is not an excuse NOT to pay any royalties such as performance royalties, performing right societies, music publisher or songwriter demands it from you.

8.) Even if the royalty free website claims they sign writers not belonging to performing right societies, you need to check if the writer released the song to public domain. If NOT, then refer to ITEM #6.