Frequently Asked Questions

 APM Music Brands FAQ 

Protect Your Content. Elevate Your Brand. Create With Confidence.

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In today’s fast-paced digital world, content moves fast, and so do copyright enforcement systems. Whether you’re a global brand, a startup, a digital publisher, or a solo creator, using unlicensed or improperly cleared music can quickly lead to serious consequences: content takedowns, lost monetization, or even lawsuits. 

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That’s where APM Music comes in. As one of the world’s most respected and comprehensive music licensing resources, APM ensures your content sounds incredible and stays legally protected. 

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This FAQ breaks down the most common questions brands and creators ask about music licensing, copyright risks, and why APM is the trusted partner behind some of the biggest companies in the world. 

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• Can big brands really get sued for using music on social media? 

• Why did YouTube flag or take down my video for copyright? 

• What are the hidden costs of using unlicensed music? 

• Is “free music” really free to use? 

• What is “silent copyright enforcement”? 

• Why APM over royalty-free? 

• Does APM offer archival rights? 

• Why APM over commercial music? 

• Why APM over other music libraries?

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Q: Can big brands really get sued for using music on social media? 

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A: Yes! Even the big names aren’t immune—you might’ve heard of some lawsuits against huge brands in the news recently. Social media might feel casual, but brands still need to license any music they use. Using unlicensed music can lead to costly legal fees, takedowns, and damage to your brand’s reputation. With APM Music, every track is cleared, licensed, and ready to use in social media, YouTube, ads, podcasts, and more. 

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Q: Why did YouTube flag or take down my video for copyright? 

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A: YouTube’s copyright enforcement is fast and unforgiving. Even a few seconds of unlicensed music can trigger Content ID, muting, blocking, or demonetization.  

To avoid this, always use properly licensed music. APM tracks are cleared and approved for YouTube use. If your licensed content gets flagged by mistake, APM’s support team helps get your video reinstated quickly.

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Q: What are the hidden costs of using unlicensed music? 

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A: It’s not just about lawsuits. Unlicensed music can lead to takedowns, lost ad revenue, impacted views, and delays in campaigns. Even minor copyright disputes can cost thousands. And your brand’s credibility? Also at risk.  

With APM Music, all tracks are sync-ready and legally cleared, so you’ll never face surprise copyright claims.

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Q: Is “free music” really free to use? 

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A: Not always. Many “free music” sites have unclear or fake licenses. Some tracks require attribution, have usage limits, or (worse) aren’t actually owned by the uploader. Using them can expose you to takedowns or lawsuits. APM Music provides fully licensed, professional-grade tracks backed by real agreements; no sketchy fine print.

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Q: What is “silent copyright enforcement”? 

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A: It’s the quiet background monitoring major music rights holders use to track unlicensed usage. You might think you’re safe because nothing happened immediately, but enforcement can come weeks or months later. Avoid the risk entirely by using licensed, vetted music from APM’s professional catalog.

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Q:  Why APM over royalty-free?

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A: Royalty-free tracks often come with limited licenses that don’t cover commercial or monetized use, and the quality can be hit-or-miss. Many royalty-free libraries also push the same “popular” tracks, so tons of creators end up using identical music. APM offers high-quality, clearly licensed music for every platform, so you’re covered, and your content sounds professional. Sadly, most royalty-free models don’t support artists either. They pay artists a one-time fee and nothing more, even if the track is used thousands of times. When you use APM, you’re not just licensing music; you’re supporting the human talent behind it. Also, there is a common misconception that if a library isn’t royalty-free, the licensor will be responsible for paying artist’s royalties for a long time. That isn’t the case with APM. The royalties are already baked into the pricing – we give our composers about half of all licensing fees. The client is never responsible for paying our artists directly, and our rates are often competitive with royalty-free libraries.

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Q:  Does APM offer Archival rights? 

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A: Unlike many other libraries, APM includes Archival rights in our blanket licenses. That means if you don’t renew your blanket license with us, you don’t need to remove videos you posted with our music on it or remove music from the videos. Many others can’t say the same and force clients to keep renewing out of fear of having to remove licensed music. 

 

Q:  Why APM over commercial music? 

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A: Licensing your favorite artist’s track for a social post sounds fun, but it will probably end up being a headache. First, the publishing and master rights are most likely owned separately. Hunting down the owners of each is difficult, and they possibly might not give permission. If they do, the cost will likely be incredibly high.  APM is the high-quality alternative to your favorite artist! We have tons of soundalikes and even re-records of many Billboard hits. Although we own the master to re-records, the publishing rights would need to be cleared with the original publisher, which we can also assist with. 

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Q:  Why APM over other music libraries? 

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A: APM Music is the highest quality and largest production music library. With over 1.3 million tracks and 180 new albums every month, you won’t find a better catalog. We also can often be competitive with our rates. From our 8 full-time Music Directors offering (free) bespoke playlists on demand to our state-of-the-art AI prompt search tool (e.g., “I need music for a video about x”), we really are the best in the biz. It’s no wonder brands like Boeing, Disney, LinkedIn, the NFL, Pepsi, Salesforce, and Wells Fargo use APM. When it comes to music in branded or social content, the safest route is also the smartest: use properly licensed tracks from a reputable source. 

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With APM Music, you don’t just avoid copyright headaches. You gain access to a massive, curated catalog of professional, high-quality music backed by decades of expertise. Whether you’re producing a national campaign or a 15-second reel, APM gives you the confidence to create boldly and legally. 

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Ready to license with APM Music? Click here to get started.