Can stock music companies sue you?
Short answer
Yes, and they do. Stock and production music is owned by companies that make money by licensing it. Associated Production Music (APM) sued Major League Soccer in 2023 and Johnson & Johnson and the American Hockey League in 2024, all over music in social media videos. Library music is a great choice for brands, but only when you hold a license that covers how you use it.
“It's just stock music” isn't a defence
Marketers tend to sort music into two buckets: famous songs, which are risky, and background music, which feels safe. Production music sits in the second bucket in people's heads. Legally it's in the first. Every track in a production library has an owner, and that owner's whole business is licensing it.
That makes production libraries some of the most organised enforcers out there. They know exactly what they own, they use audio-matching tools to find it, and they don't have a fan base to upset when they sue.
The cases
Major League SoccerAssociated Production Music · Feb 2023
APM alleged MLS and its teams used its tracks in social media videos without a license. The complaint listed about 253 recordings.
Johnson & JohnsonAssociated Production Music · Sept 2024
APM alleged its library music was used in the company's social media videos without a license.
American Hockey LeagueAssociated Production Music · Sept 2024
APM sued the AHL and nine teams, citing more than 230 videos on team Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and other accounts. The league denied infringement and raised fair use among its defences, as Sportico reported.
Lawsuits are claims, not findings. See the lawsuit tracker for record-label cases against brands.
APM's catalogue includes well-known pieces like the Monday Night Football theme and SpongeBob's “Sweet Victory.” Sports teams are a natural target: their social accounts post hype edits constantly, and somebody on the content team reaches for familiar library tracks.
Why library music gets used without a license
Almost nobody sets out to steal production music. It happens in ordinary ways:
- An editor downloads a track from a previous job or a free preview and drops it into a social cut.
- A video from a TV broadcast or an old campaign, licensed for that use only, gets recut for TikTok.
- A freelancer uses their own library subscription for your brand's videos, and it doesn't cover you.
- Someone pulls a familiar theme from YouTube because “everyone uses it.”
- A licence covered one year or one campaign, and the videos stayed up and kept running after it ended.
Library licenses are scoped, just like song licenses
Production libraries license in different ways. Some sell per-track licenses for a specific project. Some offer blanket licenses to broadcasters and agencies. Subscription libraries like Epidemic Sound and Artlist sell plans with different scopes for individuals and businesses. In every case the license says who is covered, which channels, whether paid ads are included, and for how long. Using a track outside that scope is unlicensed use, even if somebody paid for something at some point.
A realistic scenario
A regional gym chain hires a video freelancer for two years of social content. The freelancer uses a production library they subscribe to personally. The chain then cuts the best clips into Instagram ads. When the freelancer stops working with the chain, the subscription question never comes up. A year later a library sends a notice listing 40 posts and asks for a retroactive license fee. The chain's team doesn't know which tracks came from where, and the freelancer has moved on.
Notices like this usually ask for a fee per track, sometimes with a deadline. Many settle for far less than a lawsuit would cost, but only when the brand can show quickly which posts are affected and which were properly licensed. Without records, every post on the list is a guess.
The fix would have been cheap:a company-held library plan, a line in the freelancer contract about music licenses, and a log of tracks per post.
How to stay safe with library music
- Own the license as the company. Subscriptions and per-track licenses should be in the brand's name, on a tier that covers business use and paid ads if you run them.
- Write it into contracts. Freelancers, agencies and creators should either use your library or warrant in writing that their license covers your use.
- Log every track. Post link, track, library, license or plan, date. When a claim comes, this list ends it quickly.
- Watch for recycled footage. Anything cut from TV, events or old campaigns needs its music re-checked for social use.
- Re-check when licenses end. If a license covered a period, take down or re-score posts when it expires.
Where OKtoRun fits
Our checks recognise library tracks as well as hit songs. When we find library music we mark it yellow and ask you to confirm the license covers that use; the fix is often just a receipt. Unlicensed hits are red. Every flag is confirmed by a reviewer, and the first check is from $500 for up to 100 posts, free if there's nothing to fix.
Common questions
Can a stock music company really sue my brand?
Yes. Production libraries own or represent their tracks and license them for a living. APM has sued Major League Soccer, Johnson & Johnson and the American Hockey League over social media videos.
We paid for the track once. Are we covered forever?
Only if the license says so. Many licenses limit the channels, whether ads are included, and how long the use can run.
Our freelancer used their own subscription. Is that OK?
Often not. Many plans cover the subscriber's own work, not a client's brand or ads. Get the license in your company's name or written confirmation that their plan covers you.
Is library music safer than hit songs?
It's much easier to license properly and usually cheaper. It's not safer if you skip the license.
Does TikTok's Commercial Music Library count as library music?
Yes, and for posts made inside TikTok on a business account it's covered by TikTok's terms. Using those tracks outside TikTok needs a separate license.
Part of: Music licensing for brands
Related guides
General information, not legal advice. Platform rules and licenses change; check the current terms or ask your lawyer about your situation. Lawsuit figures are as reported and represent claims, not findings, unless noted.