FAQ

What is production music?

Production music or library music is mostly instrumental music, composed specifically for professional audiovisual productions such as corporate videos, commercials, TV productions, internet videos …
SMI Production Music offers you a comprehensive music database, with more than 300 000 songs from various reputable labels. This database is updated continuously with new productions and labels.
The wide range includes all genres, providing your audio (-visual) production the appropriate musical accompaniment.

What are the advantages of production music?

• Personal advice
• Choose from more than 9000 CDs and about 350 000 tracks by various labels with composers from around the world
• Worldwide, the best search engine for production music with extensive search capabilities
• Quick and easy search
• Low and transparent costs
• No worries with respect to copyrights
• Ready-to-use music in various genres and styles, brought together in one site

How can I download tracks?

You can register on our website. After you have been granted access, you can download (subject to our terms & conditions) in either MP3 320 kbps or WAV quality. If you are not logged in you can only listen to the tracks.
Our site is only intended for professional music users!

Can I change my user details?

As soon as you are logged in to SMI Production Music you can change your details by clicking the profile icon. Don’t forget the click the “Update profile” button after adjusting your details to save your changes.

How can I save my tracks?

You can either download the tracks and save them on your computer or a hard drive but you can also make a playlist in SMI Production Music and save the tracks there or share them with others.

How can I search on SMI Production Music?

It is very much like Google. Just enter any search word and hit the ‘Enter’ key. If you obtain too many results you can simply enter another search word to search within the results. That way your results are narrowed down very quickly. You can search on everything like keywords, genres, styles, composers, categories or publishers.

What do I have to pay for using production music?

Downloading from our website is subject to our terms and conditions. When the music is used in an audiovisual production, you are required to report what music has been used. You can report the use of music by emailing us, using Cuesheet Online or contacting your local copyrights society such as SABAM in Belgium. The rates depend on various factors such as the type of production (corporate video, advertising sports, …), the channel where your production is shown (broadcasting, online, internal, market, …) and possibly the production budget. Music used for radio or TV is covered by the agreement between the broadcaster and your local copyright society. Please contact us for a quote tailored to your project.

What is the difference between SONOfind and SMI Production Music?

SONOfind is the online music search system of Sonoton Production Music, the world’s largest independent provider of professional production music. As the Belgian agent of Sonoton, our clients can search  SONOfind for music of our common labels. However, SMI Production Music also represents many other labels in Belgium that are not available in SONOfind. That’s why we have also our own search engine where our customers can discover these other labels. On this page you can see which labels are in which search engine.

Music Submissions Guidelines

If you would like to submit your music for consideration for our music catalogue please pay attention to the following:

  • Do not call or email asking if it is okay to send music, we listen to everything that comes across our desk. Sometimes this takes a while, so please allow four to six weeks before querying if your music has been received and reviewed.
  • Our core focus is high-quality production music. If you care enough about your music that you want other people to pay attention to it, you need to make sure it stands out. We love new and exciting music. For your music to stand a better chance to get noticed, make sure you send us finished tracks NOT demos, unless they are brain-meltingly good.
  • You must own and control 100% of the copyright in both the composition and master recording. Sound-alikes and samples are not permitted.
  • We do not accept any music on a non-­exclusive basis. We act as the exclusive music publisher for the compositions in our library, promoting and representing them to our clients worldwide through a network of sub publishers.
  • Make sure you are not under an exclusive agreement with another publisher.
  • Please do NOT email mp3s as they will be deleted.
  • Please submit a streaming link ONLY for 5-8 songs using our contact form and any other info that you think is pertinent.

And last but not least: here is something to remember: the music library business is a long term journey. Chances are you will not become an overnight millionaire! Music libraries are all about growing a steady stream of long term income. Compare it to rolling a snowball, but a snowball that sometimes rolls quickly, sometimes slowly. Quick or slow, it still grows.

We know it is not a great sales pitch but it is the reality of the business. And it says something about the Stock Music philosophy: we don’t over-sell or make huge promises to you. We just work hard, do our utmost best and with that attitude we hope you will stay and grow with us.