Trailer Music Licensing: Portfolio and Archive Use After a Campaign

The campaign is over. The trailer is still on YouTube, and your team wants to add it to a portfolio. Does the music licence still cover that use?

If you have received a cease-and-desist letter about trailer music, or are checking older work, start with the signed agreements. Permission for a campaign does not automatically include portfolio or public archive use after the campaign period ends.

Here is what to check before you leave the film online, upload it to your website or use it in a showreel.

Can a trailer stay online after the music licence expires?

Sometimes. Some agreements allow an existing upload to remain online after active promotion ends. Others require it to come down when the agreed term expires. The wording of your licence decides what is covered.

These uses need to be considered separately:

• Active campaign use: promoting the trailer within the agreed media, territories and dates.
• Public archive use: keeping an existing film available after the campaign, subject to the conditions in the agreement.
• Portfolio use: showing the work on an agency website, production company page, director's reel or another professional platform.

Keeping a file in an internal archive is a separate question from leaving it publicly available.

An archive clause might allow the original YouTube upload to stay online while excluding paid promotion, new uploads or further edits. Check those conditions before reposting an old trailer for a game update or anniversary.

The same applies to duration. A campaign term and an archive term can have different end dates. Record both.

Can you use licensed trailer music in your portfolio?

Check whether the music permissions cover the company, platform and type of use you have in mind.

A client may have cleared a track for its own campaign channels. That does not automatically cover an agency's website, an editor's Vimeo account or a third-party case-study archive. Client approval to show the film also needs to sit alongside the relevant music permissions.

When reviewing portfolio rights, ask:

• Who is allowed to show the work?
• Which websites, channels or industry platforms are covered?
• Does permission cover the complete trailer, excerpts and new showreel edits?
• How long can it remain available, and are awards submissions included?

For a copyrighted song and recording, check both the publishing and master permissions, including any separate rights-holder approvals. One agreement may allow archive use while another has a narrower term. Our music licensing guide explains the wider clearance process.

Paying for the original production does not, by itself, settle these questions. Music licences define the permission granted, including the term, media and territory. The ISM's example synchronisation agreements illustrate why those details matter.

Received a cease-and-desist letter about trailer music?

Take it seriously and check the facts before agreeing to a payment or signing an undertaking. The UK Intellectual Property Office advises businesses to understand the allegation, assess its validity and avoid ignoring it.

Start with four practical steps:

1. Keep the notice and relevant records. Save the letter, response deadline, URLs, upload dates, licences and approval emails.
2. Identify the disputed use. Check which track, recording, film version, platform and dates the sender refers to. Verify who they represent.
3. Compare the use with the agreements. Review the campaign period, archive terms, portfolio permissions and any later extensions.
4. Bring in the right people. Contact the client and whoever arranged the clearance. Have a qualified lawyer review a formal legal demand, particularly before admitting liability, accepting a settlement or signing anything.

Pause further promotion of the disputed asset while the position is checked. If current permission is unclear, promptly agree with your legal adviser whether the upload needs to be removed or access restricted.

Do not assume that taking the film offline settles a demand about earlier use. Equally, receiving a letter does not establish that every allegation or requested fee is correct. The response needs to address the actual agreements and circumstances.

Can you renew an expired trailer music licence?

You can ask the relevant rights holders for an extension or permission for a narrower use, such as keeping one existing upload online or showing the complete trailer in a portfolio.

Approval, timing and cost depend on the track and the requested scope. A renewal needs written agreement. It should also be clear whether it covers future use only or addresses a period that has already passed.

An extension on the recording side does not resolve an outstanding publishing permission. Check that the necessary approvals cover the same intended use.

If an extension is unavailable, discuss alternatives with the client. These could include removing the film or preparing a version with different, properly cleared music. Any new edit also needs the relevant production and client approvals.

Common questions about portfolio and archive music rights

Does making a trailer unlisted solve the licensing issue?

An unlisted link does not create permission to use the music. On YouTube, anyone with the link can still watch and share the video. Private uploads can also be reviewed for copyright. YouTube explains its visibility settings here.

Is portfolio use allowed if we credit the artist or earn no ad revenue?

Artist credit and a lack of ad revenue do not, by themselves, grant music rights. Check the permission for that use. An agency portfolio can still promote the agency's services.

Is a Content ID claim the same as a cease-and-desist letter?

No. YouTube distinguishes Content ID claims from copyright removal requests and strikes. A claim may affect a video's availability or monetisation. A legal letter needs its own assessment. YouTube's guidance explains the difference.

A video staying online, or having no platform claim, is not confirmation that your music licence covers its current use.

Plan portfolio and archive rights before launch

The best time to discuss these uses is during the original clearance. Tell the licensing team where the trailer should live after the campaign, who wants to show it and whether future edits or awards entries are planned.

Keep the agreed permissions with the final assets. Record the expiry dates and give someone responsibility for reviewing the uploads before those dates arrive.

At Clear Music, we help clients check existing music permissions and speak to rights holders about extensions, portfolio use and public archive terms.

If you are reviewing an older trailer or need help understanding the clearance behind a disputed upload, talk to us about music clearance. Send the relevant agreements and links so we can assess the licensing position alongside your legal adviser where needed.