Shadow Lantern Studios
Pricing & Licensing
Music licensing, made clear.
One-stop licensing for original music shaped by human imagination and AI — whether you need an existing catalogue track, music created for a production, or a personal song built around your story.
Human Imagination + AI
Human-Curated
One-Stop Licensing
Built for Picture
Three Ways to Work With Us
Start with what you need.
Sometimes the right cue does not already exist. Shadow Lantern can develop original music using AI around picture, timing, emotion, narrative purpose and creative direction. Starting prices include creation and one defined non-exclusive usage licence appropriate to the listed project. Broader usage, additional projects and exclusivity are quoted separately.
01
License Existing Music
Starting at US$49
Search the Shadow Lantern catalogue, audition a track and license it for your project through a clear one-stop process.
02
Custom Music for Media
Starting at US$750
Original AI-generated music developed around picture, timing, emotion, narrative purpose and creative direction.
03
Custom Personal Songs
Introductory pricing from US$187
Original songs created around weddings, anniversaries, proposals, birthdays, memorials, family stories and milestones.
Catalogue Licensing
Simple pricing for common uses.
Standard licences are non-exclusive and project-specific. Catalogue music may be edited, shortened and looped within the licensed project. Larger commercial, broadcast, enterprise and exclusive uses are quoted individually.
Personal / Creator Digital
$49
USD
For your own non-commercial digital content.
- Personal YouTube
- Personal podcast
- Personal social media
- Portfolio content
- One project
- Worldwide
- Perpetual
Does not cover client work, commercial brands or paid advertising.
Popular
Commercial Digital
$99
USD
For commercial digital projects without paid advertising.
- Client videos
- Company websites
- Commercial podcasts
- Branded organic social
- One project
- Worldwide
- Perpetual
Paying to promote or boost the content? Use Paid Advertising instead.
Corporate & Institutional
$199
USD
For organizational and business communications.
- Corporate video
- Employee training
- Presentations
- Conferences
- Trade shows
- One project
- Worldwide
- Perpetual
Paid advertising and major broadcast use require a different licence.
Independent Film & Documentary
$299
USD
For qualifying productions with budgets up to US$500,000.
- Short films
- Independent features
- Documentaries
- Festival productions
- One production
- Worldwide
- Perpetual
Productions above US$500,000 require a custom quote.
Small Paid Advertising
$399
USD
For smaller paid digital and regional campaigns.
- Paid social media
- Boosted content
- Regional digital ads
- Small branded campaigns
- One campaign
- Paid media spend up to US$25,000
- Single-country or regional targeting
- 12-month term
- Non-exclusive
Campaigns exceeding the media-spend, territory or term limits require a custom quote.
Independent Game / App
$399
USD
For qualifying independent games and applications.
- One game or app
- Budget up to US$500,000
- Worldwide
- Perpetual
- Platform ports included
- Reasonable updates included
- Non-exclusive
Major-publisher, AAA, multi-title and separately released soundtrack use require a custom quote.
Included With Catalogue Licensing
More than a single audio file.
One-Stop Licensing
One licensing contact for the rights represented through Shadow Lantern.
Multiple Edit Lengths
Full-length, :60, :30 and :15 versions where available.
Professional Delivery
WAV and MP3 delivery where applicable to the licensed track.
Clear Licence Scope
Project, media, territory, term and usage are documented in the licence.
Standard catalogue licence conditions:
Unless a licence states otherwise, catalogue licences cover one identified project,
are non-exclusive and do not transfer ownership. You may edit, shorten and loop the
music within that project. Resale or redistribution of the music as a standalone file,
Content ID registration, use in music libraries or templates, sublicensing, and AI
training or dataset use are not permitted.
Custom Licensing
Need broader rights?
Some uses vary too much in commercial value and scope for responsible one-price-fits-all licensing. Shadow Lantern quotes those uses individually.
Broadcast / OTT — from US$750
Major Advertising — from US$1,500
Major Film / Television — from US$1,500
Trailers & Major Promos — from US$1,500
Major Games — custom quote
Enterprise / Blanket — custom quote
Multi-Project Licensing — custom quote
Exclusivity / Buyouts — custom quote
Custom Music for Media
Original music built around the project.
Sometimes the right cue does not already exist. Shadow Lantern can develop original 100% AI-generated music around picture, timing, emotion, narrative purpose and creative direction. Starting prices include creation and one defined non-exclusive usage licence appropriate to the listed project. Broader usage, additional projects and exclusivity are quoted separately.
Designed around the brief.
Custom work begins with a structured creative brief. We use that direction to develop, curate and refine music around the needs of the production.
Start a Music Brief
Digital / Corporate Custom Cue
From $750
Independent Film / Documentary Cue
From $1,000
Brand / Advertising Track
From $1,500
Broadcast / Television Commission
From $1,500
Trailer / Major Campaign
Quote
Exclusive Commercial Commission
Quote
What the starting price includes:
A structured creative brief, development of one agreed musical direction,
the deliverables and revision allowance confirmed in the project proposal,
and one defined non-exclusive licence. Final pricing depends on cue length,
complexity, revisions, deliverables, deadlines and usage scope.
Custom Personal Songs
Your story. Your song.
Choose the level of creative involvement that feels right for you — from a streamlined custom song experience to a fully collaborative Signature production. Every package begins with the same Personal Song Questionnaire and your story.
Weddings
Proposals
Anniversaries
Birthdays
Memorials
Family Stories
Retirement
Milestones
Streamlined Creation
Personal
You share your story. We create your song.
- One original custom song
- Created from your completed questionnaire
- MP3 audio file
- Standard lyric sheet
- One revision round
- Digital delivery
Most Popular
$399$299 USD introductory
Guided Creation
Premium
You share your story. We help develop it.
- One original custom song
- Detailed questionnaire review
- Email-guided clarification and creative development
- Enhanced story and lyrical development
- MP3 audio file
- Polished lyric sheet
- Two revision rounds
- Enhanced digital delivery
Collaborative Creation
Signature
We create your song with you.
- One original custom song
- Personal pre-production consultation
- Collaborative creative development
- Up to three collaborative revision rounds
- Final mastered MP3 audio file
- Final mastered WAV audio file
- Instrumental audio file
- Custom track cover artwork
- Premium designed lyric page
- Signature presentation package
- Optional use of your photographs in the cover artwork
Personal songs remain personal.
Songs created around private stories, weddings, memorials and
family events are not placed into the public Shadow Lantern
catalogue. Customers receive perpetual personal-use rights.
Public showcase use requires customer permission.
One-Stop Licensing
One track. One licensing contact.
Shadow Lantern is built to make music clearance simpler.
What does One-Stop mean?
Shadow Lantern Studios is authorized to provide the
synchronization and recording-use permissions represented
in your licence without requiring you to return to the
submitting creator for separate approval of those same rights.
Common Questions
Clear answers before you begin.
Does every Shadow Lantern track involve AI?
Yes. Every catalogue track involves AI in its creation. Human songwriting, performance and production may also be part of the process. Each track is selected for musical quality, rights clarity and usefulness to picture.
Do I own the music after I license it?
No. A catalogue licence gives you the right to use the music within the scope of your purchased licence. Ownership of the underlying music is not transferred.
Can I use the same track in another project?
Standard catalogue licences are project-specific. A separate project generally requires a separate licence.
What if I am paying to promote or boost my content?
Paid distribution requires an Advertising licence rather than the standard Commercial Digital licence.
Can I obtain exclusive rights?
Where available, yes. Exclusive rights are individually negotiated and quoted because the scope and commercial impact vary significantly.
Are shorter edits included?
Where available, the full-length, :60, :30 and :15 versions are included with the licence for the selected track.
What if I cannot find the right track?
Shadow Lantern can develop a custom cue using AI around your scene, timing and creative direction.
Can I use Shadow Lantern music to train an AI model?
No. Standard Shadow Lantern licences do not include rights to use catalogue music for AI training, model fine-tuning, dataset creation or development of competing generative music systems.
May I edit, shorten or loop a catalogue track?
Yes. You may edit, shorten and loop the music as reasonably required within the licensed project. The music may not be resold, redistributed, sublicensed, registered in Content ID or offered as a standalone music file.
What is included in a Custom Music starting price?
The starting price includes a structured brief, creation of one agreed musical direction, the deliverables and revision allowance stated in the project proposal, and one defined non-exclusive usage licence. Additional versions, projects, revisions, rush delivery, broader usage and exclusivity may change the price.
Do I need to write the lyrics for a Personal Song?
No. Tell us the story in your own words through the Personal Song Questionnaire. Shadow Lantern develops the lyrical direction from the people, memories, emotions and details you provide. If you already have words or lyrics you want us to consider, you can include them in the questionnaire.
What is the difference between Personal, Premium and Signature?
Personal is a streamlined creation process based primarily on your completed questionnaire. Premium adds email-guided clarification and creative development. Signature adds personal consultation and a collaborative process, together with the premium presentation package.
What counts as a revision round?
A revision round is one consolidated set of requested changes after you receive the current version of your song. Revisions are intended to refine the agreed story and creative direction. A completely new story, genre or concept may require a new project.
Are Personal Songs added to the public Shadow Lantern catalogue?
No. Personal Songs created around private stories and events are not placed into the public catalogue. Shadow Lantern will not use a Personal Song as a public showcase example without customer permission.
Start Here
Find the music. Clear the rights.
Search the catalogue, commission original music for media, create a Personal Song, or contact Shadow Lantern about a licensing requirement that falls outside the standard options.