Licensing & royalties
Indemnification Guarantee
An indemnification guarantee is the contractual promise that the supplier of the music will cover the buyer's losses if a third party claims rights over the track. It is the clause that decides who pays for legal defence, damages and campaign takedown costs when a claim lands after publication.
In practice
Procurement and legal teams read this clause before they read the price. What matters is whether the indemnity is uncapped or limited to the fee paid, whether it covers legal fees and only proven claims or also alleged ones, and whether the supplier is a substantial entity or a marketplace disclaiming all responsibility for user uploads. Most stock libraries cap liability at the licence fee, meaning a €49 licence protects you up to €49 while a broadcast claim can cost far more.
How SoniBuyout® handles it
Sonify produces its own catalogue and sells it under a rights-assignment agreement containing warranties of ownership and an indemnity from the company itself, not from an anonymous uploader. Because the track is withdrawn on sale and never registered with a society, the surface for a claim is minimal to begin with.
Real questions
Do stock music licences include indemnification?
Usually a limited one, capped at the amount paid and excluding claims arising from user-uploaded content. Read the liability cap, not just the word "indemnity".
Why do broadcasters ask about indemnities?
Because their errors-and-omissions insurance requires evidence that music rights are secured and that someone credible stands behind that guarantee.
Related terms
Own the track instead of renting it
Sonify Music sells exclusive buyouts of catalogue tracks: one payment, full ownership, the track removed from sale and a named certificate of ownership.