When a brand uses your music in an organic post, influencer campaign, or paid ad without a license, the fastest path to resolution is often not a courtroom, it is a well-written email. Done right, outreach can protect your catalog, preserve relationships, and convert unauthorized use into repeatable licensing revenue.

This guide covers practical, field-tested best practices for outreach emails to brands using your music, with templates you can adapt for your label, publisher, or legal and business affairs team.

Start with the right mindset: resolve first, escalate second

Most unauthorized social usage happens because:

• A social team grabbed a trending sound without understanding rights.

• An agency assumed platform audio availability equals permission.

• An influencer delivered content that the brand later boosted.

Your email should make it easy for the recipient to do the right thing quickly. You can still enforce your IP firmly, but clarity and a clear path to compliance usually outperform aggressive language in early touches.

If you need a refresher on the legal backdrop, the U.S. Copyright Office provides an authoritative overview of copyright basics.

Before you email: a pre-outreach checklist that prevents dead ends

Outreach succeeds when you remove friction. Before sending anything, confirm you can answer the questions a competent brand counsel or agency producer will immediately ask.

1) Confirm what rights you control

Unauthorized “music use” can involve multiple rights:

• Sound recording (master) rights (often controlled by record labels or artists).

• Musical composition rights (often controlled by publishers and songwriters).

If you only control one side, your outreach should reflect that and, when appropriate, direct them to the other rights holder(s). Over-claiming is one of the quickest ways to lose credibility.

2) Capture proof of use immediately

Social posts can be edited, made private, or deleted. Preserve:

• URL(s) and platform handle(s)

• Date/time observed

• Screenshots and, if appropriate, screen recording

• Indicators of commerciality (brand handle, product callouts, “shop now,” paid partnership tags)

• Whether the content appears in paid placements

If you are running a program at scale, automatic evidence preservation becomes a meaningful advantage. For example, Third Chair notes it preserves proof of use automatically at the moment detection occurs, reducing the risk of losing key evidence later.

3) Document campaign context (what, where, how big)

You do not need perfect data, but you should capture what you can:

• Platform(s): TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X, Facebook

• Format: organic, paid ad, influencer, UGC repost

• Scope: single post vs multi-asset campaign

• Obvious territory hints (language, region pages)

If you have engagement data, include it. It frames business impact and urgency.

4) Decide your desired outcome before you write

Your email will be sharper if you choose one primary outcome:

• Retroactive license (turn the use into a paid license)

• New license for continued use (especially if the post is still live)

• Takedown (if the brand refuses to license or the use is unacceptable)

• Deal expansion (a broader relationship beyond one post)

Trying to negotiate everything in the first message often lowers reply rates.

Find the right recipient (and why “info@” kills deals)

Many outreach attempts fail because they land in the wrong inbox. For brand usage, likely decision makers include:

• Brand marketing lead (paid social, brand partnerships)

• In-house counsel

• Agency producer or account lead

• Influencer marketing manager

A best practice is to email the business owner first (marketing or partnerships) and include a polite legal-forward line that signals you can route to counsel if needed.

If you are doing this at scale, contact discovery matters. Third Chair states it can find verified email addresses, phone numbers, and physical addresses for the right person at the right company, which can reduce bounce backs and speed up resolution.

Anatomy of a high-performing outreach email

A strong outreach email is short, specific, and easy to forward internally.

Subject lines that get opened (without sounding spammy)

Aim for neutral, factual subjects. Examples:

• “Licensing question re: [Brand] video using [Song Title]”

• “Permission request: [Campaign Name] using [Song Title]”

• “Rights inquiry: [Platform] post featuring [Song Title]”

• “Action requested: commercial use of [Song Title] in paid social”

Avoid:

• All caps

• “INFRINGEMENT” in the subject on first touch (save it for escalation)

• Threats (“FINAL NOTICE”) unless you are actually ready to escalate

The opening (1 to 2 sentences)

Identify yourself, your role, and the rights holder you represent.

Good:

• “I manage licensing for [Label/Publisher], which controls rights in [Song Title] by [Artist].”

The proof (make it undeniable, but not overwhelming)

Include:

• Link to the post/ad (or multiple links if it is a cluster)

• A single sentence describing how the song appears (background, hook, chorus, etc.)

• One signal of commerciality (brand handle, product, CTA, ad library indicator)

The ask (one primary action)

Keep it binary:

• “Are you the right contact to route a license for this usage?”

• “Can you confirm whether this asset is being boosted as paid media?”

• “We would like to license this use retroactively and provide clearance for continued distribution.”

The path to resolution (remove friction)

Offer a simple next step:

• “If you can share campaign dates, platforms, and territories, we can turn around a license quickly.”

Tone: firm, professional, not accusatory

A useful rule: write as if your email will be forwarded to the brand’s general counsel and the head of marketing.

Email templates you can adapt (friendly to firm)

These templates are starting points. Edit them to reflect your rights position and internal policies. This is not legal advice.

Template 1: First-touch licensing inquiry (best for most cases)

Subject: Licensing question re: [Brand] using “[Song Title]”

Hi [Name],

I’m [Your Name], [Title] at [Company]. We represent rights in “[Song Title]” by [Artist].

We noticed “[Song Title]” is used in this [Platform] content from [Brand/Agency]: [Link]

Can you confirm whether you are the right contact to handle music licensing for this usage? If the asset is part of a paid or sponsored campaign, we would like to license the use retroactively and clear continued distribution.

If helpful, we can turn this around quickly once we have campaign dates, platforms, and territories (and whether the use is organic, paid, or influencer-delivered).

Thanks, [Signature]

Template 2: Follow-up (assume good intent)

Subject: Follow-up: “[Song Title]” used in [Brand] content

Hi [Name],

Following up on my note below regarding [Brand]’s use of “[Song Title]” here: [Link]

If you are not the correct contact, could you please point me to the person who handles music licensing or brand legal?

Thanks, [Signature]

Template 3: Agency-forward version (when you suspect a media agency)

Subject: Rights inquiry: [Campaign/Brand] asset using “[Song Title]”

Hi [Name],

I’m [Your Name] with [Company], representing rights in “[Song Title]” by [Artist].

We identified this [Platform] asset using the track: [Link]

If your team is handling paid social or influencer delivery for [Brand], can you confirm who is managing music clearance for this campaign? We can provide a license pathway quickly once we confirm usage type (organic vs paid), campaign dates, platforms, and territories.

Best, [Signature]

Template 4: Firmer notice (when there is clear commercial use and no response)

Subject: Action required: unlicensed commercial use of “[Song Title]”

Hi [Name],

I’m writing again regarding [Brand]’s commercial use of “[Song Title]” by [Artist] in the following content: [Link]

We have not received a response, and we need to resolve the rights for this usage. Please reply by [Day, Date] to either (1) confirm the appropriate contact to issue a license, or (2) confirm the content will be removed and no longer distributed.

If it is easier to route this to legal, please share counsel contact details and we will coordinate directly.

Regards, [Signature]

A simple outreach sequence that improves reply rates

You want persistence without spam. Here is a pragmatic cadence many music rights management teams use.

Tip: If you have a phone number, a short call after Email 2 can outperform additional emails, especially with agencies.

What to include (and what not to include)

Include these details to speed up licensing

Brands and agencies can approve faster when you give them a clean checklist:

• Song title and artist

• Your rights position (master, publishing, or both)

• Link(s) to the asset(s)

• Your requested outcome (license for continued use, retroactive license, or removal)

• What you need to quote or paper the license (dates, platforms, territory, media type)

Avoid these common mistakes

• Quoting a fee too early without knowing scope. Ask for campaign parameters first.

• Threatening litigation on first touch. It can trigger defensive lawyering, slow down settlement, and harm relationship value.

• Attaching large files that trip filters. Use links and concise documentation.

• Vague claims (“you used our music”). Be specific and factual.

How to frame the business case (without sounding like a shakedown)

A brand is more likely to pay when you frame licensing as:

• Risk reduction (clearance for continued distribution)

• Time savings (fast path to compliance)

• Opportunity (permission to keep the high-performing creative live)

If you have engagement indicators, mention them briefly. Some rights holders also reference that the use appears to be part of advertising activity, which makes licensing expectations more obvious.

When outreach should switch from licensing to enforcement

Not every use is a licensing opportunity. Consider shifting to stricter enforcement when:

• The brand refuses to respond after clear, polite notice.

• The use is misleading, defamatory, or outside brand-suitable contexts.

• You have strong reason to believe the campaign is significant paid media.

If you need to escalate through platform processes, the DMCA framework is a useful reference point in the U.S., although real-world strategy depends on your rights position and the platform context.

Operational best practice: treat outreach like a pipeline

Teams that win consistently treat outreach as a repeatable workflow, not ad hoc emailing.

Track:

• Asset link, brand, agency, and suspected spend tier

• Contacted person, dates, and status

• Outcome (licensed, removed, ignored, escalated)

• Time to first response and time to resolution

At scale, monitoring and attribution quality directly affect outreach confidence. Third Chair positions itself as a monitoring layer across major platforms, with industry-leading audio fingerprinting accuracy (99.9%), unified engagement reporting, and workflows oriented around licensing and digital rights enforcement.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should an outreach email be when a brand uses your music? Aim for 120 to 200 words. Include who you are, what you found (with a link), and one clear next step (license routing or usage confirmation).

Should I accuse the brand of infringement in the first email? Usually no. Start with a factual rights inquiry and a licensing pathway. Save stronger language for later steps if they do not respond.

What information do I need to issue a social media music license? Typically: platforms, usage type (organic vs paid), campaign dates, territory, and whether it is brand-owned or influencer-delivered content.

What if the brand says the influencer posted it, not them? Ask whether the brand reposted, whitelisted, boosted, or otherwise used the content for paid distribution. Brand amplification can change the licensing posture.

How do I avoid losing evidence if a post gets deleted? Preserve proof as soon as you detect the use (URLs, screenshots, timestamps). Tools that automatically preserve evidence at detection can reduce gaps.

Turn outreach into a repeatable licensing engine

If you are relying on manual searches and scattered screenshots, outreach will stay inconsistent and hard to scale. Third Chair is built to help rights holders monitor usage across major social platforms, preserve evidence, find the right contacts, and convert unauthorized ads and UGC into a structured licensing workflow.

Learn more at Third Chair.