ZERKO MUSIC
MUSIC & LYRICS CLIENT LICENCE AGREEMENT
Effective Date: 1Jan 2026
Website: https://zerko.com
Licensor: Zerko Music (“Zerko Music”, “we”, “us”, “our”)
Licensee: The purchasing client, commissioning client, or authorised user (“Client”, “you”, “your”)

 
1. COPYRIGHT OWNERSHIP
All music, lyrics, melodies, arrangements, compositions, demos, instrumentals, vocal recordings, master recordings, stems, edits, and any related creative materials created, supplied, or made available by Zerko Music remain the sole intellectual property and copyright of Zerko Music unless a separate written agreement explicitly states otherwise.

This includes, without limitation:

Musical compositions
Song lyrics
Hooks, choruses, melodies, and toplines
Instrumental tracks and backing tracks
Demo recordings
Final audio masters (unless specifically assigned in writing)
Alternate versions, edits, and stems
Artwork or branding elements supplied in connection with the music (if applicable)
No copyright is transferred to the Client under this licence.
This agreement grants a licence to use, not ownership.

 
2. LICENCE GRANT
Upon full payment of the agreed fee(s), Zerko Music grants the Client a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the licensed music and/or lyrics solely for the purposes agreed at the time of purchase or commission, subject to these terms.

Unless otherwise stated in writing, the Client may use the licensed material for:

Commercial or promotional use in the Client’s business or brand
Online content, including websites and social media
Video content, adverts, promos, reels, trailers, and presentations
Live performances by the Client
Recorded performances by the Client
Limited release and exploitation as specified in the project agreement
This licence applies only to the specific work licensed and only to the Client named in the transaction or written agreement.

 
3. NON-EXCLUSIVE LICENCE (DEFAULT)
Unless expressly stated otherwise in writing, all licences issued by Zerko Music are non-exclusive.

This means:

Zerko Music remains free to license the same or similar music, lyrics, compositions, or recordings to other clients
Zerko Music may reuse styles, production approaches, arrangements, and non-identical creative concepts in future work
The Client does not receive exclusivity over the work, genre, concept, title, phrase, or production style unless separately purchased and confirmed in writing
If the Client requires exclusive rights, a separate written agreement and additional fee will apply.

 
4. PERMITTED USES
Subject to full payment and compliance with this licence, the Client may:

Use the licensed music or lyrics in connection with the Client’s own business, project, production, or brand
Perform the song live
Record and release the song as the Client’s performance (where such use has been agreed)
Use the music in online videos, social content, websites, promotional campaigns, and digital marketing
Synchronise the music with visual content for the Client’s own authorised projects (unless excluded in writing)
Monetise content containing the licensed work, subject to platform rules and any collecting society requirements
 
5. RESTRICTIONS / PROHIBITED USES
The Client may not, unless specifically authorised in writing by Zerko Music:

Claim authorship, ownership, or copyright in the music, lyrics, composition, or master
Register the work (or any part of it) as their own copyright
Sell, sublicense, transfer, assign, gift, or redistribute the licensed material to any third party
Resell the music, lyrics, track, beat, instrumental, vocal, or stems “as is” or in slightly modified form
Use the work in a stock music library, sample pack, template pack, NFT collection, AI training dataset, or content marketplace
Permit another artist, label, producer, publisher, or business to exploit the work without written permission
Remove or alter embedded metadata, credits, ownership notices, or copyright notices
Use the work for unlawful, defamatory, hateful, fraudulent, or misleading content
Use the work in a way that suggests Zerko Music endorses the Client, unless agreed in writing
Create derivative works beyond normal performance/production use unless specifically permitted
 
6. LYRICS LICENCE – SPECIAL TERMS
Where Zerko Music licenses lyrics only (without music), the Client is granted the right to:

Perform the lyrics
Record a musical setting of the lyrics
Release the resulting song, subject to the terms agreed
However:

The lyrics remain copyrighted by Zerko Music
The Client may not claim sole writing credit unless agreed in writing
If the Client adds original music, arrangement, or co-writing elements, this does not automatically transfer ownership of the lyrics
Any split of writer’s shares, publishing shares, or co-writing credits must be agreed in writing before release
 
7. MUSIC / BEAT / INSTRUMENTAL LICENCE – SPECIAL TERMS
Where Zerko Music licenses music only, including beats, instrumentals, or backing tracks:

The underlying composition remains owned by Zerko Music unless otherwise agreed
The Client may record vocals and release a performance over the licensed music only within the agreed licence scope
The Client may not resell, re-licence, or distribute the instrumental alone, or as a competing production asset
Stems, project files, and multitracks are not included unless expressly stated
 
8. CREDIT REQUIREMENT
Where practical and commercially reasonable, the Client agrees to credit Zerko Music as follows:

Written by Zerko Music
or
Music/Lyrics licensed from Zerko Music
or
Produced by Zerko Music (where applicable)

If platform limitations prevent full credits, the Client should provide reasonable attribution in descriptions, metadata, sleeve notes, or related promotional materials where possible.

 
9. ROYALTIES / COLLECTION SOCIETIES / PUBLISHING
Unless otherwise agreed in writing:

Zerko Music retains all writer’s share and publisher’s share rights in the underlying composition and lyrics
Zerko Music retains all publishing rights unless expressly assigned
Any public performance, broadcast, streaming, download, sync, mechanical, or neighbouring rights royalties due to Zerko Music remain payable through the appropriate collection routes where applicable
The Client is responsible for obtaining any third-party clearances, platform permissions, or reporting obligations required for their release or use
If the work is to be commercially released, distributed through DSPs, registered with a PRO/CMO, or exploited by a label/publisher, the Client must ensure metadata and rights information accurately reflect Zerko Music’s ownership and agreed splits.

Depending on how music is copied, distributed, performed publicly, or used online, additional third-party licensing obligations (for example through PRS/MCPS/PPL routes where relevant) may still apply outside your private agreement.

 
10. EXCLUSIVE LICENCE OPTION (ONLY IF PURCHASED)
If the Client has purchased an exclusive licence, this will only apply if confirmed in a separate written agreement signed or issued by Zerko Music.

An exclusive licence should clearly state:

The exact work covered
Whether exclusivity applies to the composition, lyrics, master, or all rights
Territory
Duration
Permitted media
Whether publishing rights are included or excluded
Whether writer’s share and/or master ownership changes
Any royalty participation or backend obligations
No work is exclusive unless Zerko Music has expressly confirmed this in writing.

 
11. PAYMENT AND LICENCE ACTIVATION
No licence becomes valid until:

The Client has paid all agreed fees in full, and
Zerko Music has delivered the work or confirmed the licence in writing
If payment is missed, reversed, disputed, or refunded:

The licence is automatically suspended or terminated
The Client must immediately stop using the work
Zerko Music reserves the right to issue takedown notices, revoke permissions, and pursue unpaid fees or infringement remedies
 
12. REVOCATION / TERMINATION
Zerko Music may revoke or terminate this licence immediately if the Client:

Breaches any term of this agreement
Uses the work outside the licensed scope
Fails to pay fees due
Misrepresents ownership or authorship
Registers or attempts to exploit the work beyond the agreed rights
Uses the work in unlawful or reputationally harmful ways
Upon termination, the Client must:

Cease all new use immediately
Remove the work from active distribution where reasonably possible
Stop sales, advertising, or further exploitation
Comply with any written takedown or correction notice from Zerko Music
 
13. NO TRANSFER OF MORAL RIGHTS
Nothing in this licence transfers Zerko Music’s moral rights, including the right to be identified as author and the right to object to derogatory treatment of the work, except where expressly waived in a separate written agreement.

UK guidance notes that moral rights may be retained even where copyright is licensed or sold, unless specifically waived.

 
14. WARRANTIES AND LIABILITY
Zerko Music warrants that, to the best of its knowledge, it has the right to license the material supplied.

Except as expressly stated:

The licensed work is provided “as is”
Zerko Music gives no guarantee of commercial success, chart placement, monetisation approval, or platform acceptance
Zerko Music is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential losses, including lost profits, lost opportunities, or takedowns caused by the Client’s misuse, incorrect registration, or third-party disputes
The Client is responsible for ensuring their use of the work complies with:

Platform rules
Distributor rules
Advertising standards
Label or publisher agreements
Any collection society registration requirements
Applicable laws in their territory
 
15. INDEMNITY
The Client agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Zerko Music from any claims, losses, damages, costs, or legal expenses arising from:

Unauthorised use of the licensed work
False ownership claims by the Client
Improper registrations
Unauthorised sublicensing or resale
Misuse of the work in breach of these terms
Third-party claims caused by the Client’s exploitation beyond the licence granted
 
16. CUSTOM COMMISSIONED WORKS
Where the Client commissions a custom song, lyric, jingle, soundtrack, or production:

Ownership remains with Zerko Music unless otherwise agreed in writing
Payment for a commission is payment for creation and licensed use, not automatic transfer of copyright
Any transfer of ownership, assignment, buyout, or exclusive rights must be separately agreed and priced
This is particularly important because, in the UK, a transfer/assignment of copyright should be in writing and signed; a standard licence does not automatically transfer ownership.

 
17. AI / MACHINE LEARNING RESTRICTION
Unless expressly authorised in writing, the Client may not use any Zerko Music material, in whole or in part:

To train AI systems
As prompt material for generative music or lyric systems
To create derivative machine-generated versions
In synthetic voice cloning or style replication systems
In automated content datasets, embeddings, or model training libraries
 
18. TERRITORY AND TERM
Unless otherwise stated in writing:

Territory: Worldwide
Term: Perpetual, subject to compliance with this agreement and continued validity of payment and licence terms
Zerko Music may offer alternative licence terms (for example, limited-term or campaign-only licences) for specific projects.

 
19. GOVERNING LAW
This agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

Any disputes arising under or in connection with this agreement shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales, unless Zerko Music elects otherwise.

 
20. ENTIRE AGREEMENT
These terms form the entire licence agreement between Zerko Music and the Client unless replaced or supplemented by a separate written agreement, invoice terms, proposal, contract, or signed rights schedule.

No waiver or modification is valid unless made in writing by Zerko Music.... Short version

 
21. CONTACT
For licensing enquiries, exclusivity requests, commercial releases, sync permissions, or bespoke rights packages, please contact:

Zerko Music
Apart of Z4Web ltd
support@z4web.com
https://zerko.com

c/o JND. KESTREL BUSINESS CENTRE PRIVATE ROAD 2 COLWICK INDUSTRIAL ESTATE NOTTINGHAM  NG4 2JR ENGLAND UK +44 345 1930 607 - Company No. 05827852  | VAT Reg GB444864468