Sonoton

Sonoton is a production music library founded in 1965 in Munich, Germany, by Rotheide and Gerhard Narholz. With 61 years of operation, it is one of the longest-running production music libraries in Europe. The catalog spans hundreds of thousands of tracks across orchestral recordings, world music, classical, easy listening, electronic, and commercial scoring. Sonoton owns both the synchronization and performing rights to its compositions and recordings, which makes it a one-stop licensing source for music supervisors and producers.

How Sonoton Works

Sonoton operates as a traditional production music library with a modern online search and licensing platform. The company owns its catalog outright rather than acting as an aggregator, meaning it controls both the master recordings and the underlying compositions.

The licensing process works as follows:

1. Search: Clients use the SONOfind search platform at sonoton.com to browse the catalog by genre, mood, instrumentation, or keyword. The platform is available as a web application and historically as a mobile app for iOS and Android.
2. License: Clients request a license through the online licensing portal at licence.sonoton.com. The portal provides price estimates and allows clients to manage license applications.
3. Payment and clearance: Many licenses can be cleared immediately through online payment. For more complex usage, Sonoton's team provides dedicated support to structure the license.

In countries with mechanical copyright societies (such as GEMA in Germany or MCPS in the UK), synchronization rights are licensed through those societies. In the United States, sync licenses are obtained through Associated Production Music (APM), Sonoton's US representative since 1993.

Sub-Labels and Catalog Structure

Sonoton's catalog is organized across several specialized labels:

• Sonoton Main Catalog: The core library covering orchestral, electronic, jazz, rock, and pop genres
• SAS (Sonoton Authentic Series): World music label established in 1981, covering regional and traditional music from around the globe
• CNS (Commercials Non Stop): Commercial and promo-specific tracks, established in 1987
• SONIA Classics: Classical works collection available for synchronization, established in 1991
• SONOspheres: Sound effects and atmospheric sounds series, created in 1997

Real-World Example

A German television production company needs authentic world music for a documentary series about Southeast Asian culture. They search the SAS (Sonoton Authentic Series) catalog through SONOfind, find three tracks recorded with regional musicians, and license them through GEMA. The fee is structured per the society's standard production music rates.

A US-based advertising agency needs orchestral scoring for a national car commercial. They access Sonoton's catalog through APM, select a track from the main catalog, and license it for broadcast and digital use in the US market. The fee is negotiated through APM based on usage scope, territory, and duration.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

Sonoton offers composers a traditional production music library model. The company signs composers to contracts where Sonoton owns the synchronization and performing rights to the works. Composers receive shares of licenses through their membership in mechanical and performing rights societies, or directly through Sonoton, depending on local legal conditions.

Key considerations for composers:

• Rights assignment: Sonoton owns the sync and performing rights to your contributions. This is standard for production music libraries but means you cannot independently license these tracks for sync.
• PRO registration: Composers must be members of a performing rights organization (such as GEMA, ASCAP, BMI, or PRS) to collect their writer's share of performance royalties. Sonoton collects the publisher's share.
• Quality standards: Sonoton maintains professional production standards. All submissions must be broadcast-ready with proper metadata, clean mixes, and consistent loudness levels.
• Genre fit: Sonoton's catalog is strongest in orchestral, world music, and classical genres. Composers working in these styles will find more opportunities than those producing mainstream pop or hip-hop.
• Long-term commitment: Production music library contracts are typically long-term. Read the agreement carefully before signing. Review our guide on music licensing agreements to understand what rights you are granting.

Potential Drawbacks / Things to Consider

• No direct artist submissions: Sonoton does not have an open submission portal like some newer sync libraries. Composers must contact the company directly and go through a review process. There is no guarantee of acceptance.
• Rights ownership: Sonoton owns the sync and performing rights to all catalog works. If you want to retain ownership of your masters and compositions, this model is not for you. Consider non-exclusive libraries or sync agencies instead. Read our comparison of sync licensing companies vs music libraries to understand the difference.
• US access through APM only: American clients and composers interact with Sonoton through Associated Production Music, which adds a layer of separation. If you want a direct relationship with the library, this structure limits that.
• Traditional fee structure: Licensing fees are negotiated per use rather than through a simple subscription model. This can mean higher costs for high-volume content producers compared to subscription-based libraries like Epidemic Sound or Soundstripe.
• Limited modern genre coverage: While Sonoton excels in orchestral, world, and classical music, its catalog is less competitive in contemporary genres like trap, lo-fi, or modern electronic pop. Music supervisors seeking these styles may find better options elsewhere.

Fee Structure and Compensation

Sonoton licenses music on a track-by-track or project-by-project basis. Fees vary based on:

• Usage type: Broadcast television, film, advertising, corporate, streaming, or non-profit
• Territory: Local, regional, national, or worldwide
• Term: 1 year, 3 years, 5 years, or in perpetuity
• Exclusivity: Non-exclusive or exclusive for a specific use

Composers receive their share of licensing revenue through their mechanical and performing rights societies. The exact split depends on the composer's contract with Sonoton and the local society's distribution rules.

Use our sync licensing fee calculator to estimate licensing costs for different placement scenarios.

Company Type and Licensing Model

Sonoton is a production music library that owns both the synchronization and performing rights to its compositions and recordings. This makes it a one-stop licensing source for music supervisors and producers. The company owns its catalog outright rather than acting as an aggregator, meaning it controls both the master recordings and the underlying compositions.

The licensing model is track-by-track or project-based. In countries with mechanical copyright societies (such as GEMA in Germany or MCPS in the UK), synchronization rights are licensed through those societies. In the United States, sync licenses are obtained through Associated Production Music (APM), Sonoton's US representative since 1993. Online licensing and payment are available through the Sonoton licensing portal at licence.sonoton.com.

Catalog Size and Genre Coverage

In August 2026, Sonoton reached 1 million tracks available at sonoton.com, with 17,000+ albums available for licensing. The company owns exclusive rights to more than 130,000 works across all genres. Over 12,000 composers, musicians, and producers have contributed to the catalog. The library grows by more than 100 new albums every year from its own composers, plus an additional 150+ albums per year from international catalogs.

Sonoton's catalog covers orchestral, world music, classical, easy listening, electronic, jazz, rock, pop, and ambient genres. The catalog includes recordings by legends such as Horst Jankowski, Billy May, Franck Pourcel, and Nelson Riddle, as well as contemporary composers including six-time Grammy nominee Julia Michaels, British composer Daniel O'Sullivan, jazz pianist Greg Foat, and German DJs Dexter and DJ Friction. Sonoton's music has appeared in the Netflix series Unorthodox, feature films such as Tenet and Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, and countless other productions. Artists including Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Chance The Rapper, and PinkPantheress have sampled Sonoton's catalog.

In February 2026, Sonoton launched "Sample People," a VIP sample curation service aimed at A-list beatmakers and producers. The service started with stems from approximately 7,000 tracks released in the last five years, with plans to expand to the full 60-year archive.

Client Base

Sonoton's clients include:

• European broadcasters across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and beyond
• US television networks (accessed through APM)
• Film studios (with placements in films like Tenet and Once Upon A Time in Hollywood)
• Advertising agencies
• Corporate media producers
• Streaming platforms (with placements in Netflix series like Unorthodox)
• A-list beatmakers and producers (through the Sample People service)

More than 35 agents worldwide license Sonoton's music for TV, film, advertising, internet productions, and sampling.

How They Pay Artists

Sonoton operates on a traditional production music library model where the company owns the sync and performing rights to all catalog works. Composers receive compensation through:

• Upfront fees: Some composers receive upfront payments for producing albums for the library, though this varies by contract.
• Licensing revenue shares: Composers receive shares of licensing fees through their membership in mechanical and performing rights societies (such as GEMA, ASCAP, BMI, or PRS). The exact split depends on the composer's contract with Sonoton and the local society's distribution rules.
• Performance royalties: Composers must be members of a performing rights organization to collect their writer's share of performance royalties. Sonoton collects the publisher's share.
• Rights assignment: Composers assign the sync and performing rights to Sonoton. This is standard for production music libraries but means composers cannot independently license these tracks for sync.

Sonoton has also committed to 100% human-made music, publishing a formal AI policy that states human creativity stays at the center of everything they do.

Comparison Table

Videos

Similar Sync Licensing Companies

• KPM Music - Historic British production music library now owned by Sony Music Publishing
• BMG Production Music - Production music division of BMG Rights Management
• APM Music - Sonoton's US representative and production music distributor
• Extreme Music - Sony-owned production music library with broad catalog

Related Resources

• How to Get Your First Sync License - Step-by-step guide for beginners
• Sync Licensing Companies vs Music Libraries - Understanding different licensing models
• Music Licensing Agreements: Types, Terms, and Red Flags - What to watch for before signing
• Library Music and Production Music for Passive Income - How production music libraries generate revenue
• Sync Licensing Fee Calculator - Estimate licensing costs for different usage types
• Sonoton Official Website - Browse the catalog and licensing portal