Micro-Licensing FAQs

What is Micro-Licensing?

Micro-Licensing (also called A la Carte Licensing) allows end users to purchase licenses for tracks directly within your Synchtank system, without requiring any human interaction. It's designed for smaller-scale licensing use cases such as YouTube videos, adverts, and other content — with customisable terms, prices, and license agreements.

For Admins

What licensing options are available?

Synchtank supports several licensing models:

Form Licensing — included in the core module. Users request a license via a form submission, and you are contacted to discuss terms and pricing.
A la Carte Licensing — users purchase licenses directly in the system with no manual intervention required. Additional paid feature — contact your Account Manager for more information.
Subscription Licensing — users pay a recurring fee to access and license tracks. Contact your Account Manager for details.
Whitelisting — helps identify licensed content on DSPs and social networks. Contact your Account Manager for details.

How do I set up an A la Carte License?

Go to Admin → Licensing and click the green Create button. You can configure:

Name — displayed to users on the front-end
Description — shown alongside the license name
License Text — the agreement the user must accept before purchasing. Use placeholders (e.g. {replace_with_date}) to personalise the text dynamically.
License Matrixes — define the pricing and licensing options available (e.g. Term, Territory, Currency)

What are License Matrixes?

Each matrix represents a different purchasing option for the user — such as term length, territory, or currency — each with its own price. You can also set up matrixes based on usage type, company size, and media type to guide users to the correct license. If no license fits their needs, users can submit a request via the License custom request form, which routes to the standard Form Licensing flow.

How do I assign licenses to tracks?

Not all licenses need to apply to all tracks. To assign a license to an individual track:

Go to Catalog → Masters and select the relevant track
Click Edit in the top right corner
Scroll down to Licenses and select the license to assign
Save

You can also assign licenses in bulk using the spreadsheet import process via Import Tools.

What payment methods are supported?

A la Carte Licensing requires integration with a payment processing system. The most common options are Braintree or Stripe. Contact your Account Manager to discuss your requirements.

Can I run a report on licenses purchased?

Yes. Go to the Reports section in the Synchtank Admin and run a Sales Report to see all licenses purchased.

For Users

How do I license a track?

You can license a track directly from the front-end of your Synchtank site. To do so:

Find the track you want to license
Click the three dots (...) on the track
Select License
Depending on the licensing model enabled for your account, one of the following will appear:
- Form Licensing — a form requesting your information so the team can follow up to discuss terms and pricing
- A la Carte Licensing — a pop-up with different licensing options and prices to purchase directly
- Subscription Licensing — access to license tracks as part of your subscription plan

What is Form Licensing?

Form Licensing is the standard licensing method. You fill in a form with your details, and the team will get in touch to discuss the type of license you need and the pricing.

What is A la Carte Licensing?

A la Carte Licensing allows you to purchase a license for a track directly — no need to contact the team. Select your preferred options (such as term length and territory) and complete your purchase in a few clicks.

What is Subscription Licensing?

Subscription Licensing allows you to pay a recurring fee that gives you access to license as many tracks as your subscription allows.