This is a term which is bandied around quite a lot, so we don’t blame you if you are feeling unsure as to its exact meaning. Put simply, royalty-free music, also sometimes called pre-licensed music, describes a kind of music licensing which permits the buyer to pay a one-off sum for the music licence – they can then use the music for as long as they want. Once you’ve paid the original purchase price, there are no further royalty payments attached.