The cost depends on what you’re asking for. There are three distinct types of engagement, and they’re priced differently because the work is different.
Pre-Release Clearance Analysis
A pre-release originality analysis — examining your music against a specific song or songs of concern and producing a written opinion on whether the similarity is legally meaningful — starts at $500 for a single-work analysis against one or two comparators.
More complex clearance work (multiple comparators, catalog review, or opinion letters intended for downstream use in licensing or publishing contexts) is scoped individually based on the scope of the analysis required.
This is the most accessible entry point and the right tool for songwriters, producers, composers, and music supervisors who want a professional opinion before release.
Litigation Support and Expert Reports
Litigation-stage analysis — retained by an attorney in the context of an active or anticipated lawsuit — involves more extensive work: full transcription and comparison analysis, testing against prior art, preparation of a written expert report suitable for use in federal or state proceedings, and preparation for deposition and potential trial testimony.
This work is scoped on a case-by-case basis. Fees are commensurate with the complexity of the musical analysis, the scope of the report, and the timeline. Engagements of this type are typically initiated through counsel.
Expert Witness Testimony
Trial testimony adds preparation time, travel, and the expert’s time on the stand to the cost of the underlying analysis. It is priced as a separate component from the report work. Again, these engagements come through counsel.
How to Think About the Cost
The useful comparison for a pre-release analysis is not the fee itself — it’s what the alternative costs. A single letter from opposing counsel, before any litigation has begun, typically costs more than a clearance analysis. Statutory damages for willful copyright infringement run as high as $150,000 per work. A written pre-release opinion is one of the factors that can make a willfulness finding harder to establish.
The analysis also resolves the question. If the work is clear, you know. If it isn’t, you know that too — before the release date.
Get a Cost Estimate
The fastest way to get a specific number is to describe the situation directly. What’s the work, what’s the concern, what’s the timeline.
To discuss a matter or ask a question — call, email, or schedule a preliminary call.
☎︎ Call: (212) 217-9512 ✉ Email: brianmcbrearty@gmail.com 📅 Schedule: Book a free preliminary call
→ Originality Clearance — what it is and what you get