Help - need to license some music, but don't know where to start

I am helping a buddy produce a promotional video for a client.  He has a small budget for music and would like to find some music to license.  Unfortunately, I don't really know where to start to guide him.  Any help on reputable licensing companies in the States is appreciated.

Thanks, that looks like a resource for licensing popular music (like, say a Bruno Mars song).  I am looking for something that has library of songs (instrumentals) that can be licensed for use in a marketing videos.
 
From HFA's website, i am not seeing a library to search.
 
Any other resources out there.

Thanks.
 
I found youlicense which appears to be a similar type of service to stockphoto (except stockphoto is pictures).  Looks like it might do the trick.  Also, soundclick has music for license as well.

A google search should turn up dozens of libraries with low cost music that can be licensed.
 
You could also search the music of some of the folks here and probably get something to license for no cost. Many folks would be pleased just to have someone recognize their music. You have a wide variety of composers here and most have tunes that are well produced.

dwardzala

timidi
another idea:
http://www.taxi.com/
 

Unfortunately TAXI will not work with indie publishers who have not hit it big, yet.

 
well, that's interesting.
Considering all the songwriters on there scraping for crumbs, you'd think they'd throw them some..
Maybe they really do just take your money.

dwardzala
  i think that TAXI can't be bothered with $200 licenses for corporate videos.

 
Taxi only makes the connection, they don't make or take any money from the license and royalty fees generated by a song.I've heard Michael say more than once there were times when they made that connection for a writer and the payday was huge, and he kinda wished that he was getting a cut of the action, but no, they don't take a dime on the back end no matter how fat the PRO checks get to the writers. More then a few of the listings I have seen have actually said the payday would be under $200 total but that the project would be a nice resume enhancer.
 
As far as why they don't work with small indy firms... Maybe they vett the companies to keep the ones they work with solid and stable for the writers using their service. It would certainly tick me off if, as a writer, I submitted and signed a song to a fly by night, jack legged company...... I would expect TAXI to be doing some sort of vetting to be sure the companies they are playing middleman for are reliable and above board. A track record of some sort in the biz would certainly be a good start in that direction. My experience has been that the companies who received my tunes were the tops in their field.

Continuing...
 
Some folks in the video community recommend something like SonicFire Pro (yes yes, I hear you in the back there, Blasphemy!). It's a neat little tool to add background music, real easy to use. Personally, though, buying song's at $150 - $200 is a pop a better deal. You can slice and dice the music yourself as well as SonicFire does, plus you're buying the exact tune you want. Those SonicFire tunes, though loopable in a thousand way, are just too short in length - and the libraries are $200 a pop too - too much, IMO, for a too short, one timer.
 

SuperG,
 
Thanks for the info.  It looks like when Youlicense was launched there was a hope that it would take hold similar to stockphoto for photos.  It seems like it hasn't garnered the critical mass yet (although there is a decent selection of music).
 
We think we found a couple of choices to present to the client (and that was only after spending about an hour of listening).
 
They have a couple of different licensing methods - one is a fixed price based on a variety of factors (use, whole clip or 30 sec snippet, and overall project budget).  The other is just a negotiation (i.e. make an offer) with the artist.
 
We're going to try it out, I think.