5 Reasons a Company Might Choose to License Art

License ArtI license my art and teach artists how licensing works and if they are interested, how to go about it. “Licensing” your art basically means you are granting the right to someone (a manufacturer) to use your art on something (their product) in exchange for royalties based on sales.

The beauty of this system is that you can license the same art to many different companies, as long as they are putting the art on different products. That allows you to earn income from several companies, over time, instead of getting one upfront amount for selling the art outright.

Licensing is one of three basic ways companies get art to put on their products. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way – it all depends on the preference of the manufacturer. The three basic methods are:

  1. They have in-house designers who are paid a salary to design art for products.
  2. They buy art out-right.

    3. Many artists prefer to sell a piece of art upfront and let manufacturers do whatever they want with it. They usually get a physical, sometimes digital, piece of art and the manufacturer has to adapt it to their product. The artist cashes the check and starts a new piece of art.

  3. They license art.

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The Yin and Yang of Art and Licensing

The Yin and Yang of ArtThere is an internal tug of war that goes on for many artists who license their designs. We discuss the dilemma in the aisles of tradeshows, on message boards, blogs and more. Maybe you have felt it, too, but couldn’t quite name the feeling…

The struggle is between remaining true to yourself and your art while adapting to market trends. How each artist finds the balance and where they decide to draw the line differs, but the core issues are universal. To me, the Chinese Yin-Yang symbol is a great visual for the balance that is required to stay in business while staying true to your art brand.

I know first hand that I am not the only artist in the industry that ponders this balance, but I can only tell my own story. This is my journey from beginning to balance. Hopefully, it will help you find your own peace and balance as well.

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