Stock photos
Each licensed image with its license type, project, certificate, and receipt.
Agency finance · Licensing
A license ledger for stock, fonts, and music
A creative agency buys licensed assets constantly — a stock photo for a banner, a font for a brand, a music track for a video — and each one comes with terms about where and how long it can be used. When a client asks 'do we have the rights to this?' months later, you need the license, not a vague memory. Cash Workspace gives you one ledger to record each license with its type, project, and cost, and attach the certificate and receipt.
The problem
Why asset rights become a liability
Licenses are bought by whoever needs the asset, with terms buried in emails and download folders, and no one place ties a license to the project it covers.
- A client reuses a campaign image on a billboard the original stock license never covered.
- Nobody can find the license certificate for a font used in a delivered brand.
- A music track's license expired and the video is still live, but no one tracked the term.
- The same stock photo was licensed twice because the first purchase wasn't recorded.
- An audit or client request for proof of rights turns into a frantic search through download history.
The workflow
Log every license as you buy it
Record each licensed asset with its terms and project, and attach the certificate so proof of rights is always on file.
- 1
Record the asset
When you license a photo, font, or track, record the asset name, source, license type, and cost.
- 2
Note the usage scope
Capture the license type and scope — editorial vs commercial, web vs print, single-use vs extended — and any expiry.
- 3
Link it to the project
Tag the license to the project or client it was used on so rights map to deliverables.
- 4
Attach the certificate
Attach the license certificate or terms PDF and the purchase receipt to the record.
- 5
Review before reuse
Before reusing an asset on new work, check the ledger to confirm the existing license covers it.
Record structure
What to record for each license
These fields make proof of rights instant and stop duplicate purchases.
- Asset name
- The photo, font, or track name so the asset is identifiable in the ledger.
- Source / marketplace
- Where it was licensed (e.g. a stock library or type foundry).
- License type
- Editorial or commercial, single-use or extended, with the usage scope noted.
- Project / client
- The project or client the asset was used on, so rights map to deliverables.
- Cost
- What the license cost and the currency.
- Purchase date
- When it was licensed, so terms and expiry are anchored.
- Expiry / term
- Any expiry date or usage limit, so lapsing rights are visible.
- License certificate
- The certificate or terms PDF attached as proof of rights.
- Receipt
- The purchase receipt attached alongside the certificate.
Example setup
An example license ledger
One way to organize licensed assets by type inside your workspace.
Fonts
Foundry licenses with usage scope and the projects each font is used on.
Music and audio
Track licenses with term and expiry, linked to the videos they're used in.
By project
Licenses grouped under each client project for a rights snapshot per deliverable.
Common mistakes
Mistakes to avoid
- Buying a license but never recording it, so the same asset gets licensed twice.
- Skipping the usage scope, so you can't tell editorial from commercial later.
- Reusing an asset on new work without checking the original license covers it.
- Leaving the certificate in a download folder instead of attached to the record.
- Ignoring expiry dates until a live video is using a lapsed track.
How it helps
How Cash Workspace helps
One license ledger
Record every stock, font, and music license with its type, project, and cost in one organized list.
Linked to projects
Tag each license to the project it was used on so proof of rights maps to deliverables.
Certificates attached
Attach the license certificate and receipt to each record so proof is on file when a client asks.
Related
Related agency finance workflows
Software stack expense records
Track the agency's software and subscription spend in one place.
Vendor invoice organizer
Keep supplier invoices, including marketplaces, organized.
Branding project finance folder
Gather a branding project's costs and assets in one folder.
Business expense categories
Use consistent categories across asset and software costs.
All finance workflows
Browse the full Cash Workspace workflow library.
FAQ
Asset license records FAQ
- Why record asset licenses at all?
- Because rights are tied to terms, not the file. Recording the license type, project, and certificate means you can prove what you're allowed to do with an asset whenever a client or audit asks.
- How do I avoid licensing the same asset twice?
- Check the ledger before buying. If the asset is already recorded with a scope that covers the new use, you don't need to license it again.
- Does Cash Workspace check whether my license is still valid?
- No. You record the expiry or term yourself and review it; Cash Workspace stores the dates and certificate but does not monitor or alert on them automatically.
Organizing help — not tax, accounting, or legal guidance
Cash Workspace is a free workspace for organizing invoices, expenses, receipts, clients, and documents. This page is organizing guidance only — not tax, accounting, legal, or bookkeeping guidance. Cash Workspace does not connect to your bank, does not scan or read your receipts for you, and does not move or collect payments. Whether an expense is deductible depends on your situation, so confirm it with a qualified accountant or tax professional.
Keep proof of rights for every asset
Start a free workspace and build a license ledger where each asset records its type, project, and cost with the certificate attached, so rights are never a guess.