Whether you play guitar, piano, or lay down electronic beats—putting words to music and music to words requires a variety of skills. Writers and musicians have collaborated throughout musical history to come up with original lyrics to tunes that needed words. A licensing agreement grants the right to use original lyrics. Keep in mind, though, that there are a few different types of licensing contracts you should be aware of if you want to put words to music you've written. First, a non-commercial-use license means you can use original lyrics for performances and presentations. Still, you can not put words to music you've written and make money on those original lyrics unless you've struck a commercial licensing agreement with the writer.