DMG Clearances


DMG Clearances, Inc is a company based in Hockessin, Delaware, USA, which handles music clearances and licensing for the entertainment industry. DMG Clearances was founded in 1996 by Deborah Mannis-Gardner.
The company clears musical compositions for use in films, video games, sampling and Broadway Theater. Clients include Drake, Eminem, De La Soul, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Coen Brothers, Martin Scorsese, Rockstar Games and The Roots.
In 2023, the American hip-hop group De La Soul partnered with DMG in order to clear the samples on their back catalogue before their digital release.

Deborah Mannis-Gardner

Deborah Mannis-Gardner is a graduate of Emerson College and began her career in the entertainment industry working on music videos and providing television clearances in New York City in 1989. Mannis-Gardner went into the business of sample clearances for hip hop music in 1992 with a UK business partner. In 1996, she created DMG Clearances to focus on sample clearances and music placement.
Regarding the state of music sampling, Mannis-Gardner has always considered it an art. "I think sampling is an art and I think it's incredible. When I first started, I was told how it was theft. I was told that hip-hop and rap was a phase. That it wasn't going to be around. All of that horrible, negative stuff. I kept saying "well, a collage, that's not real art? Jambalaya isn't real food?" That's a great meal mixed up of different foods and spices, that's what sampling is."

Awards

The New Castle County Chamber of Commerce named Mannis-Gardner the 2016 Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year.

DMG credits

Film

Source: IMDb
  • 1997 A Life Less Ordinary
  • 1997 Kiss Me, Guido
  • 1998 Velvet Goldmine
  • 1999 Dogma
  • 1999 She's All That
  • 2000 O Brother, Where Art Thou?
  • 2001 How High
  • 2002 8 Mile
  • 2002 xXx
  • 2003 The Fighting Temptations
  • 2003 School of Rock
  • 2004 White Chicks
  • 2005 In Her Shoes
  • 2005 xXx: State of the Union
  • 2005 Are We There Yet?
  • 2006 Rocky Balboa
  • 2006 Littleman
  • 2006 Take the Lead
  • 2007 Lucky You
  • 2007 Are We Done Yet?
  • 2008 The Accidental Husband
  • 2012 Hip Hop Cultural Odyssey: Know Your History
  • 2012 Be Inspired: The Life of Heavy D
  • 2012 Independent Lens
  • 2014 Free the Nipple
  • 2016 Southside with You''

    Music

Source: Artist Direct
  • 1997 Forest for the Trees - Forest for the Trees
  • 1997 Kiss Me Guido
  • 1997 Pop - U2
  • 1998 Men with Guns
  • 1999 Classic Limited Edition - Made Men
  • 1999 Life Story - Black Rob
  • 2000 Old School - Next Friday
  • 2001 Forever - TKA
  • 2001 Jealous Ones Still Envy - Fat Joe
  • 2002 El Cool Magnifico - Coolio
  • 2002 It Ain't Safe No More - Busta Rhymes
  • 2002 Loyalty Fat Joe
  • 2003 Almost Famous - Lumidee
  • 2003 Blood in My Eye - Ja Rule
  • 2003 Chicken-N-Beer - Ludacris
  • 2003 Grand Champ - DMX
  • 2004 Concrete Rose - Ashanti
  • 2004 Encore - Eminem
  • 2004 Godfather Buried Alive - Shyne
  • 2004 Hell and Back - Drag-On
  • 2004 Kiss of Death - Jadakiss
  • 2004 Lyfe 268-192 - Lyfe Jennings
  • 2004 R&G : The Masterpiece - Snoop Dogg
  • 2004 Southside - Lloyd
  • 2004 The Pretty Toney Album - Ghostface Killah
  • 2004 The Red Light District - Ludacris
  • 2004 Tical 0: The Prequel - Method Man
  • 2004 Urban Legend - T.I.
  • 2004 White Trash Beautiful - Everlast
  • 2004 Will & Grace: Let the Music Out!
  • 2005 As Is. - Tocka
  • 2005 Collectables by Ashanti - Ashanti
  • 2005 Disturbing tha Peace - Disturbing tha Peace / Ludacris
  • 2005 Roc-a-Fella Records Presents Teairra Marí - Teairra Marí
  • 2005 That One Way - Czar*Nok / Max Julien
  • 2005 The Anger Management Tour
  • 2005 The Black Rob Report - Black Rob
  • 2005 The East Village Opera Company - The East Village Opera Company
  • 2005 The Naked Truth - Lil' Kim
  • 2005 The Redemption, Vol. 4 - Ruff Ryders
  • 2005 Welcome to Jamrock - Damian "Junior Gong" Marley
  • 2006 A Girl Like Me - Rihanna
  • 2006 Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live - Lil Scrappy
  • 2006 Eminem Presents: The Re-Up - Eminem
  • 2006 Food & Liquor - Lupe Fiasco
  • 2006 Hoodstar - Chingy
  • 2006 More Fish - Ghostface Killah
  • 2006 N.O.R.E. y la Familia...Ya Tú Sabe - N.O.R.E.
  • 2006 Point of No Return - Shareefa
  • 2006 Press Play - Diddy / P. Diddy
  • 2006 Tha Blue Carpet Treatment - Snoop Dogg
  • 2006 Time Is Money - Styles P
  • 2006 Year of the Dog...Again - DMX
  • 2007 Baby Makin' Project - agged Edge
  • 2007 Good Girl Gone Bad - Rihanna
  • 2007 Hate It or Love It - Chingy
  • 2007 Red Gone Wild: Thee Album - Redman
  • 2007 Special Occasion - Bobby V
  • 2007 Supply & Demand - Playaz Circle
  • 2007 The Big Doe Rehab - Ghostface Killah
  • 2007 The Cool - Lupe Fiasco
  • 2008 Gutta - Ace Hood
  • 2008 Nas - Nas
  • 2008 Plastic Starfish - Tal M. Klein
  • 2008 Rising Down - The Roots
  • 2009 8dazeaweakend - Dallas Austin / Dallas Austin Experience
  • 2009 Blackout! Vol. 2 - Method Man / Redman
  • 2009 Certified - Unladylike
  • 2009 Deeper Than Rap - Rick Ross
  • 2009 Flight 360: The Takeoff - Playaz Circle
  • 2009 Loso's Way - Fabolous
  • 2009 Malice N Wonderland - Snoop Dogg
  • 2009 Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel - Mariah Carey
  • 2009 Notorious
  • 2009 Rated R - Rihanna
  • 2009 Relapse - Eminem
  • 2009 Relapse: Refill - Eminem
  • 2009 Ruthless - Ace Hood
  • 2009 Tha Connect - Willy Northpole
  • 2009 The Boss of All Bosses - Slim Thug
  • 2009 The Last Kiss - Jadakiss
  • 2009 Ultraviolet - Kid Sister
  • 2010 Apollo Kids - Ghostface Killah
  • 2010 Battle of the Sexes - Ludacris
  • 2010 Crunk Rock - Lil Jon
  • 2010 Donnie G: Don Gorilla - Sheek Louch
  • 2010 How I Got Over - The Roots
  • 2010 Loud - Rihanna
  • 2010 More Malice - Snoop Dogg
  • 2010 My Soul - Leela James
  • 2010 Recovery - Eminem
  • 2010 Reggie - Redman
  • 2010 Rise Up - Cypress Hill
  • 2010 Teflon Don - Rick Ross
  • 2010 The Beginning - The Black Eyed Peas
  • 2010 The Beginning & the Best of the E.N.D. - The Black Eyed Peas
  • 2010 The Darkside, Vol. 1 - Fat Joe
  • 2010 Wu Massacre - Ghostface Killah / Method Man / Raekwon
  • 2011 Blood Sweat & Tears - Ace Hood
  • 2011 Doggumentary - Snoop Dogg
  • 2011 Hell: The Sequel - Bad Meets Evil
  • 2011 I Love You : The Mixtape - Jadakiss
  • 2011 Lasers - Lupe Fiasco
  • 2011 Talk That Talk - Rihanna
  • 2011 Under the Mistletoe - Justin Bieber
  • 2011 Undun - The Roots
  • 2012 Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1 - Lupe Fiasco
  • 2012 God Forgives, I Don't - Rick Ross
  • 2012 Life Is Good - Nas
  • 2012 Unapologetic - Rihanna
  • 2012 Welcome To: Our House - Slaughterhouse
  • 2013 #willpower - will.i.am
  • 2013 B.O.A.T.S. II: #METIME - 2 Chainz
  • 2013 Break the Pot - Rich Boy
  • 2013 Nothing Was the Same - Drake
  • 2014...And Then You Shoot Your Cousin - The Roots
  • 2014 Hood Billionaire - Rick Ross
  • 2014 Mastermind - Rick Ross
  • 2015 Black Market - Rick Ross
  • 2015 Fly International Luxurious Art Raekwon
  • 2015 Hamilton: An American Musical - Lin-Manuel Miranda
  • 2015 Living Legend - Gunplay
  • 3 CD Collector's Set - Rihanna