Question on Open Counseling:
About sync licensing: where do we start? Is it a whole different industry?
Sync licensing—placing your music in TV shows, movies, commercials, video games, or other media—is an exciting way to expand your audience, earn income, and gain industry credibility. However, it’s a different part of the music business with its own rules, players, and expectations.
Before starting:
Sync licensing refers to the process of licensing your music for synchronization with visual media. It typically involves:
- Master Rights: Permission to use the actual recording of a song.
- Publishing Rights: Permission to use the composition (lyrics and melody) of a song.
Both rights need to be cleared for a song to be used in a project.
Is Sync Licensing a Whole Different Industry? #
Yes and no. While it overlaps with the broader music industry, sync licensing operates with distinct players, processes, and priorities:
- Distinct Gatekeepers: Music supervisors, sync agencies, and libraries are key players, and they prioritize songs that fit specific projects and moods.
- Focused Goals: The goal in sync is less about building fanbases and more about creating music that complements visual storytelling.
- Tailored Music: Sync often values tracks that are mood-driven, lyric-neutral (or instrumental), and easy to license (e.g., pre-cleared for both master and publishing rights).
Where to Start With Sync Licensing #
1. Understand What Works for Sync #
Sync-friendly music often has the following characteristics:
- Emotional Resonance: Songs that evoke strong feelings or moods (uplifting, melancholic, tense) are highly sought after.
- Universal Lyrics: Lyrics that are general enough to fit multiple scenarios without being overly specific.
- Instrumentals: Many sync placements require instrumental versions of songs.
- Niche-markets: We know sync agents that are focusing on more niche-markets to stay competitive. So songs in different languages or fit a certain cultural context can be great for landing placements with Netflix, Disney etc in local regions.
2. Get Your Rights in Order #
Sync deals require both master and publishing rights to be clear. To ensure you’re ready:
- Own or Control Your Masters: If you don’t own your master recording, you’ll need permission from whoever does.
- Register Your Songs: Register your compositions with a performing rights organization (e.g., ASCAP, BMI, PRS) to collect royalties from sync placements.
- Prepare Split Sheets: Clearly document ownership percentages for all songwriters and contributors to avoid disputes. In a project with us, all songwriters need to sign a sync agreement before we even start pitching your song to Sync Agents, since we want to simplify the process for them. You need to tell us who the songwriters are, inform them on what’s going to happen and give the contact information to us.
3. Build a Sync-Ready Catalog #
Start building a catalog of music specifically designed for sync:
- Diverse Options: Create a variety of moods, tempos, and genres to increase your chances of landing placements.
- Instrumental Versions: Prepare high-quality instrumental versions of your tracks.
- Metadata: Include detailed metadata with keywords that describe the mood, genre, and potential use cases for your songs.
4. Use Sync Licensing Platforms #
If you’re new to sync, online platforms can be a great way to start:
- Platforms to Explore: Sites like Songtradr, Musicbed, Artlist, and AudioJungle connect artists with sync opportunities.
- Pros and Cons: These platforms are accessible, but competition is high, and payout rates vary. They can be a good starting point while you build direct connections.
5. Pitch Strategically #
When pitching your music for sync:
- Targeted Approach: Research the project and tailor your pitch to the supervisor’s needs.
- Highlight Sync-Ready Assets: Mention the availability of instrumental versions, clear rights, and metadata.
- Keep It Short: Music supervisors are busy; provide a brief, compelling introduction with links to your best tracks.
- What we do: For licensed songs, with positive market tests, and a seem to work in the context of sync, we typically pitch the songs to the sync agents we have a connection with that are experts in their market and have a complete focus on sync.
7. Be Patient and Persistent #
Sync placements often take time, especially when you’re just starting:
- Follow Up: Stay in touch with supervisors and agencies without being pushy.
- Track Results: Monitor which types of pitches and songs get the best responses and refine your approach.
Benefits of Sync Licensing #
- Income: Sync deals can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the project.
- Exposure: A single placement in a popular show or ad can introduce your music to new audiences.
- Credibility: Sync placements can build your reputation in the music industry and lead to more opportunities.
Challenges to Expect #
- Highly Competitive: Thousands of artists compete for sync placements.
- Creative Compromises: Music may be edited or reinterpreted to fit the project’s needs.
- Slow Payouts: Payments may take months, depending on the project and licensing agreement.
- No DIY process to it: That nature of sync is that there are gatekeepers involved, and we haven’t found “input” that can consistently yield a certain output. Instead, our approach to this is to give away the “golden letter” (i.e. already cleared, great music and suitable for sync, together with an incentive) to a sync agent in order to increase the chances for placement and let them do the work.