Music sync licensing is the process of getting your music in visual media like TV shows, films, adverts and video games. Artists can earn upfront sync fees, royalties and new exposure when their music is selected for a placement.
Let's start by explaining what sync licensing actually means.
In short, music sync licensing (or "synchronisation licensing") refers to all the music that is used to "support visual content".
So that includes music placements in video games, TV programmes, films, advertisements, video games. Think of the songs that get featured in FIFA games, or the tracks you hear in car commercials.
As you can imagine, this kind of exposure can introduce your music to A LOT of new people, as well as forming an association between your sound and a particular brand, product or idea.
Ditto artists can upgrade to Ditto Pro to access their Sync Dashboard, full of the freshest sync opportunities across TV, film, ads and games. Download our Sync Licensing Guide now and learn how to make your pitches stand out.
Sounds exciting, right? But how does it really work...
Why do artists use sync licensing?
Sync licensing can do much more than generate royalties.
Landing a sync placement can introduce your music to entirely new audiences, increase your streams and help grow your fanbase. Whether your song appears in a TV show, film, advert or video game, the right placement can put your music in front of thousands of potential new listeners.
For independent artists, sync placements can be career-changing. They provide an opportunity to earn money through upfront sync fees and royalties, while also giving your music exposure in new markets and territories around the world.
The best sync placements feel natural. Music supervisors aren't necessarily looking for the biggest artists, they're looking for the right song. This means artists of all genres and sizes have a genuine opportunity to get their music heard.
And when listeners discover music they love through a sync placement, they're often more likely to stream your songs, follow your artist profile and explore the rest of your catalogue.
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How does music sync licensing work?
Our sync journey begins with Music Supervisors providing "briefs" to Music Publishers.
These briefs describe the type of music they're looking for, including the genre, mood, tempo or lyrical themes needed for a particular TV show, film, advert or video game.
Publishers will then search through their roster of artists and pitch any music they think will suit that particular brief.
If your music is selected, you'll receive a sync licence agreement that gives the company permission to use your song in their project.
Artists are typically paid an upfront sync fee, which can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands depending on the project, usage and licence agreement.
In many cases, artists can also additional collect music royalties when the placement is broadcast or streamed. This means a single sync placement can continue generating income long after the original deal is signed.
So now you're thinking, well surely that's only for big artists with huge fan bases? But you'd be wrong...
You don't need millions of streams or a major label deal to get involved in sync licensing.
Independent artists regularly land placements in TV, film, adverts and games. As long as your music sounds professional and fits the brief, you have a genuine opportunity to get your music placed.
Platforms like TikTok and YouTube are the latest big players in the world of sync. They’ve started acting as pseudo-A&R services, discovering emerging artists already active on their platform and ‘breaking’ them with an advertising campaign, all while maintaining the authenticity.
How to land a sync placement
Now you know what sync licensing is and how it works, the next question is simple: how do you improve your chances of getting a sync deal?
The first step is making sure your music is sync ready. Here's how:
Licenses & copyrights
Before your music can be used in TV, film, adverts or games, two rights need to be cleared:
The master copyright: This covers the song’s sound recording and is usually held by the artist or the record label.
The publishing copyright: This covers the song’s composition and is usually owned by the songwriter. But if you have signed a music publishing deal then it will be held by your publisher. If there are multiple songwriters, all parties will usually need to approve the licence before a placement can go ahead.
Metadata
Accurate metadata can make the difference between landing a sync placement and missing out.
Make sure that all of your metadata is present and correct to be eligible for pitching for sync.
The names of the composer and any co-writers must be correct and sent to your publisher so that the license can be easily cleared.
Collection Societies
Join a collection society. Even if you're not pitching for sync just yet, do it anyway.
The sync license will need to be cleared with them at some point, so it's important that you are a direct member of your country's royalty collection societies.
As part of Ditto Music Publishing we can register you with collection societies around the world. But if you are already registered with a collection society, we'll need you to provide the correct information including your writer number.
Hopefully everything makes sense so far. But here's are a few more tips to boost your chances of landing a sync opportunity:
Keep hold of all your assets. Have the main version of your song ready to go as well as an instrumental version, a clean version, and the Stems just in case they are requested.
Have your artwork, lyrics, press shots, artist bio ready in case these are also needed to advertise the sync.
Make sure your social media channels are active and engaging! This will definitely work in your favour when trying to catch the eye of any prospective music supervisors.
Now you know what sync licensing is and how it can work for you as an independent artist, it’s time to start landing those deals!
At Ditto Music Publishing, we can help.
Hit the button below to sign up for Ditto Music Publishing and we’ll make your music eligible to be pitched for sync opportunities.
We will also register your tracks for publishing royalties across the globe, while you keep full ownership and copyright. It’s an easy way to start earning royalties you may be missing out on right now.
Since we have launched Ditto Publishing, we have secured placements for our artists in a range of high-profile media, including Channel 4’s Made in Chelsea (UK), Dreamworks’ Kipo And The Age Of Wonderbeasts (US), and Sky’s Soccer AM (UK)!
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