Introduction
Sync Licensing. What is it? How does it work? I’m going to tell you everything I’ve learned (so far) on the subject. This information comes from my own research and personal experience. I hope that explaining what I did right (and wrong) will help you out. Sync Licensing can be a rewarding and lucrative opportunity for independent musicians…. but it takes a LOT of WORK. That work starts with learning how to improve your odds of being successful.
Keep reading if you want to learn more about how the whole thing actually works. Or you can skip ahead to just hear my own personal journey, mistakes and all.
Sync Licensing 101
This is actually a very big topic. To be completely honest, Sync Licensing may not be a good fit for you or your music. But I think there are a lot of musicians out there who don’t know enough about the subject to decide if it’s worth pursuing.
There are a lot of confusing acronyms, as well as some terms and vocabulary you may not be familiar with.
I’ve broken this article up into sections to make it all a little bit easier to digest.
Feel free to just keep reading, or click one of the topics listed below to jump straight to that section.
- What Is Sync Licensing
- Publishers, Copyrights, and Music Libraries
- Performance Rights Organizations
- Placements and Royalties
- Pitching Your Music
- Is Sync Licensing Right For You
- My Sync Licensing Story
What Is Sync Licensing?
Sync Licensing is a way for music supervisors and other content creators to obtain a ‘synchronization’ license to use your music on some form of public performance or broadcast.
This is a special kind of license specifically created to allow the licensee to use a piece of music as part of another piece of visual or audio media.
Think about things like background music, theme songs, and all the kinds of music used in other visual media.TV shows, Movies, Trailers, Ads, Radio Shows, and even Podcasts. It’s everywhere.
Next time you watch a TV show, just listen to all the different pieces of music. Even the little stabs transitioning between segments. Or a full fledged song over a montage or exciting scene.
All of that music was licensed for use, and depending on how/when/where it was used, the composer is entitled to royalties.
Publishers, Copyrights, and Music Libraries
What Is A Music Publisher?
A Music Publisher is an individual or company who typically handles the administrative work of licensing the use of the copyrighted work. They may also perform additional services like making your music available to potential licensees, making sure your works are properly registered with a PRO, and more. One of the ways they make your music available to clients is through Music Libraries they curate and mantain.
Whenever a song is used in a commercial context (public performance or playback) the copyright owner is eligible to receive royalties.
For their services, Music Publishers collect a percentage of the royalties generated by their efforts. A 50% rate seems to be pretty common, which may seem like a lot… but ask yourself these questions:
- Are you willing and able to accomplish everything a Publisher can do for you?
- Is earning 50% of something better than 100% of nothing?
For me, it’s clear that the publishers I work with deserve their share of the royalties.
That said, before signing up with a publisher, you need to be very diligent when going over the terms of the contract.
Music Copyrights
To understand music publishing, you need to understand a little bit about copyrights. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase before, but here’s a quick rundown. From somebody who is not your lawyer, or a copyright expert….
A copyright is originally created the moment you put your music or composition into a tangible form. This could include putting lyrics or a score onto paper (or a digital document). It could also take place when recording a song, even if it’s just a scratch recording to save your idea for later.
There’s a ton more to learn on the subject, but when it comes to music, there are two copyrights at play.
The Composition and the Master Recording.
The composition is the combination of lyrics, melodies, chords, arrangement… everything that makes a song. This copyright is typically owned by the songwriter, and potentially shared with the music publisher.
A master recording copyright covers the recorded performance of the composition. This copyright is owned by the artist and record label (if there is one) who performed the song.
That was an overly-simplified explanation, but hopefully you understand the core concepts.
What Is A Music Library?
A music library is basically just a catalogue or collection of tracks and/or albums that are available for licensing. Depending on the library, clients can purchase a blanket license (giving them access to anything in the library in exchange for a subscription fee) or they may need to purchase a license for each track individually.
There are huge libraries with hundreds of thousands of tracks. Some of these libraries actually have deals with smaller libraries, giving the larger library access to some or all of the smaller company’s catalog.
For example, BMG is a very large library, who happens to include music from a smaller library that I have an album on. By having my music with that smaller library, it’s also available to all of BMG’s clients. That’s pretty cool.
There are also specialized boutique libraries.
These companies may also have clients who pay a subscription for access to the entire catalogue, but they also tend to work more closely with a select group of clients. These smaller libraries may specialize in a specific genre of music, or certain markets, such as radio, TV, film, etc.
Libraries operate in a number of ways, but they can be basically be broken down into the following categories: Exclusive, Non-Exclusive, and Royalty Free
Exclusive vs Non-Exclusive vs Royalty-Free
Music Libraries have many ways of working with you and your music. You need to understand the three basic models so that you can make an educated decision when deciding which libraries you want to pitch.
Exclusive Music Libraries
Music libraries want to be able to provide their clients with the best possible service and quality. They want to be the go-to source for the production companies and other clients they serve.
One way to do this is by having exclusive rights to license out the music in their catalogue.
That way, they can confidently say “We’ve got this great track for you, and we’re the only place you can get it”.
These libraries sometimes collect an up-front “sync-fee” for a song… especially if the client is asking for an original composition for a specific purpose. Your deal may ensure you a share of this sync fee (if there is one) in addition to ongoing royalties.
When you sign with an exclusive library, you agreeing not to offer up sync license for that song or album to any other third-party for the term of the agreement.
The libraries getting the biggest, best placements are typically going to want an exclusive deal with you.
Non-Exclusive Music Libraries
Non-exclusive libraries are typically easier to get accepted into, because many of them just want to grow the size of their catalogue. You can have deals for the same song or album with multiple non-exclusive libraries at the same time.
Just like with an exclusive library, you should be entitled to a share of any up-front sync fees, but check your terms.
That might sound attractive, but it can also devalue your work. Exclusive libraries are viewed as a bit more prestigious due to their more selective nature.
Royalty-Free Music Libraries
There are a ton of these companies out there. Just about anyone can upload a track and make it available for just about anyone to use.
The end-user pays a (usually small) one-time fee that allows them to use your song in their content. BUT.. they are obtaining a license that does not entitle you to any ongoing, recurring revenue from royalties.
Common customers of these royalty-free libraries are YouTube creators and marketing departments creating video content at the lowest cost.
I personally wouldn’t recommend partnering with these libraries unless you have taken the time to properly research and pitch to an exclusive library or two, and absolutely cannot find a home for your work.
What Kind Of Library Is Right For You?
That’s a question only you can answer for yourself. The type of music you make, your output, and even the perceived quality of your music are all factors.
After a lot of research and thought, I decided that getting signed on with a reputable, exclusive library was the way to go for my own music. It’s a long-term move, but the potential long-term payoff is bigger.
If you are most concerned with building a lasting, personal relationship with library that gets high-earning placements, I would go the exclusive route.
If you just want to have your music available in as many places as possible, non-exclusive may be for you.
Royalty-free libraries are the easiest to get into, but they don’t provide the opportunity to provide ongoing, passive income for you.
So it’s really all about what works for you, how patient you can be before seeing some results, and what your ultimate goals are.
Performance Rights Organizations
A Performance Rights Organization (PRO) collects royalties for music publishers and songwriters. There are many different PROs around the world, and they each have their own methods of collecting, reporting, and distributing royalties.
A common scenario in the Sync Licensing business looks something like this:
A production house is working on a TV episode. The music supervisor creates a Cue Sheet outlining what compositions and recordings were used, what type of placement it was, how long each recording was used, and more.
The cue sheet is then submitted to the PROs. Whenever that TV episode is broadcast, PROs are responsible for collecting the relevant royalties and distributing them.
Most PROs even have relationships with other PROs in other countries to help ensure royalties are collected no matter where the performance or broadcast occurred.
It’s another complicated aspect of the Sync Licensing business, but signing up and registering your works with a PRO is not complicated at all.
The two biggest PROs in the United States are BMI and ASCAP. There are pros and cons of each, but I personally work with BMI.
If you want to learn more about PROs in general, here’s a great article for you.
Placements And Royalties
In the Sync Licensing business, the amount of money you earn through royalties depends on the types of placements your music is used in.
There are many different types of placements (how, when, and where your music is used), and each type of placement generates different royalty distributions.
Check out this article for some information on the different types of placements involved in US Television, and here’s a great video describing how PROs, Placements, and Royalties work in Sync Licensing
Pitching Your Music To Publishers and Libraries
This part can be difficult. When I was first learning about Sync Licensing, I watched a lot of YouTube videos, and read a lot of articles.
There is a lot of conflicting advice out there. And that’s probably because there are a lot of different ways to make it happen.
For the purpose of this article, I’m going to assume you are NOT a big artist with a huge fanbase. You don’t have a ‘viral’ song. Maybe you have never even publicly released a single and nobody in the industry knows who you are!
If that’s the case, don’t worry. Sync Licensing can still be a huge opportunity for you. So let’s start off with some definitions and terminology you’ll need to know in order to get started
Networking and Pitching To Music Supervisors
If you do some googling on the subject, you’ll find a lot of advice about networking. Being ‘around’ and ‘schmoozing’ with industry insiders. No doubt, this has worked for some producers and artists. But there was no way it was going to work for me.
I don’t live near a big music city, and I was starting off with ZERO industry contacts. Even if I had the social skills or contacts to try pitching my stuff directly to music supervisors, I wasn’t in a position to do so.
So I did some more research, and found a method that could work for me.
How To Pitch To Music Libraries
Once you’ve identified a music library, it’s crucial that you pitch them in the right way. It’s up to you to find out what that right way is, because they all have different submission guidelines. It’s your job to follow those guidelines and present yourself as professionally as possible.
Many libraries will have a submission form on their website. If so, make sure you fill out all the information they ask for. Be accurate, be concise, and if they ask for a sample of your music, deliver it in exactly the way they ask.
For example, if they ask for a link, make sure you give them a public link that doesn’t require them to do any homework, like signing up for a streaming account somewhere. You can host the song on your own website, or even put it in Google Drive and give them a public link.
If the library does not have a submissions form, you need to identify the person at that company responsible for handling submissions. That person’s contact info might be listed on the website, or you might need to do some digging. You can search for employees of the company on LinkedIn.
In this situation, you will need to send an introductory email as your submission. Again, be concise, take one paragraph to introduce yourself and your music. At this stage, I would not recommend attaching your song to the email. Instead, provide a link to where they can download or listen to it without jumping through any hoops.
This is just one reason why I think independent musicians need a website. You can present yourself professionally to industry insiders who want to know more about you.
Remember, you do not want to create homework for these people. They are very busy and you don’t want to force them past any unneeded hurdles to hear your music or see how serious you are.
The final step is to have patience. Again, these are busy people.
If you are pitching to an exclusive library, DO NOT pitch to more than one at a time. It might sound great to get multiple offers, but remember… these are EXCLUSIVE libraries. So you can only sign with one of them for a given song or album. You don’t want to offer someone something they can’t have.
If you haven’t received some kind of response within two weeks, follow up by forwarding your original email, along with a short, polite inquiry as to whether they have had a chance to review your submission. If you haven’t gotten a response after another week, I think it’s safe to move on to the next library.
I kind of messed that part up in my own first submissions, which you’ll hear about if you keep reading…
Is Sync Licensing Right For You?
This is a great question, but only you can answer it. I do think that sync licensing for independent musicians is a huge opportunity that goes largely overlooked.
The real question is, how much time and effort are you willing to put into getting started? Do you want to focus on creating a massive catalogue of production music, or simply create an additional revenue stream for your music as an artist?
Either way, there are publishers and Music libraries out there who can help you, but a lot of the work is going to be on you. And like everything in the music business… there’s no guarantee of success. Just opportunities for you to exploit.
My Sync Licensing Story
I don’t want to get too long-winded, but a bit of back-story is necessary.
When I was younger, I played guitar in some local bands. Did some shows.The typical stuff. I always really enjoyed recording songs on my old 4-track cassette recorder. I guess that shows my age, if you even know what a 4-track is…
Eventually, personal computers got powerful and affordable enough to start recording and mixing “in the box”. I don’t think that was a term back then, but now it’s how most DIY independent musicians get stuff done.
Then I “grew up”. Married, kid, job, etc. These were all great things, but music took more and more of a backseat in my life.
Fast-forward about 10 years, and I realized that my guitars were nothing more than decoration, and I missed making music. I wasn’t really interested in playing shows anymore, but I did want to make music somebody might actually hear.
So, I got on YouTube. I got caught up on the latest tech and recording software… and realized that things were much more affordable now!
Eventually, the YouTube rabbit hole led me to some videos by a guy named Jesse Josefsson. He was talking about this thing called Sync Licensing, which I had never heard of.
The more I watched, the more I realized that this could be a perfect way for me to put my music out there, and maybe make some cash from it.
So, I signed up for his free course. It’s a multi-part video series where he explains all the ins and outs of Sync Licensing.
After going through those videos, I eventually signed up for his paid courses, and online community. I spent HOURS watching videos and interacting with people in the community.
In fact, I got so much out of those courses that I was able to find two publishers to work with. Honestly, it’s a long story, and I did make mistakes along the way.
I might as well let myself do the talking, here’s a YouTube video of me talking with Jesse about how his course helped me.
Fair Warning… I talk a lot in this video.. (I was also fatter and had a beard!)
So I was PUMPED! I had signed an entire album of production tracks with one library, and then a couple more individual tracks with another library.
And what happened next? NOTHING. Or at least that’s what I thought…. you see everything takes time in this business. I saw no results for a couple of months, and got discouraged. I decided to start releasing music myself. I started Lodge Cove Collective (the website you’re reading now) for that reason.
Then, out of the blue, I got a royalty statement from BMI (my PRO). It turns out that my tracks WERE getting placements… it just takes a few months for the system to catch up. On that statement, I saw that 6 of my tracks had gotten placements and were earning money.
And that royalty check was a lot more than what I’m currently making from Spotify streams, ha ha. I can’t wait to see my next quarterly statement (and check) to see what else those tracks got placed on.
So I realized that I had made a mistake… not by starting to release my own music, but by giving up on Sync Licensing. It seems like this is a common mistake. And I knew it because Jesse talks about it on his channel and in his course. But I still fell into that trap.
After getting that check, I made a comment about it on one of Jesse’s videos.. you can hear him mention it in this video, starting around the 2:00 mark.
How To Get Started
- There are tons of free and paid resources out there. I have utilized both. And I have gotten a lot of value from both, just as I hope you’ve gotten some value from reading this article.
The long, hard way to learn the ropes is to keep doing your research. Read articles and interviews. Watch videos.
The one resource that really helped me decide to take action was by signing up for Jesse’s free course. It’s primarily geared towards production music, but there is helpful info in there for all producers and artists.
If you want to check out that course, here’s the link: Sync Academy Free Online Course
Full disclosure: YES, Jesse offers some additional, paid products and services. And YES, I ended up personally paying for and using these services. YES, it cost some money, but it has now paid for itself, and by following his methods I have music out there in the world that is earning me money without me lifting a finger. And just to be absolutely, 100% clear, I don’t make any money from you clicking these links. I might make a small commission if you do happen to sign up for a paid course and mention me (mark@lodgecove.com) in the referral box, but you don’t have to do that.
The main things I learned that will benefit all musicians and producers are:
- How the sync industry works
- How to find and research music libraries that fit my music
- LOADS of productivity, time management, and music business ‘stuff’
- How to earn more money from the music I make
Conclusion
I want to make it clear once again that sync licensing for independent musicians is not an EASY thing to do right. It’s not a get-rich-quick thing. It’s a long-term commitment…
It’s also an opportunity to earn long-term, PASSIVE income that most indie musicians are missing out on.
Hopefully you found this article informative. If you did, please consider signing up for our newsletter to be notified when I publish more content to help out my fellow indie musicians.