Ever wonder how a song ends up in a movie soundtrack or video game sequence? That process is called sync licensing and it’s an incredible opportunity for artists to gain exposure and income.
You don’t need a record deal to pursue sync opportunities, but you do need to understand your rights, how to prepare your tracks, and navigate a licensing deal. In this blog, you’ll learn the ins and outs of sync licensing.
What is sync licensing?
Sync licensing is the permission to synchronize a musical composition to visual media such as TV shows, films, commercials, and video games.
When someone wants to use your existing recording for their visual media, they generally need to clear two copyrights from the holders of the:
- Composition: The underlying music and lyrics of a song
- Sound recording: The specific recorded performance of a song
For example, a filmmaker wants to use your original song in a closing scene. If you alone control both the composition and recording of the song, you can fully authorize the track for use. If you have co-writers, a label, or a publisher, check who must approve the use according to your rights agreement.
How do artists make money from sync licensing?
Sync income can include licensing fees and, for some uses, performance royalties. Those are separate payments.
Licensing fees
The production pays an agreed fee for permission to use the music. Composition and master rights may be negotiated separately or covered in one agreement. Your earnings depend on the deal, your ownership share of the rights, and any commissions or deductions in a representation agreement.
Performance royalties
When a placement generates a qualifying public performance, songwriters and publishers may earn performance royalties through a Performing Rights Organization (PRO), such as ASCAP or BMI in the U.S.
These payments depend on where and how the production is shown, the relevant licenses, and the PRO’s payment rules.
Register your compositions with your PRO and keep writer and publisher information accurate.
For film and TV, ask the production team about the cue sheet: a record of the music used, its duration, and the writers and publishers involved. PROs use this information to identify works and distribute royalties.
What do music supervisors look for when making a sync licensing deal?
A music supervisor helps select music for a production and coordinate licensing. Their task is to find music that fits the story, budget, and clearance requirements.
That gives you a useful way to evaluate your catalog: what scene or creative need could this song serve?
Consider the lyrics, mood, instrumentation, and energy. An intimate acoustic track and a tense electronic instrumental serve different purposes. Describe each song accurately so someone can find the right fit.
Older recordings can be worth pitching, too. Start with tracks that suit the opportunity and have clear rights.
How to prepare your music for sync licensing
1. Confirm who controls the rights
Create a rights record for each song including:
- Owners of the sound recording (the masters) and their contact information
- Songwriters, publishers, and ownership shares
- Anyone authorized to approve licensing
- Existing label, publishing, or sync representation agreements
- Samples, leased beats, or third-party material
Check the actual permissions in any sample or beat license. Permission to release a track doesn’t necessarily include permission to license it for a commercial or film.
2. Prepare useful audio versions
Keep your finished master ready, along with an instrumental and clean version where appropriate.
If available, organize stems — separate audio files for elements such as vocals, drums, and bass — so you can supply them when requested. Follow the recipient’s delivery requirements rather than sending every version upfront.
Label files clearly. Someone should be able to identify the song and version without opening a separate email.
3. Make your song information easy to search
Metadata is information about your music. For sync pitching, prepare:
- Song title and artist name
- Genre, mood, and lyrical themes
- Tempo and main instruments
- Lyrics and language
- Whether the track contains explicit language
- Writer, publisher, and ownership information
- A reliable licensing contact
4. Pitch music that fits the request
A creative brief describes the music a production needs. Read it closely before submitting.
If someone requests an upbeat instrumental without vocals, send tracks that meet those requirements. A strong song that misses the brief still misses the brief.
Follow submission instructions, use an accessible listening link, and keep your message focused on the fit. Include your licensing contact and accurate clearance status.
5. Review representation terms
You can pursue opportunities through sync agencies, music libraries, direct relationships, or custom composition work.
Before signing with a representative, understand:
- Whether the agreement is exclusive
- Which tracks, rights, and territories it covers
- The commission and any deductions
- Whether individual placements need your approval
- Whether the company receives a publishing share or registers alternate titles
- How termination works and what happens to existing licenses
Retitling means registering a composition under an alternate title. If an agreement allows it, ask how registrations and royalty collection will be handled.
Choose a representation whose terms fit your goals and existing commitments.
Can you license a cover song for sync?
Yes, but controlling your cover recording is only part of the clearance. The production also needs permission to use the underlying composition from the appropriate rights holders. A mechanical license — which covers certain audio reproduction and distribution uses — doesn’t grant synchronization rights.
Before pitching a cover, identify who controls the composition and be clear about what still needs approval.
For audio release requirements, read our guide to releasing a cover song.
How does sync licensing work with CD Baby?
Artists can opt into CD Baby’s sync licensing service through CDB Boost. That makes opted-in music available in CD Baby’s searchable licensing library. But note, availability doesn’t guarantee a placement: licensing depends on matching music with a project.
Put your music in reach of sync opportunities
Your next opportunity could start with a song you’ve already released. Explore sync licensing through CDB Boost to make eligible tracks available for film, TV, ads, and games while retaining ownership of your music.
Chris Robley is an acclaimed singer-songwriter and award-winning poet from Maine.
His Beatlesque indie-pop and milltown Americana songs have been praised by The Associated Press, No Depression, KCRW, The LA Times, Boston Globe, NPR, American Songwriter, and others.
His poems have appeared in Poetry Magazine, Prairie Schooner, The Poetry Review, and more.
Robley has received a Maine Literary Award in Poetry, Boulevard’s Emerging Writers Prize for Poetry, and in 2016 was selected by former US-poet laureate Robert Pinsky as a finalist for the Dorset Prize.