Music Sync Licensing

Music sync licensing — often shortened to just "sync" — is the practice of licensing a piece of music to accompany visual content. This includes TV shows, films, documentary series, online advertisements, video games, branded social media content, podcasts, and anything else where music and moving image appear together.

When a brand runs an ad campaign and the soundtrack makes you feel something, that's sync at work. When a pivotal scene in a film lands harder because of the song playing underneath it, that's sync at work. When you hear a track in a video game that you immediately want to add to your playlist — that's sync too.

For artists, sync licensing represents one of the most powerful and underutilised revenue opportunities available. A single well-placed sync can generate a significant upfront licensing fee, a stream of ongoing broadcast royalties, and a level of exposure that streaming alone rarely delivers.

When a production company, advertising agency, or content creator needs music for a project, they issue a brief — a detailed description of the type of music they're looking for, the mood they want to create, and the context in which it will be used.

These briefs are typically distributed through music publishers, sync licensing teams, and music supervisors, who then search their rosters and catalogs for suitable tracks to pitch.

If your track fits the brief and gets selected, a licensing fee is negotiated — typically a one-time sync fee for the placement itself, plus ongoing broadcast royalties every time the content airs, streams, or is published. Depending on the scale of the project, this can range from a few hundred to many thousands of pounds or dollars per placement.

Pro plan members have direct access to live briefs through their Sync Dashboard, where they can browse current opportunities and submit tracks for consideration without waiting for someone else to discover them.

Music supervisors are the gatekeepers of the sync world. They work directly with film directors, TV producers, ad agencies, and game developers to source, license, and clear the music used in their projects.

When a project is in post-production, the music supervisor is responsible for identifying the right tracks, negotiating licensing terms, and ensuring all copyright is cleared before the content goes to air. They receive hundreds of track submissions for each brief — which is why knowing how to pitch effectively, and having a professional team to pitch on your behalf, makes such a significant difference.

Our sync team has spent years building direct relationships with music supervisors across major markets — which is why placements we secure for our artists go through a channel that most independent musicians can't easily access on their own.

Before you start pitching your music for sync, it's essential to ensure your tracks are properly registered with a relevant Performing Rights Organisation (PRO) or collection society in your territory. Without registration, you may secure a placement but fail to collect the broadcast royalties you're owed — which can represent a significant loss over time.

The most widely recognised collection societies include:

• PPL/PRS — UK
• ASCAP / BMI — USA
• IPRS — India
• APRA AMCOS — AU/NZ
• SOCAN — Canada
• GEMA — Germany

When you register your catalog through our Publishing service, we handle your global society registration — ensuring you're set up to collect royalties from every territory where your music is placed or broadcast.

For most independent artists, the biggest barrier to sync placements isn't the quality of their music — it's access. Knowing which briefs exist, how to approach the right people, and how to pitch professionally takes years of industry relationship-building.

That's exactly where we come in. Pro plan members can browse and submit directly to live briefs through their Sync Dashboard — no cold emails, no industry contacts required. Our team reviews every submission, and tracks that fit the brief are personally pitched to the relevant supervisor or production team.

In an era of low per-stream royalty rates, diversifying your income as an artist is no longer optional — it's essential. Sync licensing offers something streaming can't: a lump-sum licensing fee at the point of placement, followed by long-tail broadcast royalties that can generate income for months or years after a single deal.

A well-placed sync can introduce your music to an audience of millions. Unlike social media virality, sync-driven discovery tends to be higher quality, reaching listeners who connect with your music in a meaningful context.