Sync licensing can unlock a whole world of new opportunities for your music. It’s a great way for artists and bands to gain exposure while earning additional income. The sync licensing industry has seen significant growth and impact on artists and revenue generation.  Kate Bush’s "Running Up That Hill," first released in 1985, was synced for a Stranger Things episode and ended up topping charts with Spotify streams increasing by 9,900 percent in the U.S. alone.

From films to TV shows to YouTube videos, sync licensing offers an abundance of opportunities to musicians. We’ll help you monetize your craft through sync licensing in this comprehensive step-by-step guide on how to refine your tracks and submit your music.

How to Sync License Your Music Step-By-Step

Step 1: Preparing Your Music

When preparing your music for sync licensing, focus on presenting it in a way that optimizes its appeal for placements. This can include having various versions of your song ready, such as an instrumental version, a vocal-only mix, a clean version, and shorter edits. Try to avoid using samples in your music as it can be complicated to clear them. Most importantly, make sure the production of your songs is top quality. Your music should be recorded, mixed, and mastered to professional standards.

To make your songs easier to find, make sure to add metadata. Information encoded into MP3/WAV files is known as metadata which includes details like artist name, genre, label, song titles, album name, and track numbers. Metadata is essential for tracking and licensing purposes, so make sure it's accurate and up to date.

Although we say, "Don't judge a book by its cover," when presenting your music for sync licensing, having quality album artwork matters. Make sure your music not only sounds good, but also looks good and reflects your brand and aesthetic. 

Step 2: Choosing the Right Platform

Once your music is fully prepared, where do you submit it? With many different sync licensing companies out there, it’s important to find one that matches your artistic and business values. Some music libraries mainly cater towards content creators while others target filmmakers or commercial advertisements. Library sizes can also vary from a couple thousand to over a million tracks. For example, AudioJungle boasts a catalog of over 1.9 million royalty music tracks while Track Club places value on quality over quantity with a refined, small-batch catalog of the highest quality.

Aside from music licensing platforms, you can also submit your music to a sync rep or agency. Sync agents connect artists with directors and production houses to get their music placed in TV shows, movies, and advertisements. In contrast to licensing libraries which help artists gain exposure through their catalogs, a sync licensing agent represents artists and actively pitches their music for opportunities.

When researching where to submit your music, consider your genre, target market, the platform’s main client base, their overall mission, and business model. Each platform has its own features and considerations, so the right platform will depend on your specific needs and preferences. As an artist, select a platform that resonates with your values and aligns with how you would like your music to be presented to the world. Submitting your music to multiple platforms or agencies is also a great way to explore various opportunities before finalizing an agreement.

Step 3: Uploading Your Tracks

Different platforms may have specific guidelines and processes for uploading music. Some may prompt you to create an account, while others use a submission form. Follow the submission guidelines provided by each platform and make sure the music you’re uploading matches the required file formats, sizes, and other instructions. Some platforms may have a limit on the number of tracks you can submit, or they may ask you to link to playlists on DISCO, SoundCloud, or another music management platform to get a better idea of what you have to offer.

When uploading your tracks, select and organize your music thoughtfully. Consider dividing your music into folders or playlists titled by different moods or genres so that music supervisors can easily browse through your work. Make sure to upload high-quality files of all the different versions of the tracks you prepared. While some platforms may accept MP3 files, uncompressed or lossless formats such as WAV or FLAC files are recommended to ensure you have the best sound quality.

Before you upload your tracks, it’s always important to double-check your files to make sure they are the right tracks and don’t have any glitches. Also, review your metadata to make sure you have all of the necessary information. Making sure that your uploads are polished and free of errors goes a long way in demonstrating professionalism.

Step 4: Optimizing Your Submission

With your tracks uploaded, you're almost ready to submit. But with some platforms and agencies receiving over 500 submissions a day, how can you make sure yours stands out?

Most importantly, focus on creating authentic music that reflects your unique style. Music supervisors are often looking for fresh and distinctive sounds that can enhance visual media projects and bring out emotions.

In the submission form or email, include brief descriptions of each track, highlighting its genre, mood, tempo, themes, and any other key features that make your songs unique. If your songs contain distinctive musical influences, mentioning them can help the recipient understand the sound and style of your music, however, avoid throwing around big names just for the sake of it. 

Maintaining a professional tone and attitude is key to making a good first impression. Always read through your submission to make sure your grammar and spelling are correct. Keep your submission concise and make sure the recipient can easily access your tracks and necessary information about your music. Including a short artist bio is also a great way to connect with music supervisors and sync agents on a personal level.

Building a Strong Portfolio

Building a strong portfolio allows you to showcase your talent and potential, opening new doors for your music. Your portfolio is a reflection of your artistry, versatility, and professionalism. Here are some tips for developing a well-structured portfolio to start attracting collaborations, sync licensing offers, and help you gain exposure:

  1. Make sure your portfolio reflects who you are as an artist. Think about how you want to present yourself and your music to the world and curate your portfolio in a way that emphasizes your unique qualities.
  2. Highlight a selection of quality tracks that best represent your styles, skills, and musical identity. It may be tempting to include an extensive collection of your work, but ultimately, choosing tracks that span across different genres, moods, tempos, and sounds will be more impactful in demonstrating the full scope of your creative abilities.
  3. Build yourself as an artist. Continue creating music, experimenting, and taking creative risks. Push yourself to explore new styles, techniques, and collaborations that challenge and inspire you as an artist. The more you create, the more you enhance your skills and the diversity of your portfolio.

Protecting Your Rights as an Artist

When entering sync licensing, make sure you’re familiar with copyright law to protect your rights and get fairly compensated for your work. Ensure that you have clear contracts in place with anyone involved in creating your music, such as studio engineers, producers, or session musicians. These contracts should outline ownership rights to prevent copyright disputes.  Additionally, it’s important to understand the different types of licenses and rights associated with each one. 

Register your music with a performing rights organization (PRO) such as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC. PROs monitor the usage of your music and make sure that you receive royalties from sync placements.

When you have secured a sync deal, thoroughly review the licensing agreement and consider consulting with a legal professional before signing. Your sync license agreement will differ depending on the platform or agency you are working with, but it often includes conditions regarding the use of music, duration, exclusivity, and details on sync fees for your music. Some red flags to watch out for include any clauses that require you to grant excessive rights to your music, inconsistencies, or anything that can be interpreted ambiguously.

Marketing Yourself

Endlessly submitting your music to agencies isn’t the only way to get your music out in the sync licensing world. Knowing how to market yourself and your music can be very helpful in attracting new opportunities. Build genuine relationships with other musicians, connect with music supervisors, licensing companies, record labels, and artist representatives. They can help you get your foot in the door and connect you with the right people in the music industry.

Social media is another great tool to build visibility and exposure. With the rise of short-form video in recent years, musicians have seen success in sharing snippets of their latest releases or behind-the-scenes looks into their music-making processes. Promoting yourself through streaming platforms, creating your own website, and engaging in online or offline music communities can also connect you with new people, potential clients, and opportunities. When marketing yourself, take the time to define your brand and what sets you apart as an artist to establish yourself in the industry. Rather than waiting for sync opportunities to come to you, there are many different ways you can actively seek them and put yourself out there.

Wrap-Up

As sync licensing continues to grow and evolve, more and more opportunities are becoming available for music producers and indie artists looking to share their craft and monetize their music. Follow this guide to start submitting your music and unlock a new world of potential for your career. With the abundance of demand for music to sync with TV shows, movies, video games, and more, music supervisors and licensing platforms are looking for music of every genre and style. Keep creating and exploring sync licensing to see if it’s right for you!

If you’re looking to submit your tracks for sync licensing or if you’re looking for music for your project, check out Track Club by Marmoset, a meticulously curated, small-batch licensing catalog of the highest quality that's 100% customizable.

Marmoset works with independent artists all over the world to make sure every genre and style is authentic. The Track Club catalog comes from some of Marmoset’s top performing artists, all of whom have been vetted over the years by our team for quality.

Start your 30-day free trial with Track Club today!