Join the artists who’ve gotten their songs into Netflix movies by pitching your music to sync agencies through Groover! You’ll be able to build a connection with real sync departments and music supervisors and get one-one-one feedback from them as you go. Starting at only $2, you can choose whichever curator you think would like your music and send them your songs directly. Take a look at the many film sync agencies on Groover here!
1. What is Syncing?
In music, a sync is when music gets paired with an image. More specifically, a sync placement is what we call it when an artist’s song is used in media, such as a TV show, commercial, movie, trailer, or video game.
Sync placements are an integral part of the industry because they are one of the main income streams for those with a career in music. A big placement can mean a big pay day for a song’s creators. Media that runs frequently and on various platforms like commercials and trailers usually have the highest payout rates, while TV, movies, and video game sync fees vary widely and mostly depend on the network requesting the sync. The bigger their budget, the higher the fee.
2. Who Gets Synced
Anyone in music can get a sync placement, but there is a difference between a sync artist and a synced artist. The former makes a living from creating music specifically for sync placements, while the latter makes music for consumers and has simply gotten one or more syncs in media.
3. Who Decides What Music Gets Chosen
This is the job of a music supervisor. Almost every creative project has a music supervisor that is in charge of discovering and selecting songs that fit the look and feel of what they’re working on. For example, happy pop songs are perfect for teen movies, while dark and ominous music is great for a thriller – the music supervisor’s job is to find a match. They will be the ones to reach out and request a license for the use of the music, and the project’s director will decide if it makes the final cut.
4. Every Artist’s Must-Haves to Get Synced
There are a couple things that must be taken care of in order to facilitate the sync process.
Agree on Splits and Clear Any Samples
Before sending a song to a supervisor, musicians should make sure all splits (each person’s percentage of future royalties) between any co-writers or producers are agreed upon. Supervisors will not want to wait around for creators to get a split sheet signed off on when so many other songs are ready to be licensed.
Producers should make sure any samples used in a beat are cleared for use. If a sample’s been borrowed offline without permission, don’t use it. This will be more work for the supervisor (which they won’t want to do) and may cost you the sync.
Stay in Your Lane
Music supervisors remember when an artist sends them music that has nothing to do with what they’re looking for. Artists should understand the “world” their music lives in and pitch it to relevant media only. It’s possible to make decent music in multiple genres, but it’s often best to stick to what you’re really good at.
If you’re unsure about where your music could fit, look up the soundtracks of your favorite movies and shows to better understand how the songs made sense with the story and what mood they helped create for the audience.
5. How to Get in Touch with the Right People
At the end of the day, music is all about network and personal connections. Independent artists often lack this network in the early days of their career, which is why they benefit from joining sync agencies.
Anyone who comes looking for music knows the agency has already made sure splits are agreed upon, samples are cleared, and the music is good to go – it’s trustworthy and reliable. Some distributors also have sync departments and can pitch music to supervisors, directors, and production companies directly as part of their offered services. You have the freedom to choose whichever is best for you!
6. Types of Deals
The two main types of sync deals that exist are 1) exclusive vs. non-exclusive rights and 2) in-context vs. out-of-context rights.
Exclusive vs. Non-Exclusive
An exclusive deal means that only the network or company that has now licensed the music is allowed to use it publicly. These deals can be short or long term, but most of the time, you don’t want to exclusively sign your rights away to one entity for too long as many songs get synced multiple times. Exclusive contracts work best in the short term, such as for commercials that only run for a certain amount of time before being taken off air
In-Context vs. Out-of-Context
An in-context sync means a song is being used within the show, movie, or video game itself. Out-of-context is for the song’s use in anything related to the project but not directly in it, such as the trailer for a show, behind the scenes of a movie, teasers, etc. In-context and out-of-context usage requires different fees and should be negotiated as separate deals.
7. How to Negotiate Your Sync Fees
Artists should be aware of how payout differs per medium, but should ask the following questions if a network or company doesn’t have one rate for every sync across the board like competition shows (The Voice, X-Factor) do:
- What’s the project’s budget?
- What other songs are being licensed?
- Does the project include sync by any other independent artists?
- If so, how much are their fees?
- How long is the requested license for?
Pro Tips Before You Get Started
- Understand Timing
- Productions are prepared well in advance, so their seasons are not like regularly streamed music. A show episode set to release in the summer is going to be edited in the winter or spring before – have your seasonal music ready ahead of time for when supervisors are actually looking for it.
- Cater Your Message to the Network/Company
- Generic messages are not welcome… tell the media why you think your music would fit what they’re looking for and make your message personal.
- Don’t Get Trapped in a Deal
- As we mentioned before, exclusive contracts can prevent you from getting synced again. Keep the door open for more placement opportunities.
- Your Song Does Not Lose Credibility
- Don’t think your song loses its allure if it becomes associated with a show or movie; many of those listens convert to streams and downloads. Sia’s “Breathe Me” was featured in the finale of HBO’s “Six Feet Under” in 2005 and was her first breakthrough with an American audience.
- Maintain Good Relationships
- Music subsists on network, as does production. Stay friendly with anyone you work with, as you never know what project they might work on next that’s looking for an edgy new track to include.
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