Sync Placements & Licensing

 It’s important to know that TWO different music copyrights are at play in every sync placement. The producer, film studio, TV network, or other content creator has to pay to license BOTH the master recording rights and the composition rights before they can use the music. 

1. A Master Use License is negotiated for the usage of a particular sound recording (also known as a “master”). The related fee is often paid upfront to the artist or label who owns that studio track or live recording. 
2. A Sync License for the Composition is negotiated for the usage of the underlying song (melody and lyrics). The related fee is often paid upfront to the music publisher, publishing administrator, or songwriter. 

If you own your masters and wrote the songs, you’re in a great spot. You can approve both usages at once AND collect both upfront sync fees. No need to communicate with labels and publishers for outside permissions. Also, unless the terms of your sync deal involve exclusivity or a buyout, you can license the same song for multiple uses!

Songwriters, composers, and music producers who create original songs and lyrics can also earn publishing royalties “on the back end” for sync placements. This money comes in the form of performance royalties generated each time a TV show airs again (reruns!) or gets moved to a secondary market. 

"Double check with your distribution service" - M37

A small percentage of viewers that hear your song in a film or TV show will pick up their phones to Shazam the track. But those who do have proven they already love your music and are likely to dig deeper, which is why a big sync placement can also help you achieve other objectives such as growing your YouTube subscribers, driving album sales, boosting Spotify follows, etc.

Sync licensing can be lucrative, but it’s difficult to estimate what any one placement is worth because there isn’t a “standard” sync fee. Instead, there are a number of factors that determine how much you earn from a particular placement. These include:

• The type of visual media, from a video on social to a blockbuster film
• The duration of the usage, from one-time use to “in perpetuity” 
• The budget of the production, from zero to millions
• The region of use, from a local station to worldwide
• The demand for the song and popularity of the artist
• The length of the audio segment being used
• The nature of the usage, from quick background music to opening credits

Another thing to remember: When you control all the rights to your music, you make the rules. A placement on a big ad campaign should probably mean big bucks. But if you’re helping your friend make a no-budget short about subterranean vampires, you can set the terms — from free, to cheap, to backend payments based on the film’s future performance. 

Sync placements can range from $500 to 28k depending on the slot placement.