The Producer Whisperer's Guide
Sync Licensing: Stop Chasing Placements. Start Building a Business.
Most producers think sync is about great music. It isn't. Great music is the entry fee.
Sync is a service business. Someone has a scene, a deadline and a problem. Your job is to solve it.
Solve it once, you get a placement. Solve it every time, you get a career.
I've spent over 20 years on both sides of this. Here's where it starts.
Four Foundations
KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SELLING
Sync licensing is permission to put your music against picture. TV, film, trailers, ads, games, online video. You're not selling a song. You're selling a solution to someone else's scene.
BE READY BEFORE ANYONE ASKS
Instrumentals. Clean versions. Correct titles. Writer and publisher splits. Contact info. If a music supervisor has to chase you for any of it, you already lost. Nobody waits on you.
FIT BEATS TALENT
Your best track is not your best pitch. The right track is. Mood, pacing, lyrics, edit points, what the scene needs. Read the brief. Then read it again. Send what fits. Nothing else.
RELATIONSHIPS PAY. PLACEMENTS DON'T.
One placement is a moment. A relationship is income. Deliver on time. Communicate clearly. Make people's jobs easier. That's how you get the second call, and the tenth.
Before You Hit Send
- You know who owns the master and the composition. In writing.
- Instrumental and clean versions are ready.
- File names are clear. Metadata is complete.
- The track fits the brief. Not close. Fits.
- Clearing your music takes one email, not five.
Get A Straight Read On Your Music
No hype. No guessing. Bring your music, your questions and your goals. In 30 minutes you'll know where you stand and what to do next.
Want the full playbook? I wrote the book on it: How to Make Money in Sync Licensing: Why Placements Don't Pay, Relationships Do.