Preparing Your Music for Sync Licensing Deals - Vital Steps You Need to Take

So you've recorded a brilliant song and the production is slamming! This song has great potential for sync licensing. In this case, you're going to pitch your track to ad agencies for lucrative advertising opportunities, so you've fashioned your lyrics to cover a general positive theme applicable to a wide variety of uses (as opposed to something so specific it can only be used in a very limited way). It's upbeat and driving with a great hook and an excellent mix. What can you do to increase your odds of getting that song heard and licensed?

Once you have one or more masterpiece quality tracks finished - if you are interested in pursuing the possibility of sync licensing deals - you'll need to take some very important steps to prepare each song for acceptance by music libraries, sync licensing agents, music supervisors, ad agencies, etc. These professionals and organizations have requirements and expectations regarding music they are willing to consider for licensing, and for the professionalism of the individuals they are hoping to do business with. 

When you present your music, your metadata, and yourself in a professional manner, you are fulfilling two primary and HUGE needs and wants of those who will determine if your tracks are accepted or rejected: 

1. Are you speaking the language of the music licensing industry?

2. Are you a trustworthy source?

Here are some of the essential action items to complete in order to demonstrate that you're speaking the language and that you are, in fact, a trusted source. These actions lay out important steps to take to ensure your tracks are fully prepared, optimizing your potential for lucrative licensing success:  

• Work for Hire and Split Sheet Agreements: If you used someone's services to write, record, mix, master, produce or otherwise assist in the creation of your song, you need to have a written agreement spelling out your mutual understanding of whether or not their input or participation entitles them the rights to two key items: 1. Monetary compensation for their work. 2. A share in the copyright ownership of the song and/or master recording. Even for individuals who agreed to receive no compensation at all, that fact should be written into a Work For Hire Agreement (common practice which fulfills a legal requirement for a binding Work For Hire Agreement includes an agreed upon minimum fee of $1. Otherwise there is no "hire" happening in the eyes of the law). In the scenario where an individual or individuals are requesting percentages of income and/or rights to the ownership of the song and/or master recording, Split Sheet is necessary to be drafted and signed. This lays out the exact details of how income and/or rights will be split moving forward.  A split sheet dissects a composition's ownership, dividing its copyright and related income streams. It details contributions, assigning songwriters, producers, and vocalists percentages of: copyright (composition ownership), performance royalties (streaming, radio play), mechanical royalties (reproduction, downloads), synchronization rights (film, TV placements), and profits from master recordings (physical sales, digital sales). The agreement may also address: publishing administration (who collects royalties), territory restrictions (geographic limitations), expiration triggers (when shares change), and dispute resolution processes. It's crucial to be clear and comprehensive to avoid ambiguities and protect everyone's rightful stake in the music's success.
• Contact and PRO Information for Collaborators: (PRO definition: Performing Rights Organization, such as BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, etc. If you are a non-U.S. resident, each country has their own PRO (some have more than one). This should be included on your split sheet agreements (find a sample split sheet template here). 
• Register your song with a PRO: Your song (with applicable splits information) should be registered with your PRO. Of course, this means that you need to be a member of one of these organizations. 
• Copyright: In the US, songs should be registered with the US Copyright office. In other countries, there are similar registration processes.
• Clearing Samples: If you used part of a published song by someone other than yourself in your recording, you will need to get permission from the owner(s) of that piece of music to that cleared. If you used a sample from a sample library, make sure you have a copy of their End User Licensing Agreement downloaded and stored, and make sure you are adhering to that agreement (for example, some sample libraries will require that you modify a sample is some way and not use it simply as is). VITAL: "Royalty Free" sites such as SPLICE which offers a huge library of Loops and One-Shot samples (One-Shot samples are literally one single sound samples, such as a single snare hit, a single kick hit, a single bass note, rather than a performance), have a somewhat hidden clause which you should absolutely be aware of. This clause covers that fact that SPLICE is not liable for policing or knowing 100% for sure that the contributors who created the sample loops are submitting original material to SPLICE. I suggest you establish and follow a policy of never using LOOPS from an outside source. You could end up in a legal mess if you do. One-Shot samples are not performances, so are safe to use. Disclaimer: I am not an attorney or a lawyer and you should always verify any legal facts or information with a licensed attorney. Preferably an attorney specializing in music copyright. 
• Gather your Meta Data: "Meta data" is a term that refers to a range of potential information about your song. Meta data can include basic information like Song Title, Artist Name, tempo, genre, lyrics, and publish date, but it can also extend to information like lyrics, "tags" that indicate things like sub genres, mood, instrumentation, and more.  

  Metadata is the invisible key that unlocks a universe of information, streamlining workflows and ensuring smooth sailing in the complex world of music licensing. But for the uninitiated, it can be a cryptic language, a jumble of acronyms and technical jargon. 

  Let's break it down:

   Think of metadata as the song's DNA, revealing its:

    
  • Identity: Title, artist, featured performers – the basic who's who.
   
  • Lineage: Songwriters, composers, producers – the creative minds behind the magic.
   
  • Pedigree: Label, release date, genre – the song's history and musical family.
   
  • Rights: Master ownership, publishing splits, synchronization permissions – who gets paid and how.
   
  • Technical Specs: ISRC, BPM, mood descriptors – the technical details for seamless integration.
    

  This rich tapestry of information serves as the lifeblood of licensing. It's what enables platforms to:

    
  • Match the right music to the right project: A melancholic piano ballad for a tearjerker ad, a pulsating EDM track for a high-octane trailer. Metadata makes the perfect pairing possible.
   
  • Ensure accurate royalty distribution: Every songwriter, performer, and rightsholder gets their rightful share, thanks to the clear ownership trail laid out in the metadata.
   
  • Streamline administrative tasks: No more digging through contracts or chasing down missing information. Metadata automates workflows, saving time and resources.
   
  • Optimize search and discovery: Finding the needle in the musical haystack becomes effortless with targeted keyword searches and genre filters, all powered by rich metadata.
    

  In essence, music metadata for licensing is the invisible infrastructure that keeps the music industry humming. It's the language of efficiency, the foundation of fairness, and the passport to countless creative possibilities.   

• Deliverables Created: In the sync licensing world, you may often be expected to have special versions of your track available as part of an overall package of "deliverables." The first required deliverable for a song with vocals is to also have an Instrumental Version of your song. One very common, expected set of deliverables are "stems". Stems are mixes of the instrument groups, and vocals, that make up your track - for example, Drums, Bass Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Lead Guitar, Piano, Strings, Lead Vocal, Backing Vocals, etc., depending on the instrumentation that makes up your track. Another commonly requested type of deliverable is an Instrumental Mix (with no vocals) and possibly a "TV" or "Reduced" Mix (with vocals and thing like lead guitar, that might interfere if the track is played over characters in a script speaking to each other, mixed down low). There are also "Cues" or "Cuts" - short versions of elements of your track at specific lengths like 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 60 seconds. What each music library or sync agency expects will vary, and the subject of deliverables can be an entire course within itself. Just know that this is another key expectation for those who are serious about sync licensing. My strong suggestion to you is to create your "Cues" or "Cuts" in the MIXING SESSION, and not from your master file. Know this: If you simply cut up your master and "fade out" at the end of your cue or cut, this will be considered non-professional and hurt your reputation. Carefully sculpting a good intro, body and outro will strengthen your reputation, will sound much better artistically and will help raise your confidence and pride. 
• Making sure that your music can be found, and you are easy to contact: Okay, so now your songs are super ready for sync licensing opportunities, but are you in a position to be found, and be considered for, the opportunities that are out there? There are many approaches to getting yourself in front of potential sync licensing opportunities, including joining and submitting to music libraries (Broadjam and Taxi being two examples of the hundreds of music libraries out there), participating on Music Supervisor listening sessions (such as these "Listening Sessions Like No Other"), building out a library of your songs on platforms like Disco.ac, networking with industry professionals to make connections, sharing your music on popular streaming and sales platforms, and so on. Obviously, there are many ways to help connect with opportunities (some would say too many, as it can be a bit overwhelming). In any case, be sure to start learning more about these various approaches.

If you address the requirements above, your catalogue of quality music should be well positioned for sync licensing opportunities! 

Want to learn more about the entire "Assembly Line" for sync music licensing? Consider one of our subscriptions or ala carte courses! For as little as $20 a month you can get access to both the Lucrative Home Studio AND Get Your Music Licensed online courses AND participate in a 90 minutes weekly live MasterMind session with Award-Winning Composer/Producer/Engineer Gary Gray! Come learn about all of our offerings on our Courses Page, and connect with colleagues and get your music heard! 

DISCLAIMER: The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only.