The world of synch is an incredible opportunity that is often overlooked by independent musicians, who are frequently focusing on the in person, live touring side of their business. It is the process of synchronizing music with visual media – placing your songs in TV shows, movies, commercials, video games, and even YouTube videos.

Synch licensing can be a lucrative opportunity for any musician if you can understand the value your music provides, utilize the right agency support and work quickly to make your music easy for industry professionals to use.

WHERE DO I START?

To understand how to be successful in synch, you need to know how best to make your music easily accessible for music supervisors to place in their work quickly. Music supervisors are frequently working on very tight deadlines, so the best thing you can do for them is to follow these guidelines when reviewing your repertoire:

• High-Quality Production: Invest in professional recording, mixing, and mastering to ensure that your music meets industry standards for sound quality.

• Lyrics and Themes: Not every song is synch-able. Universal themes and emotionally resonant lyrics tend to have a broader appeal in synch licensing. A good way to think about this is to see if your songs can fit in multiple moments across TV shows, and if the lyrics are different from what is happening on screen.

• Instrumental Versions: It is imperative to have instrumental versions of your songs. Music supervisors move in tandem with music editors, and instrumentals (plus stems) can make your songs more accessible, versatile and suitable for various types of media.

• Cleared Samples: Ensure that you have all the rights and clearances for any samples used in your music. Include any relevant information in the metadata.

• Metadata: Properly tag your music with metadata, including song title and artist name. It is crucial to include the master and publishing ownership splits in percentages and relevant contact information. This makes it easier for music supervisors to find and license your work.

MY MUSIC IS READY, NOW WHAT?

Here comes the fun part - research! Music supervisors are the curators of the synch licensing world, responsible for both the creative direction and licensing of music for various media projects. Being connected to a music supervisor will be immensely beneficial to your desire for synch placements. 

Once you’ve done your initial research of what program you’re hoping to land your song on and you have a specific music supervisor on your radar, you’ll have to find contact information which can be quite the investigation. Frequently, using their online submission forms can get you on a list, but it is the keywords and language that you include in your note that will catch their attention. 

Pitching to a music supervisor requires research of the individual, the ability to craft a concise and compelling pitch, and some good timing. Researching a music supervisor, understanding the soundscape of the projects they are working on and sharing only the appropriate, synch ready music will put you higher on a music supervisor’s radar. 

It can be tough to make time for all the research and pitching involved in this kind of work to get your music in front of the right supervisor. For support, you can use synch (music licensing) agencies with existing relationships, to help you beat the curve. Agencies, like What Up Pitches, a boutique synch agency based in both Chicago and LA, give you the option to exclusively use them or use multiple agencies. It can be a great way to work around the difficult nature of pitching your music.

Another great way to get in front of a music supervisor is by going to events and conferences. Conferences like WUP It Up, taking place in Los Angeles, can provide opportunities to sit down with a music supervisor and have them take a listen to your music, even providing feedback in real time. You can learn from fellow artists, music business professionals, even executives on upcoming projects and understand the greater landscape of synch, especially during times of turmoil.

Synch licensing your music can be a competitive field, and success may not come overnight. The trick is to stay persistent in your efforts, keep improving your craft and expanding your network. Embrace the journey, and your songs may soon become the soundtrack to captivating stories on screens big and small.

Want to attend WUP It Up in L.A. on October 26 and 27? Use discount code COMGIGC15 and get 15% off Early Bird Bundle - General Admission Thursday w/ Music Supervisor Friday Session tickets. Up to 5 tickets per order.

What Up Pitches is a multicultural, women-owned music production house and music licensing company based in LA & Chicago, specializing in placing music in ads, TV, and film. The WUP team creates custom music for all media platforms and represents a boutique catalog of indie artists for sync placement. Their recent prestigious placements include Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, Fox, NFL, VH1, MTV, The CW, and brands such as Hennessy, Meta, Aetna, Maker’s Mark and Kraft Heinz. www.whatuppitches.com