Our goal is to make sync licensing simple and to create a clear path to turning your music into money in TV and Film.
Sync is short for synchronization (pairing music with a visual). Sync Licensing is when the creator or owner of a song (both the composition and the recording) gives someone (usually a music supervisor) permission to use their music (or to license it) in things like TV shows, movies, ads, trailers, and video games in exchange for a fee. Anytime music is playing with orbehind a visual, sync licensing is happening.
Exposure to a wider
audience through various
media platforms such as
TV shows, films,
commercials, and other
visual media.
Earn royalties and license fees from your music being used in those various media platforms.
Expand your music career by opening doors to new opportunities and collaborations.
Music Users: aka Music Supervisors, Licensors, Music Buyers. These are the folks who pay you, the music creator (or your representative) an upfront fee for the right to use your song in media projects. They are usually hired by production companies and oversee the budget allocated for music in the production’s project.
Their job is to find and place the right music to help support the visuals that we see on TV and film. They are also responsible for securing the right permission from the owner(s) of the song (composition and sound recording) and registering the production’s cue sheet with performing rights organizations (PROs) so songwriters and publishers can collect royalties when their music is aired.
Music Creators: aka Songwriters, Music Producers, Artists, Musicians. These are the talented creators of music who, by legal right, own their musical compositions and the sound recording of those compositions. As a music creator, you receive payment for the use of your work in media projects from music users.
Your job is to create music that evokes different emotions to support visual stories. You are responsible for every aspect of creating the music, publishing and administration, pitching, collecting and distributing the money and royalties from the use of your music. You, the music creator, have so many roles to fulfill in creating and licensing your music; sometimes, it is advantageous for you to enter into an agreement with publishers, labels, sync rep, partners, etc. in exchange for an agreed upon fee.
The specific terms of the publishing agreement and recording agreements you enter into will determine how the money generated from a sync license and back end royalties are allocated. The publishing share, royalty splits, and other contractual details will vary based on the agreement in place.
Rights Holders: aka Music Creators, Music Owners, Music Publishers, Master Rights Owners, Labels. These are the people who own the music (composition and sound recording). Ultimately, it is their responsibility to monetize, collect, and distribute the money received from the music they own. Rights Holders have the right to assign specific or all of the rights they hold to 3rd party representatives such as music publishers, publishing administrators, sync reps, etc.
Rights Holder Representatives: aka Sync Reps, Administrators. These folks are given the permission from the Rights Holders to represent, license, collect, and distribute money on behalf of the Rights Holder for a negotiated fee.
What is a sync license fee? It is the UP FRONT MONEY paid by the music user to the rights holder for the right to sync music with the visual media. The sync license fee pays for the use of the composition (the song) and the master recording (the recording of that song).
How much is the sync license fee? The sync license fee is typically negotiated between the music user and the rights holder and may vary depending on several factors: the popularity and/or market value of the music, the budget of the production, and the bargaining power of the parties involved. The fee can range from a nominal amount for low-budget or independent productions to substantial sums for high-profile or major commercial projects.
BACK END ROYALTIES
from Music Publishing.
The sync license fee is separate from other royalties or payments that may be due to you, the rights holder. Performance and mechanical royalties, commonly known as “back end royalties,” can be generated from a sync license.
Performance Royalties are generated when a musical composition is publicly performed. In sync, a public performance occurs when the audio-visual production containing the synchronized music is aired. These royalties are collected by performing rights organizations (PROs) such as BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, etc. on behalf of songwriters and music publishers. The PROs track and monitor the usage of music across various media and distribute the performance royalties directly to the respective rights holders.
Mechanical Royalties come into play when the audio-visual production is released on physical media (e.g., DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs) or made available for digital download or streaming. Mechanical royalties are paid to the rights holders for the reproduction of the musical composition.
Neighboring Rights Royalties are generated in foreign territories when the audio-visual production is broadcasted or publicly performed. Neighboring rights royalties are related to the rights of performers (performing artists, featured musicians, etc.) and sound recording owners rather than the musical composition itself. These royalties are collected by neighboring rights organizations and distributed to the relevant parties.
Lack of Knowledge of Sync Licensing Process
Lack of Industry Connections
Knowing the Dos and Don’ts of Writing Lyrics
Quality & Production Standards
Genre and Style Preferences
Competition
Legal & Copyright Issues
Incorrect Song Registrations
Lack of Professional Representation
Initial Investment
Geographical Limitations
Changing Trends and Taste
Inability to Meet the fast Turnaround Times
Music rights and royalties can get complicated when you factor in all of the parties that can be involved in a single song: collaborators (multiple songwriters and/or performers), their publishers, their labels, and their rights representatives. Music Supervisors have to ensure they have the right permissions to use the music compositions and the recording of those music compositions in their media projects, without infringing on anyone’s rights. Due to this, music supervisors are very selective with who they work with. They have trusted sources (like Collab Music Network) who understand their legal and creative needs and can deliver every time. We are your clear path to turning your music to money in TV and Film.