What is Sync Licensing?
Fellow music lovers and kindred spirits of the vast online world, a couple of weeks ago I alluded to my time at CSML while I learned the ways of the craft.
Why was I there?
To learn the workflow of the pros in order to deliver professional results.
Now for today’s dose of Dossas, let’s learn what I plan to do with my new-found skills and how you can help!
Now that I’m ready enough to embark on this journey again of releasing music, I thought I’d brush up on some of my sync vocabulary and fill you in on it while I do. This is a good way to manifest my dreams to get it down in writing this way!
I wrote about both a little of my time at CSML, which I went there because after pitching my music to a few different music-supervisors, they loved the music but didn’t sound pro enough. So, I learned how to sound more professional, and now that I have a new library that’s expanding all of the time with new music that inspires deep feelings from within, I’m ready to try and pitch my music again! It’s to sync my Dossas library!
Essentially where the term syncing music comes from, is when music is paired with any media form. Any commercial media paired with music needs to license that music in order to sync it to their visuals. This is why there are so many damn copy right claims on beloved creator channels because they didn’t use music that was cleared to be used. License-free music can be found in stock libraries or some sort of sync library with precleared music ready to sync with. Which, these libraries are a great starting point for some of my tracks. Music is copyrighted and cleared through that music library and the artist because before any syncing is done, the music must be licensed and cleared to do so. This is great, but also creates a gate keeping system which makes it tough for independent artists to sign a deal with a legitimate library. I need to have contracts ready, a lawyer on stand-by, and then the time and capital to edit down my songs into chunks. I have each instrument group stemmed out and need to make alternate mixes and endings. It’s like creating a song kit for each of my songs so that a studio can use my music to the best of their abilities.
Netflix, Hulu, The big studios, they’ve paid sync fees of up to 6 figures just to be able to play a snippet of a famous song. It’s wild! They have music-supervisors curate music for the project and those MS’s will scrape up music from all over. Indie artists included, so I can create generational wealth from deals like those.. I have a hunch though that my first sync deal won’t be that huge. I just got to get through that gate though and start somewhere! It’s ludicrous to think about how big the industry is when you tie together the entire entertainment industry needing music for their content. Even if I get some of the cookie crumbs from the industry, I can feed my family, pay my mortgage that I don’t yet have, and invest in more ways like spreading my music to the masses, and it’d be all thanks to the sync industry. I want to be free to tour and share my music while a passive income is paving the way. These are the checks that can give me the capital to share my music with the world! The possibilities are endless, so day by day, I’ll be targeting and pitching my music to anyone who will be brave enough to take a chance on me.
I have contracts ready to go, I have a legit business LLC to represent myself with, and I have a lot of music that would pair beautifully with media. Sure, my sonic quality is more professional now and can stand next to any other song. But, when I pitch my music to music-supervisors, they’ll just see a small independent artist trying to make a name for themselves. They’ll have to stick their neck out for me to sign my music and show it to the director to add it in the film or whatever media it is. So, let’s put the good energy out there to inspire that one brave soul who feels my music on another because that will inspire them to be willing to take a chance on me. And after those first few syncs, I’m sure momentum will lead into more momentum. It’s a snowball effect once I establish some sort of credibility, so I’m just looking for those first few sync projects in 2024. A few small wins are all I need to get the ball rolling!
That’s where you guys come in! You’re a part of my credibility right now, you’re just as much a part of my brand as I am. You’re the proof that my music resonates deeply with people. You show the music supervisors that I’m worth listening to. You show people that my music and brand can inspire people to be the best versions of themselves. The music-supervisors will see that engagement and know with confidence that their needs will be met and my music will their project.
Whether it’s for sound design, using clips from my library, or doing fresh commissions, there’s something in my library of music for everyone. I can’t wait to find those projects and get my music placed with them. Just by writing this post, I feel like I’m one step closer to reaching my goals. A goal that’s been almost 5 years in the making… And it’s time to start seeing the fruits of my labor.
Thank you for joining me on this wild ride, and until next time,
Dossas
