Media Licensing Models

Want to land your music in TV, film, or ads? Sync licensing is one of the most powerful (and often overlooked) income streams for independent artists. But here's the truth: a lot of great music gets skipped because artists make simple, avoidable mistakes. To help you prep your catalog for real sync opportunities, I put together this visual guide with the top ✅ DO’s and ❌ DON’Ts of Sync Licensing. ✅ DOs: Organize your catalog: Keep stems, full mixes, and metadata tidy and accessible. (Use Diso.ac which is now the industry standard for music sups and licensing pros) Register your music: Make sure it’s properly registered with your PRO (ASCAP, BMI, etc.). Tag your tracks correctly: Include mood, genre, instruments, and tempo—music supervisors search by these. Create instrumental versions: Many projects need vocals-free tracks. Focus on quality production: Clean mixes get noticed; sloppy tracks get skipped. Pitch strategically: Research supervisors and tailor your submissions. Keep it professional: Include clear contact info, licensing terms, and file formats. ❌ DON’Ts: Don’t ignore metadata: Missing info means your music might never be found. Don’t overcomplicate your tracks: Projects often need simple, versatile music. Don’t spam submissions: One well-targeted pitch beats 50 generic emails. Don’t assume your music is ready: Tracks that aren’t mix-ready or properly formatted get rejected. Don’t forget legal rights: Make sure you own or have cleared all samples. Don’t use AI music. This is a minefield for potential litigation. Keep it clean. Whether you're pitching to a music supervisor or building a sync-ready catalog, this list is for YOU. — 💌 Want more insider tips and exclusive sync strategies straight to your inbox? Type “JOIN” in the comments to get on my mailing list!

What's your ultimate goal with this music? Something I was taught by a mentor, was how to reverse engineer my goals. From there - you dissect the steps it takes to achieve the goal. Here's a short example what that would look if you were a producer or artist starting out in the sync licensing lane: ULTIMATE GOAL: Live Off Sync Placements How do I get there?: - Research shows/films I want to work on - Build relationships with music libraries & sync agencies who work on those shows - Sign up with multiple libraries that I can stand out with, and carve my niche - Turn in 3-5 tracks a week - Collaborate with musicians who make a different style than me to reach a wider audience and split the %'s What do I need to do to make this happen: - Allocate 1-2 hours a week researching music libraries & music supervisors - Research areas I don't understand in sync - Take 2 hours a day making new music by starting each track with intention. - Find producers to collaborate that make EDM, Orchestral, etc once a month - Work with artists to create albums with for Sync placements split profits. - Follow up with clients who haven't answered and see how I can provide value OR stand out to get their attention When do I do this? - Monday - Friday spend 20 mins a day researching libraries - 7 AM - 9 AM make new music every day - Every Friday reach out to clients, follow up and see if they need more music in an style etc I had to learn how to make the habits simple, take what I wanted to achieve and break it down into actionable steps. The faster I can focus on the tasks at hand, the quicker I'm able to reach my desired result.

Most recording artists believe sync is untapped. They’re not wrong. But more importantly, many don’t even know it exists. Last month, I hosted a sync camp, bringing together producers, composers, and artists to explore the creative and business opportunities of music for screen whether film, TV, ads, games, trailers, and more. A common thread in our conversations is that many artists didn’t realise that they could intentionally create for sync or that their existing catalogue could be licensed into productions with the right structure in place. Sync licensing, the use of music in visual media is one of the most scalable, long-term revenue streams available to artists today. It opens doors to global exposure, cross-industry partnerships, and timeless placements. But to exploit it, artists must move with intention. If you're an artist looking to tap into sync, here’s how to start: 1️⃣ Be discoverable. Put your music in places where music supervisors, licensing agents, and sync reps are looking. Think YouTube, sync-friendly distribution platforms, even direct pitching. 2️⃣ Create with context. Think of emotion, mood, and scenes when making music. Is this song fit for a breakup montage? An action trailer? A quiet indie drama? 3️⃣ Build relationships. Connect with filmmakers, music supervisors, editors, and sync agents. You don’t always need a middleman but relationships go a long way. 4️⃣Consider custom work. Some of the biggest sync wins come from artists who create bespoke music for a project. This is a whole lane on its own. There’s no better time than now to start thinking beyond streaming. Your song could be the next big placement in a blockbuster film or trailer, or even a fashion campaign. ——————————————————————————— Hi, I’m Kofoworola Eze , a music and film lawyer. I help creatives protect their work and build profitable careers. Follow for legal tips and insights on the business of music and film.

When does active management beat passive ownership? Private equity and passive investors are pushing up multiples, treating music catalogs like bonds. But here’s the reality: A catalog without active management can be a depreciating asset. I have seen companies put in offers at 19x for master's because they believe they can increase the value of the catalog through active management. This means passive investors could be leaving money on the table (unless they have great label and pub partners). Problem: More investors are treating music catalogs as set-it-and-forget-it assets: ✅ Buy at 10-20x NPS ✅ Sit back and collect royalties ✅ Hope streaming growth offsets decay But here’s what they don’t account for: • Decay curves can erode income fast especially for newer catalogs • Sync deals don’t happen on autopilot—you need active pitching • Platform reliance is dangerous—TikTok virality today doesn’t guarantee royalties tomorrow A poorly managed catalog can underperform expectations, leaving money on the table. Here’s what happens when a passive vs. active manager takes control of the same catalog: 📉 Passive Approach: • Collect royalties but don’t optimize revenue streams • No active pitching for sync or licensing deals • No strategic re-releases or collaborations to extend song life • Result? Revenue is lost 🚀 Active Management Approach: • Directly pitches songs for movies, commercials, and video games • Reissues catalog through anniversary editions, remixes, and strategic marketing • Finds new licensing partners in non-traditional markets (e.g., gaming, sports leagues) • Monetizes international growth, especially in emerging streaming markets • Keeps songs relevant and increases longevity of the catalog's lifecycle If you own or invest in music catalogs, here’s how to actively maximize value: ✅ Hire a sync and licensing team (don’t rely on inbound requests) ✅ Analyze your top-performing songs and build relaunch strategies ✅ Leverage collaborations and remixes to bring old songs back to life ✅ Negotiate better royalty collection strategies across international markets I have seen catalogs increase revenue by over 700% many years after the song was released. This is not by accident. These are planned and well executed strategies. For some of the most interesting case studies leave a comment with "Case Study" and I will send you a list of strategies that have worked. #MusicBusiness #CatalogManagement #Royalties #MusicInvesting

Here is my personal framework for sync music success There are many different avenues you can take Unfortunately, most people go about it all wrong. Work smarter, not harder. Most people start here: - Writing in a vacuum - Releasing their music into the ether - Cold DMing music supervisors - Paying $400 to go to a conference Instead, I decided to create a simple framework for my own sync success to fast track my way past the gatekeepers. Get a sync co-sign I’m sure you’ve heard of a co-sign in the hip hop world, where a bigger artist will feature an unknown artist essentially vouching for them. This is huge because the new artist will get a huge boost in exposure and if done right the known artist gets the credit for discovering the new talent. With this same idea in mind, I decided to seek out known artists in the sync space that I could write with and produce. Instead of sending out my music under a brand new moniker with zero credit, I now had something to piggyback on that got me through the door that much quicker. This may seem daunting, but sync artists aren’t necessarily celebrities that are impossible to reach. Be a fan first and engage with their content and the opportunity to share your music will present itself. Don’t be afraid to ask, if you feel your music is ready to be on TV, then you should feel confident asking to collaborate. Backdoor into a sync deal Most producers and artists think it’s hard to get the attention of a sync agency. And it can be, if you’re going about it the wrong way. The other perk of working with an established sync artist is the songs you produce will automatically be repped by the other artist's sync agent. Not only will they represent these specific songs but you can parlay this into your own deal with the same company or use it as leverage to get your own deal with a different company. This is even a way to get more exposure to opportunities by different portions of your song being repped around town. So, as you can see, there are many ways to find sync success without being “discovered” or cold calling hundreds of music supervisors. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and collaborate with others. It can bring so many more opportunities than just one song.