How to Get Your Music Licensed for TV, Film, and Ads (Sync Guide)

How to Get Your Music Licensed for TV, Film, and Ads

To get your music licensed for TV, film, or ads, you need to control (or be able to clear) two rights: the composition and the sound recording. Then get those rights "pre-cleared," keep instrumentals and clean metadata ready, and get your catalog in front of music supervisors. You can do that through a sync library or agency, or by pitching them yourself.

A placement like this is called sync licensing, because your music is synchronized with moving pictures. Sync can pay an upfront fee and lead to performance royalties later when the show airs. That's why it's one of the few income streams where a small independent artist can earn real money from a single song.

Key Takeaways

• Every sync placement involves two licenses: a sync license for the composition (songwriting) and a master use license for the recording.
• If you wrote, produced, and own your songs outright, you control both sides ("one-stop"), which makes your music much easier to license.
• Supervisors work fast, so pre-cleared tracks with instrumentals and accurate metadata get picked over tracks with messy rights.
• Fees aren't standard. ASCAP notes they depend on how, how long, how often, and where the music is used, and they're usually negotiable.
• Register with a PRO so you get paid performance royalties from cue sheets when your placement airs.

What is sync licensing?

Sync licensing is permission to use music "in timed relation" with visual media. That covers films, TV shows, commercials, trailers, video games, and online video.

BMI defines a synchronization license as one that music publishers issue, usually to a producer, "granting the right to synchronize the musical composition in timed relation with audio-visual images."

There are two copyrights in every recorded song, so a producer who wants to use an existing track usually needs two permissions. ASCAP's checklist for using music in film lays them out:

The Copyright Alliance explains the split the same way: the musical composition is one work, the sound recording is another, and each needs its own permission.

Why this matters for independent artists: if you're self-released and wrote everything yourself, you're both the "publisher" and the "label." You can sign off on both licenses in one email. Supervisors call that a one-stop track, and it saves them a lot of time.

How do I know if my song is ready for sync?

Before you pitch anything, check every track against this list.

1. Do you control 100% of the rights?

Every co-writer, producer, and featured artist with a share of the song has to agree to license it. If you split a song with a producer, get the splits and sync permissions in writing first. Our guide on how to split royalties with collaborators shows you how to document that.

2. Are there any uncleared samples or beats?

A sample you didn't clear, or a leased beat whose license doesn't allow sync, can kill a placement. CD Baby's sync eligibility rules specifically tell artists to review the license on any samples or royalty-free beats before opting in.

3. Is the copyright documented?

You own your song as soon as you record it, but registering it gives you a paper trail and stronger legal remedies if someone uses it without permission. See how to copyright your music for the full process.

4. Do you have the deliverables?

Supervisors and editors usually ask for:

• High-quality WAV of the full mix
• Instrumental version (editors often need to put dialogue over music)
• Clean version if there's explicit language
• Stems or at least an a cappella, if you have them
• Metadata: title, writers, publisher (even if it's your own name), PRO affiliation, ownership splits, contact email, and ISRC

How do I get my music to music supervisors?

A music supervisor is the person who picks and clears the music for a film, show, game, or ad. There are a few main routes to them. Most artists use more than one.

Option 1: Opt into a distributor's sync program

Some distributors will pitch and license your catalog for you. For example, CD Baby's sync licensing through CDB Boost adds opted-in music to a library that creators can license from. According to CD Baby:

• You keep ownership of your copyrights, but grant non-exclusive sync rights. That means your music can be licensed without your approval for each use.
• You must own your sound recording and your publishing (or hold proper licenses for covers).
• For traditional media placements (commercials, films, TV), you earn 60% of the fees CD Baby collects, paid quarterly.

Not every distributor does this. DistroKid's help center says DistroKid Publishing does not include sync licensing. If you're still picking a distributor, compare options in our DistroKid vs TuneCore vs CD Baby breakdown.

Option 2: Work with a sync agency or music library

Sync agencies and production music libraries keep curated catalogs and answer supervisors' "briefs" (descriptions of the kind of song a scene needs). Deals vary a lot. Before you sign, read the contract for these points:

• Exclusive or non-exclusive? Exclusive deals mean only that company can license the track.
• Commission or fee split: what percentage does the agency keep?
• Term and exit: how long are your songs locked in, and how do you get them back?
• Re-titling: some libraries register your song under a new title. Make sure you understand how that affects your royalties.

Option 3: Pitch supervisors directly

If you control your rights, you can pitch on your own. CD Baby's sync placement guide notes that supervisors sometimes find songs on Spotify or YouTube, and that artists who control their rights can make their own sync connections.

Tips for direct pitching:

1. Research the project. Look up supervisors in the end credits of shows that match your sound.
2. Send a short email. Include 1-3 private streaming links (no attachments), one line on the mood, and confirm the track is one-stop and pre-cleared.
3. Make the music easy to find. A clean electronic press kit with streaming links, instrumentals, and contact info helps.
4. Follow up once. Don't spam. Supervisors get a lot of music.

How much does sync licensing pay?

There's no standard rate, and anyone who quotes you one fixed number is guessing. ASCAP's film checklist says sync and master use fees are "generally determined by various factors, including how the music will be used, the duration of the use, the number of times the music will be used and where the film or media will be performed," and that fees "are often negotiable and not standard."

What usually moves the price:

Sync income usually comes in two forms:

1. Upfront fees for the sync license and the master use license. When you own both sides, you get both.
2. Backend performance royalties when the production is broadcast or performed publicly (see below).

How do I get paid royalties after a placement airs?

Performance royalties for TV and film are tracked with cue sheets. A cue sheet is an official log of all the music used in a production: the song title, composer, publisher, PRO, duration, and how it was used. Production companies submit cue sheets to PROs like BMI and ASCAP, and the PRO uses them to calculate royalties.

To make sure you get paid:

1. Join a PRO before the placement airs. BMI's royalty policy says you must affiliate before the performance of your music to receive royalties for it.
2. Register the song in your PRO account with correct splits.
3. Ask the production for the cue sheet, or check it later in your PRO account, and confirm your info is correct.
4. Set up publishing collection so you get the publisher's share too. Our guide to registering and collecting music royalties covers PROs, mechanicals, and SoundExchange step by step.

Sync licensing checklist

Use this before you submit to any library, agency, or supervisor:

• All co-writers and producers have agreed to splits and sync, in writing
• No uncleared samples, and beat licenses allow sync
• WAV full mix, instrumental, and clean versions exported
• Metadata complete (writers, splits, PRO, ISRC, contact)
• Songs registered with your PRO
• Copyright registered for your strongest tracks
• Private streaming links ready for pitching

If you're preparing a new release at the same time, run through our release checklist so your sync assets get made during the release, not after.

FAQ

Do I need a publisher to get sync placements?

No. If you wrote the song and haven't signed a publishing deal, you control the composition and can grant the sync license yourself. A publisher or admin company can help pitch and collect, but it isn't required.

What does "pre-cleared" mean?

A pre-cleared track has both the composition and master rights already approved for licensing, often bundled through one company. CD Baby's guide explains that pre-clearing trades some control for speed. Since productions move fast, that can decide whether your song gets placed or skipped.

Can I put the same song in multiple sync libraries?

Only if every deal is non-exclusive. If you've signed an exclusive deal for a song, you can't license it anywhere else until that term ends. Check each contract before you upload.

Will a non-exclusive sync deal let my song be used without asking me?

Usually yes. In CD Baby's program, for example, opting in grants non-exclusive rights so your music can be synced without your direct approval for each use. If you want approval over sensitive uses, pitch directly or negotiate that into an agency deal.

Does sync pay royalties if my song is in a YouTube video or Instagram post?

Social platforms generally carry their own performance licenses. ASCAP notes that videos posted only to YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram generally don't need a separate performance license from the creator. Whether you earn from those uses depends on your distributor's content ID and publishing setup, not on a cue sheet.

What genres get licensed most?

Supervisors license every genre, so the brief decides. Dark, cinematic, and instrumental-friendly tracks often fit trailers, games, and drama scenes, especially when you can deliver an instrumental and stems.