The Underrated Significance of Syncs
Syncs provide artists an opportunity for visibility on top of the potential for increased social engagement and streaming numbers.
Music makes up the emotional backbone of many key moments in visual media. A “synchronization” (sync for short) is the attachment of a song onto visual media. These syncs are previously made music, licensed to a company to be used in media or content specifically made for a project. Music supervisors typically make the decisions behind sync selections.
The importance of sync placements often loses traction within the constant shuffling done by music industry stakeholders, but UnitedMasters’ Director of Artist Operations Traci Tolmaire broke down why syncs need more emphasis among rising artists.
OPPORTUNITIES SYNC PLACEMENTS CREATE
Syncs provide artists an opportunity for visibility on top of the obvious potential for increased social engagement and streaming numbers. This exposure in various media creates a moment for not just an artist, but the artist’s fanbase.
“In terms of visibility, the NBA collectively on all of [its] social media has an audience of tens of millions of people,” Traci explained. “Even if 300,000 people view [the content your music is featured on], that’s a win. How many opportunities do you have to get your music in front of 300,000 ears in one shot? Every opportunity is valuable.”
THE SYNC PROCESS
Major labels sometimes keep sync opportunities gated away, which makes UnitedMasters’ partnerships with established brands like Bose and the NBA a welcoming door for independent artists to enter. Rather than filtering through a list of soulless songs, clients come to UnitedMasters with the ability to choose rich content from diverse, hungry creatives.
“If you’re with UnitedMasters, and we have a music licensing partnership with a particular client, that means they’re coming specifically to us to discover and select music. The partnership dictates that UM will deliver x amount of songs,” Traci said. “As a UM artist, you don’t have to worry about getting to that client’s music team because the access is available via UM.”
Although music briefs vary from project to project, upbeat, high-energy songs with positive lyrics are the best candidates for sync placements in commercials and TV shows.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM LANDING A SYNC
Will a placement on a big social media account’s post or a movie transform your career overnight? Probably not, but progress for artists comes from relying on resourcefulness to share the moment on their channels.
But, once you land a sync placement, “You’ve got tangibles that you can actually share with your fanbase on social media and use to continue to market yourself so other music supervisors or music companies can see that and maybe reach out to you about a particular song,” Traci said.
WHAT YOU’RE RESPONSIBLE FOR
Syncs offer an underutilized, potentially consistent revenue stream, but opportunities will be lost if your paperwork isn’t in order. Mindfulness of the legal structure of your agreement(s) with collaborators - including producers, writers, and featured artists - keeps you informed of who to contact in the event a sync opportunity comes your way.
Once your songs are recorded, and you have a signed producer agreement, create a split sheet between you and the other songwriters. Without this, getting your music cleared is more difficult, putting your opportunity to land a sync in jeopardy.
KEY TERMS
Sync – is a process where songs are combined with moving images – film, TV series, advertisements, video games, trailers, etc.
Music supervisor – A professional hired by a production company to oversee all aspects of music for a project. This includes but is not limited to working with a composer, pitching songs, clearing songs, managing budgets, and negotiating deals.
Split sheet – an agreement that lists each songwriter (including producers, if applicable) and their percentage ownership of the composition.