How to License Your Music: The Ultimate Guide

Licensing is a smart way to diversify your revenue streams, so here’s how to get started

A quick trip to a site like What Is That Song? is all it takes to understand how effective song licensing can be at piquing the public’s interest in your music. Getting your music placed in a commercial, TV episode, movie, or video game can greatly extend your fan base while also providing a hearty line of passive income. It’s also just a really cool flex. Why, yes that is my song in the truck commercial, thank you for asking. 

While you can hope that a music coordinator rings you up to ask to license one of your most impressive tunes, you probably don’t want to count on it. Here’s what you need to know about how to license your music.

How to License Your Music for Film & TV: A Guide

Let’s start with the basics: Sync licensing occurs when, as a copyright owner, an artist grants a music synchronization (sync) license to a licensee, for the purposes of adding that music to visual media like a movie. Sometimes the video creator knows exactly what song they want, and in those cases, the music coordinator reaches out directly to the artist. In most cases, however, the creator is looking for music that evokes a particular mood. Asks can be definitive, such as “up-tempo Latin-inspired instrumental” or suggestive, like “luxurious and earthy.” It all depends on the creator’s vision and musical vocabulary.

The most common way artists license their music is by working with a publisher. Publishers typically have higher fees than other services, but they also tend to have access to more and larger-profile clients. Ad agencies, film studios, and TV networks all work with different music publishers. They’ll take a cut of your royalties, but can also sign you to multiple deals at a time, so the math may still come out in your favor. 

You also have the option of uploading your music to an online marketplace. These libraries are valuable resources for video creators without the influence (or budget) of larger productions. Terms and abilities differ from marketplace to marketplace, so it’s smart to do your research before committing to any one in particular.

Our post on How to License Your Music for Film & TV: A Guide goes into more detail about the different avenues you have for getting your work out there.

What’s the Average Cost of a Sync License?

So there’s money to be made, but just how much is the real question. The answer, as is usually the case with these sorts of things, is “It depends.” Taylor Swift could charge far more for the use of her music than an upcoming indie artist, for example. Song placement in a Super Bowl ad can net a tidy sum — as much as a million dollars — while background music for a reality show won’t be quite as profitable (but could still be worth thousands). 

The cost of a sync license is also influenced by how in-demand the style of music is for that type of production. While Taylor Swift could likely still charge a lot for her experimentation with Mongolian throat singing simply because of who she is, her more familiar tunes like “Shake It Off” will always be in higher demand and thus worth more. 

Another consideration when pondering the possible revenue stream that sync licenses will present is whether you make the deal directly, go through a publisher, or host your work on an online marketplace. As we discussed above, there are pros and cons to each approach, one of which being the easier the method is to use, the less you’re likely to make from it. 

Learn more about sync license payments by reading What’s the Average Cost of a Sync License?

How Does a Sync License Agreement Work?

While a good lawyer is a musician’s best friend, it never hurts to have a fundamental understanding of how a sync license agreement actually works. First, the value and terms of the agreement will likely depend on the kind of video content — a video game versus a commercial, for example — as well as the notoriety of the artist. In general, however, the agreement will cover whether the creator can re-record the song, the context in which it will be used, and the locations — as in US-only, globally, etc. — the license covers. 

That’s fairly obvious, but an agreement can also spell out the creator’s obligation to actually use the music they’ve licensed (or not), if they can use the title of the song as the title of their project, and other considerations. This sample template for a sync license agreement includes the basics, but consider it as a starting point; your agreement won’t necessarily be identical. 

Read How Does a Sync License Agreement Work? for further details, including the difference between a sync license and a master license. 

The Definitive List of Sync Licensing Companies

Sync licensing companies bridge the gap between you and people who need music for their projects. While once they dealt primarily with broadcast TV and advertising, now they also cover streaming content, video games, and even background music for shopping malls. As mentioned previously, you don’t have to use a sync licensing company, but it’s inarguably the easiest way for the average musician to get their music in front of as broad a range of potential licensees as possible.

Each company has its own guidelines and legal requirements to submit your music. Generally speaking, they’ll want you to have 100% of the rights to your songs to avoid complications with payment. Some services are happy to host your entire catalog, others only want you to submit one or two. Some require exclusive rights to that song, others are fine with you licensing it elsewhere, and some will have a pay differential between the two. None of these scenarios are inherently more or less beneficial than others; all that matters is that you’re aware of and comfortable with a particular company’s specifics. 

For our list of sync licensing companies, hybrids, libraries, and organizations specializing in royalty-free music, read The Definitive List of Sync Licensing Companies.

There’s a great deal of opportunity once you know how to license your music, but don’t overlook the many other kinds of passive income your work can provide. At Trqk, we use data science and business intelligence to catch payments other organizations may have missed. Our mission is to help keep the music creator economy transparent and fair because we’re musicians and music execs ourselves. Visit our homepage to learn more!