Introduction:
I’ve chosen to center my research portfolio on Sync Licensing Managing. As a songwriting student, it is important for me to understand the commercial side of music. Today, sync is one of the most important methods of revenue for songwriters, it pays much more than streams. Seeing as I will therefore probably come to work with sync licensing managers in the future, it is useful to understand what they look for in a songwriter, so that I can incorporate those things into my work, thus better giving me professional opportunities.
Concretely, a sync licensing manager is the professional responsible for pairing music to visual media such as: film, television, adverts, video games, trailers, etc. They facilitate communication between the music rights holders (songwriters, publishers etc), and those who need music (advertising agencies, production companies etc). Due to the rise of platforms such as Netflix, Youtube and activities such as gaming, there is an increased demand for music in media, thus reinforcing the need for sync licensing managers.
I/ What are the academic and professional qualifications and/or experience required to enter the profession?
In order to become a sync licensing manager there is no specific degree that is required. However music business or music industry studies, law, or more generally marketing or business studies are quite sought after. Law is quite sought after because being a sync licensing manager requires being able to read and sign legally binding contracts. There is also room to be made for songwriting and production studies, due to the sheer amount of general musical knowledge those degrees come with. Whilst these degrees might help become a sync licensing manager, they aren’t absolutely fundamental, they will definitely help, but industry experience is more crucial.
According to UK Music, many people working in sync don’t actually have a degree specific to music, but rather a general business degree, however the article does highlight the benefits of having a music degree for this profession. It also says that entry routes can be found through apprenticeships and internships at record labels, publishers, and of course sync agencies. Entry level roles include sync coordinator, catalogue assistant or licensing administrator.
What employers in sync look for is immense musical knowledge across all genres (i.e. someone that has studied music catalogues), as well as an understanding of the role of music in a visual context. It is also crucial to understand copyright and licensing structures.
II/ What knowledge, skills and personal qualities/attributes are needed for success?
When it comes to musical knowledge required to work in sync, knowledge about genres, eras and styles is crucial, but you also need the ability to analyse a track quickly, as browsing music catalogues is a huge part of the job. This means amongst other things being able to understand a song’s structure, and its emotional impact on the listener. It is also important to have knowledge about trends in media, whether that be in films, advertisements, or TV. One also needs technical knowledge about copyright laws, licensing, royalties (PROs: PRS and MCPS for the UK, ASCAP, and BMI for the US), and also to an extent, law, in order to fully understand contracts.
Now the professional skills required are much more business focused. Negotiation is crucial in order to come to a satisfying deal between the rights holders and the clients looking to buy the music. Being able to pitch music to project supervisors is also an essential skill, which requires skills in communication, in order to explain how the music picked suits the brief that was given. On a more general level, it is important to have good organisational skills. You are expected to be able to filter quickly through the music catalogues that you have already analysed, and you will work in a setting where collaboration is at the core so you will need to work with a tight timetable to make the most out of meetings.
The qualities that one needs include sociability, conversational skills and relationship building. In Berklee College of Music – Music Licensing 101: How to Sync Your Music, it is said that it isn’t just about networking, it is also about learning from others, whether it’s musical knowledge or general knowledge. Furthermore, since in the business world rejection is very common, persistence becomes an important skill. One should never lose hope after rejection. Rejection is a learning opportunity in negotiation. Finally, good intuition and the ability to read the room are both necessary in order to get deals done.
III/ What are the duties and responsibilities of the profession – what does a typical day’s work involve?
Receiving and responding to briefs: Project supervisors that are looking for music will send in a brief, detailing the required mood, tempo, genre, era, vocal/instrumental, budget, deadline etc. The sync licensing manager must then curate a number of tracks that respond as well as possible to the brief, and pitch them to the project supervisors. This leads me to the next duty which is:
Pitching music: According to Play MPE – Music Supervisors, Sync Agents and Licensing for Film & TV, “sync agents represent artists and labels during [the pitching of their songs]”. Once they have chosen the appropriate tracks, they must prepare certain materials in order to present these tracks. These materials include: audio files, lyrics, and clearance info. Once they have collected all of this, they must send a playlist with all the tracks along with notes about why the pieces were chosen and how they fit the task.
Negotiating and closing deals: This is the business aspect of settling sync fees. These fees vary depending on what use of the music is being made, on the territory where the media will be accessible, how long the track will last, and on the exclusivity of the track. It is crucial to keep clear communication with the rights holders. They are the ones who need to sign off on clearance and splits issues. The final stage that the sync licensing manager needs to do before all the paperwork is due is to draft licensing agreements and review them.
Relationship building: You are going to start to meet music or project supervisors, ad agencies, or production companies regularly as a sync licensing manager. Thus building a name for yourself is important. Ideally you must also attend industry events, screenings, and networking functions. You must also maintain regular contact with existing clients in order to facilitate new deals, and build trust so supervisors come to you first with new briefs.
IV/ What are the main financial and legal issues that impact on this profession?
In most sync placements, there is a requirement to use a dual license. ASCAP – How To Acquire Music For Films states this is because to put music on the media you require a sync license that applies to the composition and is paid to the songwriters/publishers and you need a master license, which covers the exact recording being used, thus being paid to the artist, or often label who owns it. Many songs also feature co-writers who own a percentage of the composition. Because of this, the rights are often split amongst multiple parties. And all of them must agree in order to be able to use the music, which can sometimes complicate negotiations. Disputes about splits amongst co-writers can delay a sync placement which can kill a deal, which is why co-writers must communicate about these issues beforehand.
Sync fees vary largely depending on the type of media, the size of it, the prominence of the music in the media (background music or featured), the territory where the media is being showcased, the duration of the track, and finally the exclusivity, i.e. whether the track is going to be used in other medias too or if it is exclusive to this sync placement. Because of this it is important to detail all of this in contracts and be careful not to leave out information, because errors of ambiguity can lead to legal issues.
Performance Rights Organisations (PROs): In the UK → PRS (performance) and MCPS (mechanical royalties). Songs must be registered to ensure artists are being paid. Sync placements generate both upfront payments, but also royalties when the media is aired. The sync licensing manager must ensure that the registration of the track to these PROs is done, to avoid legal issues.
An uncleared track is a track that hasn’t received the permission required to be used in sync. This can be because the artist didn’t have the rights to use a certain sample that has been used in the track for instance. It is therefore important for sync licensing managers to be careful to pick cleared tracks when pitching.
V/ What would the potential marketing and promotional aspects of this profession look like?
As has been highlighted multiple times before in this research portfolio, being a good sync licensing manager means holding good relationships with people from both the media and music industry. According to Sync Con – About, Music supervisors in projects will often first go to people they have already worked with and trust. It is therefore important to build a real connection with people in the industry, more so than rely on traditional marketing strategies, because in such a small world, reputation spreads quickly through mouth to mouth.
Having playlists ready for specific supervisors or agencies is a must. Having them easily accessible, with descriptive notes for each track will enhance any of your collaborators’ experience. Additionally having a portfolio with any previous placements is a must.
As anything else in the music and media industry, it is important to have online presence and a platform to communicate and market through. This can also help curate your brand, which can help find clients looking for something very specific. If you specialise in something, for instance indie, or rock, you can market that on social media. This comes without saying but being responsive to Direct Messages and Mails is important to maintain a good reputation too.
VI/ What are the intellectual and personal challenges presented by the profession and how might these be dealt with?
Rejection is very common in sync. According to London Sound Academy – Introduction to Sync Licensing, supervisors receive hundreds of pitches for every project. It is important not to take rejection personally and rather use it to learn and refine your approach to pitching and choosing music for projects.
Each supervisor you work with will be different. Music is objectively subjective. Therefore developing a true connection with the supervisors you work with is crucial in order to better understand what they are looking for. You need to be able to adapt to each supervisor.
Keeping up with trends can also be quite challenging. However trends are incredibly temporal, they may not do well in the long run. So you need to keep new music in mind, but also music of different/older eras.
Finally, it is very organisationally challenging to be a sync licensing manager. You have to deal with tight deadlines, and learn to manage multiple stakeholders. You need great communication skills, in order to best coordinate your client and the artists.
VII/ What career-progression/development opportunities are available within the profession?
According to Music Gateway – Music Sync Licensing, in order to start out in sync, it is recommended to seek a music supervisor internship or to start out as an assistant. Most entry level roles in this sector resemble internships or assistant roles. You could for instance start out as a licensing assistant at a label. Otherwise it is possible to start out as a catalogue admin.
The next level is probably to become a sync licensing manager, or a sync director.
Finally, the last level would be to head of sync and run an entire sync department, which would involve managing full teams, or VP of Sync Licensing, which would be the executive level in major publishers or labels. Otherwise, you could try eventually starting your own sync company, or become a music supervisor.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, sync licensing managers play an important role in connecting music and visual media. Sync is the main and a much more profitable and secure stream of revenue for Artists and Songwriters. This is fueled by the growth of media platforms that therefore require more and more music.
This profession requires both musical knowledge, as well as business skills. Being legally and financially literate is essential, as well as being adaptable and sociable in order to build trust and long lasting relationships with industry professionals.
2100 Words
Bibliography:
ASCAP (no date) How To Acquire Music For Films. Available at: https://www.ascap.com/help/career-development/How-To-Acquire-Music-For-Films
Berklee College of Music (2023) Music Licensing 101: How to Sync Your Music. Available at: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/music-licensing-101-how-to-sync-your-music
London Sound Academy (2024) Introduction to Sync Licensing: What Every Music Producer Should Know. Available at: https://www.londonsoundacademy.com/blog/introduction-to-sync-licensing-what-every-music-producer-should-know
Music Gateway (no date) Music Sync Licensing. Available at: https://www.musicgateway.com/music-licensing-companies-sync-licensing
Play MPE (2024) Music Supervisors, Sync Agents and Licensing for Film & TV. Available at: https://www.plaympe.com/blog/2024/11/18/music-supervisors-sync-agents-and-licensing-for-film-tv/
Sync Con (no date) About Sync Con. Available at: https://synccon.com/about/
UK Music (2024) Sync Assistant Job Profile. Available at: https://www.ukmusic.org/job-profiles/sync-assistant/
(I wasn’t aware it was an obligation to use show. I did my assignment in google docs, then pasted it entirely here)
