What sync is and why it pays
A sync placement is your music used in visual media, an ad, a film, a series, a game, in exchange for a licence fee (and sometimes ongoing royalties). Because a single placement can pay more than months of streaming, sync is one of the most valuable channels an independent artist has.
Getting a track sync-ready, in order
- Clear the rights first. One-stop, undisputed ownership so a supervisor can license fast. Uncleared samples or messy splits kill placements before anything else matters, sort your rights before you pitch anywhere.
- Get the metadata right. Writers and splits, ISRC and ISWC, tempo, and mood, all filled in and correct, not approximate.
- Tag by mood and use, not just genre, "tense build" or "underdog triumph" surfaces for a brief in a way "indie rock" doesn't.
- Prepare a stripped instrumental or stem version alongside the full mix, supervisors often need to duck vocals under dialogue.
Who to reach, and how to pitch
Music supervisors, sync agents, ad agencies, and production houses place music. Reach the ones who work with your kind of sound, our Labels and Agencies directory includes agencies and context on who to approach. Send sync-ready tracks tagged for mood and use, with a short note and one-stop ownership stated clearly upfront, don't make them ask. Speed matters: supervisors work to deadlines, so friction loses placements. Both existing tracks and bespoke work to a brief are routes in.
The India angle
Ad films, OTT series, and regional cinema are active sync markets in India. Regional-language and distinctive independent music can stand out for briefs that want something beyond stock.
The takeaway
Make your catalogue sync-ready, keep ownership clean, and build relationships with the people who place music. The Playbook has a sync-ready checklist, the Answers hub covers sync metadata and clearance, and the programme can prep your catalogue and introductions.