How to Get Your Music in TV Shows: A Beginner's Guide
Every time you hear a song in a TV show, someone got permission to use it. That permission is called a sync license, and independent artists can earn from it just like major-label artists can.
What "sync" means
Sync is short for synchronization: putting music together with picture. TV shows, films, commercials, video games, trailers and online videos all use synced music.
Who chooses the songs
- Music supervisors pick the music for a show and handle getting the rights.
- Music libraries hold catalogs of ready-to-license songs that editors search by mood, genre and tempo.
- Sync agents pitch your music for you in exchange for a share of the fee.
How you get paid
- The sync fee, paid up front when the license is signed. It's split between the composition side and the recording (master) side.
- Performance royalties, paid through your performing rights organization (PRO), such as ASCAP, BMI or SESAC in the U.S., when the show airs. You must be registered with a PRO to collect these.
Fees vary a lot depending on the budget and how the song is used, so be careful of anyone who promises a specific amount.
Five steps to get ready
- Register with a PRO as a writer, and as your own publisher if you can.
- Fill out and sign a split sheet with everyone who wrote or produced the song.
- Export a full mix, an instrumental, a clean version, and 30- and 60-second cuts.
- Add metadata (title, writers, PRO, contact email, mood words) to every file.
- Research music libraries and read their submission rules before you send anything.
The biggest mistake new artists make
Music supervisors usually work on tight deadlines. Many great songs get passed over not because they're bad, but because nobody can quickly confirm who owns them. Make your songs easy to clear and you'll stand out.