What You Need for Sync Licensing: The Complete Sync-Ready Checklist
To license your music for film, TV, advertising, trailers, and games, your catalog needs three things in place: the right audio files, clean one-stop rights, and complete registration. When a music supervisor wants your track, the window to say yes is hours, not weeks. The artists who get placed are the ones who are already prepared.
What audio files do you need for sync licensing?
Every track delivered as uncompressed WAV (24-bit / 48kHz), organized in folders by song. For each song we prepare the full set of mixes a supervisor may ask for:
- Full Master Mix. The final, finished record.
- Instrumental Mix. The full track with no vocals. Essential when dialogue runs over the music.
- A Cappella Mix. The vocal isolated, so an editor can feature a single line or hook.
- TV Mix. Background vocals retained, lead vocal removed. The broadcast standard.
- Clean Mix. Explicit language muted or replaced. Required for advertising and family programming.
What are stems, and why does sync licensing need them?
Stems are the song split into separate stereo groups, so an editor can rebalance the track to picture. Bounce each from the exact same start timestamp so they line up:
- Drums and Percussion.
- Bass.
- Instruments. All guitars, synths, and keys, grouped together.
- Vocals. All lead and background vocals, grouped together.
What track data and metadata does a placement need?
Accurate metadata is what makes a catalog searchable, licensable, and payable. For every song we log:
- Confirmed BPM and musical key for each track.
- Final title, songwriters, and split percentages.
- ISRC code for every recording.
What rights do you need to clear for sync licensing?
This is where most placements fall apart. A supervisor will pass on a great track rather than risk a rights dispute. Before we pitch, your catalog needs:
- One-stop control of both sides. You control the master and the publishing, so the work clears with a single signature.
- Signed split sheets confirming every contributor's share.
- Zero uncleared samples. A single unlicensed sample makes a track ineligible for sync.
- Releases from session musicians and any work-for-hire contributors.
How does registration affect your sync royalties?
Proper registration makes sure you actually get paid when a placement airs and re-airs:
- A performing rights organization (PRO) such as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC, with the work registered and splits filed.
- SoundExchange for digital performance royalties.
- ISRC codes embedded across the catalog, plus clean metadata.
What makes a catalog pitch-ready for music supervisors?
Finally, the materials that let us put your music in front of the right people fast:
- A private, streamable catalog link.
- Genre, mood, and tempo tags, plus a couple of reference artists per track.
- Current rights and contact details a supervisor can grab in seconds.
Sync Licensing, Answered
What is sync licensing?
Sync (synchronization) licensing is the permission to pair a piece of music with visual media: film, television, advertising, trailers, video games, and online content. It requires licensing both the master recording and the underlying composition.
What do you need to get your music ready for sync?
Three things: deliverable audio (uncompressed WAV master mixes, alternate mixes, and stems), clean one-stop rights (master and publishing under your control, signed splits, no uncleared samples), and complete registration (a PRO, SoundExchange, ISRC codes, and accurate metadata).
What audio mixes do music supervisors ask for?
Most commonly a full master mix, an instrumental, an a cappella, a TV mix (lead vocal removed, harmonies retained), and a clean mix when there is explicit language. Delivering all of them up front means you can say yes the moment an opportunity comes.
Why do most sync placements fall through?
Unclear or split ownership. If a supervisor cannot clear both the recording and the song quickly and from one source, they move on to a track they can. One-stop rights are the single biggest advantage you can have.
Do you need to register with a PRO for sync licensing?
Yes. Registration with a performing rights organization (ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC), along with SoundExchange and ISRC codes, is what ensures you collect performance royalties every time a placement airs.
Davy Agency preps your audio, buttons up the paperwork and registration, and pitches your catalog to our music-industry network, so a placement never falls apart on a clearance question. Based in Portland, working with indie artists and labels everywhere.
Book A Discovery Call See Sync Services