Syncs That Sell: Placing Pop Music in Ads, TV, and Film

Ever wondered how pop music gets on TV shows, movies and advertising? It’s all thanks to music sync licensing. And it can be a pretty murky world if you’re a solo DIY producer and artist. Even established artists can find it challenging to get into popular media.

That’s because it doesn’t matter if your tracks are released on all the platforms; if they’re not in the right format, specifically licensed for syncing, or in the places where sync agents are looking, you won’t get picked up.

Let’s help you tackle the main sticking points. We’ll start with the technical stuff – the “must-haves” – before we get onto the grey areas of pitching and matters of taste.

How to make your music sync-ready: production and post

The tracks you release on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Deezer, and all the other streaming services, are known as the “master mixes”. Master mixes contain everything as you intended in your vision – all the instruments and vocals, full length, no cuts, edits, censorship… Just your songs, as they are.

But TV and film syncing almost always requires “alt mixes”.

Alt mixes are specifically made for media where there might be a voiceover, characters talking, or characters singing the song – film, TV, ads, and musicals.

Before you start trying to get into music sync licensing, you need to have a master mix and alt mixes ready. The alt mixes you need depend on the library, but there are some typical requirements that are often asked for.

Vocal down mix

This is exactly the same as the master mix, but the main vocal is turned down significantly. While still audible, it will be out of the way of dialogue, voiceovers and other sounds.

Vocal up mix

Again, exactly the same as the master mix, but the main vocal is turned up significantly. Useful for atmosphere in film where other post effects will be applied.

No lead vocal mix

This has the main vocal turned off completely, with all other instruments (including backing vocals and harmonies) still in place. Useful for when a character will sing the lead vocal.

Vocal only mix

Also called “a capella”, this is a vocal mix with no accompaniment. Useful for atmosphere in film where other instruments and post effects will be applied, or for characters to mime to.

Instrumental mix

All vocals (main, backing, harmonies) are turned off – only the instrumental arrangement remains.

Stems and multitracks

In rare cases, you may need to provide stems and multitracks. This gives the mixer working on the ad, movie or show maximum control over the final result, and allows them to alter the arrangement and vibe to fit the story better. It also allows cuts and transitions to be more seamless and controlled.

Stems are instruments or vocals grouped together with all effects applied, and bounced out or exported as a stereo audio file. Some examples are having all the vocals bounced down as a vocal stem, all the drums and percussion as a drum stem, all the synths and keyboards as a stem, or all guitar parts out as a stem.

Multitracks are every single, individual track (kick drum, snare drum, hi hats, main vocal, backing vocal, guitar 1, guitar 2, bass synth, bass guitar… etc.) bounced out as individual audio tracks. So, if your DAW session has 30 tracks in it (not including groups/busses), you will need to output 30 multitrack files.

What file format does music sync licensing use?

48kHz 24bit WAV files are the standard.

TV, advertising, and film tend to always work with 48kHz digital audio files, because it perfectly syncs with common frame rates (24, 25, 30, and 60fps) and is the native format for modern streaming platforms.

To increase your chances of securing sync placements, make sure your music is professionally produced and mastered. Music supervisors prefer tracks and alt mixes that are ready for immediate use, and don’t need “touching up”.

Now – with the technical stuff out the way, let’s move on to pitching…

Getting into music sync libraries

Time to hunt for a library that’ll work for you. You need to find a library with music somewhat similar to yours – that is, your kind of vibe.

Libraries like Soundstripe, Music Gateway, Music Vine, and many more, work on royalties; paying you for use of your music in media. Your cut depends on the library, but Music Gateway as an example gives you 50% to 80%.

Check out PRS for Music (and become a member if you’re not already) and search their library database. PRS distributes your licensed royalties back to you, no matter where you get played. It’s an ultra useful tool to have on your side, so don’t skimp on it.

Pitch to these libraries with what you’ve got, but make sure it’s a fit with what they’re looking for. Have your alt mixes and/or stems ready – and make sure to provide them with genre, tempo in BPM, key, lyrics, and any other crucial information.

Royalties can be paid annually or monthly – so read the fine print.

Repeat work

You might find that one library just clicks with you. Others might be on the fringes, but most musicians form a close relationship with a library that suits them, and stick with them. Some libraries (like Music Gateway) prefer exclusives from their artists, but don’t demand it, instead offering higher rates for exclusive content. Some are exclusive-only.

Although it should go without saying, be good to your contacts and sync managers. This is still a people business, and it’s the only reason AI-generated music hasn’t completely wiped it out yet!

If you do great work but more importantly, are great to work with, you will outcompete everyone for repeat work. Even the folks you think are more talented.

Give them everything they need, on time and on brief, and you’ll be golden!

Urban Rebel – pop music PR

Urban Rebel is a music PR agency for the most exciting emerging talent and established acts. Get music sync licensing deals that pay royalties and give you repeat work, with a pop music PR specialist to guide you all the way.