The following article does not represent the opinions or recommendations of the Recording Academy or its staff.
When Kate Bush’s "Running Up That Hill" was featured on a May 2022 episode of the popular Netflix streaming series "Stranger Things," the response was staggering. First released in 1985, "Running Up That Hill" re-entered the UK singles chart, eventually reaching the No. 2 spot. In the U.S., the song peaked at No. 3. Meanwhile, Spotify streams for the 37-year-old song increased by 9,900 percent in the U.S. alone.
The renewed runaway success of Bush’s signature tune might have been unexpected, but its use in "Stranger Things" was deliberate: The song was chosen to synchronize with the onscreen images. Grieving over the death of her brother, Sadie Sink’s character Max draws strength from repeated listens to the song.
Thanks to these kinds of uses of music, songwriters and artists are finding a potential new source of strength in their own careers. And that practice of song placement in motion pictures — music sync — is one of the hottest parts of the music industry today.
Music sync offers new opportunities for songwriters and recording artists alike, whether they’re music industry veterans or young artists seeking to find their way in the music business landscape.
In its mid-year 2022 report on music revenue, the Recording Industry Association of America estimated the value of "synchronization royalties" for the first six months of the year at $178 million. That figure represents a 29.9 percent increase over the same period a year earlier. According to research service Music & Copyright, as much as 17 percent of all music publishing revenues now come from sync licensing.
What Are The Primary Markets & Emerging Opportunities For Music Sync?
The bulk of music synchronization opportunities come from the traditional markets of film, television, advertisements and gaming. Catalog music from established artists, contemporary material and new music written specifically to sync with the images on screen can all become key components in these audiovisual media.
Film and television applications account for the majority of sync uses in recent years; that growth tracks with the significant upswing in streamed content from services like Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, and Paramount+. Figures on the use of sync in gaming aren’t as easily available, but anecdotal evidence suggests that it’s greater than thought, and growing, too.
Rich Robinson of Warner Chappell Music notes that his company has observed an industry-wide increase both in sync content and in the variety of platforms for it, though more traditional media remain strong. "We've definitely seen a growth in TV over the longer term," he says, adding that the market for sync licensing in advertising can be volatile. "How [much] brands spend on advertising is intrinsically linked to the economic climate."
However, "media these days is so expansive," says Sam Loughlin, Creative Licensing & Production Services Manager at digital music distributor Music Gateway. "Podcasts, audiobooks and e-sports are huge these days. And obviously, there’s social media as well."
Global Sync Licensing Trend Report, a 2022 white paper commissioned by music licensing platform Songtradr and Digital Music News, also identified new placement opportunities in gaming, long-form web content and fitness platforms.
Wendy Griffiths, owner of sync licensing agency Truly Music, adds motion picture trailers and TV show promos to the list. Separate from the films and programs themselves, these works have their own sync needs. The market for promos of shows on various subscription streaming services are now as big of a sync market as TV or advertisements, she says.
TV network promos and the world of sports each have their own music sync needs, too. "There are so many opportunities for artists in the sports world," says Griffiths, "because they license a high volume of music." Robbie Hancock, a singer/songwriter and head of artist networking community Sync or Swim Music, adds the use of instrumental cues and slot machine music. "And overhead music: I’ve gotten music licensed for burger joints and shopping malls."
How Will Sync Be Used In Future Applications?
Technology is also driving the widening of the market for sync. Complex and evolving concepts like the metaverse (virtual- and augmented-reality experiences), web3 (a next-iteration version of the internet that employs token-based economic models) and NFTs (digital identifiers that can be sold or traded) are finding their way into modern life and popular culture — and sync opportunities are developing alongside them.
"We’re watching the development of the metaverse closely and what that will bring in terms of more sync opportunities," says Wende Crowley, Sony Music Publishing’s Senior VP of Creative Marketing, Film & TV. Robinson expresses a similar perspective and notes that at Warner Chappell, they’re following the growth in NFTs and other technologies, and the ways in which sync might figure into their futures.
Robinson points to so-called microsync or micro-licensing (for user-generated content like that found on TikTok) as another potential growth market sector. This form of sync didn't exist a decade ago.
"The industry is clearly trying to figure out how to monetize music in these metaverses and virtual worlds," notes Griffiths. And music synchronization is finding its way into those media.
Are Particular Artists Best Suited For Sync?
Music supervisors for film and TV typically provide a brief explaining their needs, and it’s the job of sync consultants to address those needs. In response, sync agents often seek to cultivate a roster of artists that’s as wide as it is deep.
For music synchronization in commercials, artists who have an existing following have an advantage, says Loughlin. But for many other sync applications, the sound and character of the music — and its suitability in a particular audiovisual context — is of greater importance than the name behind the music.
"There are probably ideal artists for different types of syncs," says Jon Mizrachi, Head of Sync at Brooklyn licensing agency Bodega Sync. "But I don't know that there's one particular kind of artist overall who's just great for everything."
He explains that every use of sync is on a project by project basis, specific to the media in which the music will be used. "Something that's really great for ads could be terrible for film and TV," he says. "Something that's good for video games could be really bad for trailers."
"Songwriters who can write emotional music that will support scenes get placed more often," says Hancock. Music supervisors for film and television often look for "a song with universal lyrics [focused upon] one emotion." He says that such sync placements are characterized not by "the artist and the song being the star, but [instead] supporting a scene, the director's vision, or the actors on screen.
"The best suited sync artist would be one that is open to studying sync," Hancock says. "They realize that there's a lot that they still need to educate [themselves] on in order to get licenses in sync, whether they're going through labels, music publishers, music libraries or direct to music supervisors."
What Types Of Music Are Popular For Sync?
"Perhaps the most intriguing sync trend of 2021 was the clear-cut preference for music that accentuated the visual media at hand," concluded the Digital Music News white paper. And that accentuating quality can take many forms, depending on the context.
In the ad world, for example, Southern rock and Americana are hot. "Automotive brands sometimes want songs with a masculine, country-style voice," says Griffiths. When it comes to film and TV, she has noticed an increasing demand for international music. "We've made a concerted effort" in that area, she says, noting that her company has even established contacts in the Eastern bloc.
Griffiths notes that many ad agencies looking for music sync want "new, cool, edgy, discover-it-first" music. At the same time, sync opportunities are by no means all about new music. "Catalog is king," says Griffiths. Her company is seeing a "revitalization of catalog and classic tracks" from the 1950s through the ‘90s — a potential opportunity for artists who have been in the business for a while. "I jump on anything from [those eras], especially if it’s a hit or has a recognizable quality."
The 2022 white paper identified dance and electronic as the genres experiencing the most popularity in sync, followed by R&B, rock, hip-hop, blues and country. Not surprisingly – against a backdrop of a global pandemic – it also identified the most popular moods evoked by sync music as happy, hopeful and uplifting.
"With ever-expanding streaming content, we have more opportunities across all genres," says Crowley. "Much more [now] than previous years where there were distinct sounds and trends that tended to sync more than others. Now we're seeing equal opportunity across the board; from Americana to hip-hop, it’s all fair game."
What Should Artists Keep In Mind When Seeking Sync Opportunities?
There’s a growing contingent of songwriters and recording artists who choose to focus primarily on creating music for sync opportunities. Such artists are often characterized not by a specific sound or style; rather, their defining quality is versatility.
Sam Loughlin, Creative Licensing & Production Services Manager at digital music distributor Music Gateway, believes that creating music in various genres is a good strategy for songwriters seeking to gain a foothold in the sync field, but he cautions against taking that approach too far.
"If someone has never written a rap track before, then they do it and it's not very good, obviously it's not going to compete with the guys that are doing rap day in and day out."
Most every industry professional interviewed for this story emphasizes one specific point. "There isn't really a right or wrong way to go about it as long as the music is authentic," says Loughlin. "Don’t chase a trend," concurs Wende Crowley, Sony Music Publishing’s Senior VP of Creative Marketing, Film & TV. "Authenticity is the key."
"The [first] things that I look for are quality production and quality songwriting, then a particular type of songwriting that’s not narrative or specific," says Mizrachi. Lyrics that mention a person’s name, a place or a brand automatically limit their potential use in sync applications. "If a song is telling its own story, it can sometimes contradict the action that is going on in the scene," Crowley says. "The more general the lyrics, the more opportunity they will have to work [with the] picture."
Who Gets Paid For Sync Licensing, And How?
The potential bragging rights and increased profile that can come from having one’s songs featured in a sync arrangement are significant. But there’s a bottom-line benefit as well, and it's important to understand how payment is structured in the world of music synchronization.
The two primary parties involved on the receiving end of sync payments are publishing rights holders and master rights holders. Publishing rights holders, explains Loughlin, "control the concept of the song: lyrics and melodies." Master rights holders control the recording itself.
As Mizrachi explains, the most common formula of distribution to those parties is 50/50, an arrangement known in the business as MFN ("Most Favored Nations"). But depending on the situation, each side can be subdivided among additional parties.
"For a famous track, these rights will likely sit with a music publisher who represents the songwriters, and a record label that will own the recording," Sam Loughlin notes. "The publisher will take their share and distribute the rest to the songwriter or songwriters, based on their contribution percentages."
Mizrachi adds that owners of publishing rights may receive "two income streams if the production is aired on television: upfront fees for licensing (paid by the production) and additional back-end performance royalties" paid by the entity that aired it.
The master rights often belong to the artist, but again, other parties can be involved. A record label may have exclusive rights to the recording or even ownership of the master recordings per a record deal with the artist. Mizrachi takes a breath and adds, "The terms of such a deal vary and can be very complicated."
Loughlin notes additional important details that shouldn’t be overlooked. "For a cover recording, the master owner usually gets less." And for independent singer-songwriter-artists who handle their own publishing and aren’t signed to a label deal, "they may own 100 percent of their rights, meaning that they receive 100 percent of the publishing and master fees."
Griffiths notes that a band generally shares publishing equally have approval rights to the manner in which their songs are used; songwriters who own a small percentage of the copyright generally defer to the artist/band member with a larger share. As always, there’s an important and major exception: When an artist sells their catalog — as many classic artists have done of late — they give up those approval rights.
"If the artist wants to control the master and copyright, they need work-for-hire agreements with everyone contributing to the work," Hancock cautions. "That includes engineers and producers that they have hired." The alternative, he notes, is to cut those parties in as collaborators. In that case they, too, are entitled to a share.
Sorting out as many potential conflicts or complications as possible before pursuing sync opportunities is important, says Hancock. He encourages artists and songwriters to make sure their music is easy to clear for use. "Have a designation for power of attorney to ensure they only need to go to one person to license the music," he advises.
In film and television, music supervisors are often the people who make decisions regarding sync. "They want you to have your ducks in a row by pre-clearing your music before it even gets to them," Hancock emphasizes. "The last thing a music supervisor wants — especially if, say, the show is airing tomorrow — is to have to talk to five band members about the deal."
What Does The Future Of Sync Look (And Sound) Like?
The widespread demand for music synchronization means that music supervisors are on the lookout for music of most every kind. That means that artists who choose not to allow sync of their music could be met with a dismissive shrug.
"If you're like, ‘I'm too cool to license my music,’ [for television]" Mizrachi explains, ". "There are going to be 20 other artists with music that can accomplish the same thing."
British singer/songwriter Bishop Briggs has two albums, two EPs and a Billboard hit ("River," No. 3 on the U.S. Alternative Chart) to her credit' she's also found success in the world of music sync. According to online database Tunefind.com, Briggs has placed 31 songs in 153 sync appearances. "Whenever my music gets synced, it feels like I get to be a tiny part of the storytelling of whichever moment it’s placed in," she tells GRAMMY.com.
To date, Australian artist Tones & I has released one album, an EP and a dozen-plus singles including the worldwide No. 1 smash "Dance Monkey." Sync licensing is turning into a significant part of her career, too: 12 of her songs have shown up across more than 55 sync placements. "Sync gives [my songs] a whole new life, and a pathway for the music to reach further than imagined," she says.
A songwriter himself – and one with 1,500 successful sync placements – Hancock offers a bit of wisdom on the subject of music synchronization. "As musicians, we [should] do more of what we can control – which is make more music – and then trust our partners to place the music."
And he urges artists to not let rejection discourage them. If a given song is passed over for a particular project, "It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it," he says. "It just means that it's not the right fit for that specific use, whether it's a film or TV show or documentary or commercial. Just keep going and keep putting out music."
"Big things are happening in the multibillion-dollar sync space," concludes the Digital Music News white paper. "And even bigger things are on the way." For artists interested in pursuing sync, the future looks bright. "I've been doing this for almost 20 years," says Mizrachi. "There are more sync opportunities now than there have ever been."