Near Future of the Music Sync Licensing Industry

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗰

Sync licensing is no longer a side hustle for the music industry—it’s a core revenue stream. With the explosion of streaming platforms, video content, and independent creators, the demand for high-quality, licensed music has skyrocketed. Sync is often a win-win, providing artists with exposure and income while giving media creators the perfect sonic backdrop for their work. But this increased demand has highlighted glaring inefficiencies in the current system that can no longer be ignored.

𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸

𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲-𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗹: The manual nature of sync clearance—tracking down rights holders, negotiating terms, and waiting for approvals—often takes weeks, if not months. This is an eternity in today’s fast-paced production timelines.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽: The fragmented nature of music rights is a major bottleneck. It’s not uncommon for a single song to have multiple publishers, each requiring separate clearances. This complexity frustrates both licensees and licensors, driving some media producers to opt for royalty-free alternatives.

𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀: Emerging artists often struggle to get their music noticed by music supervisors. Similarly, supervisors waste countless hours digging through cluttered catalogs or sifting through submissions that don’t match their needs.

𝗢𝗽𝗮𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀: Lack of standardization in pricing makes budgeting for sync licenses a guessing game for producers, leading to misunderstandings and stalled negotiations.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

To avoid the "iceberg" the article warns of, we need to embrace automation and innovation while retaining the human touch that makes sync licensing a creative endeavor.

𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱, 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀: A global rights database with up-to-date ownership information would simplify the clearance process. That dirty word blockchain or similar technologies could provide a transparent record of rights.

𝗔𝗜-𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: AI algorithms can potentially match music to briefs faster and more accurately, helping supervisors find the perfect track in minutes rather than days.

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀: Comprehensive platforms that combine rights clearance, negotiation, and payment into one seamless process would reduce friction and improve user experience for both buyers and sellers.

𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀: Automation can also bring consistency to pricing by considering factors like usage, territory, and duration while allowing flexibility for custom deals.

𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆-𝗪𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀: The industry needs to come together to agree on standard terms, pricing ranges, and licensing practices. This will provide clarity and trust for all stakeholders.

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲

The road to modernization isn’t without hurdles.

𝗥𝗲𝗹𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: 

Many stakeholders, particularly in publishing, are hesitant to adopt new systems or share data.

𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀: 

Sync licensing has traditionally been relationship-driven. While automation can streamline workflows, it’s vital to maintain the personal connections that foster trust and creativity.

𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 

Building and maintaining the infrastructure for a global rights database or AI-driven platform requires significant investment.

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲... if you need help with the music licensing process for your project feel free to reach out. 

I specialize in the "convoluted negotiation/approval/clearance/licensing/invoicing process" that Tom mentioned in his article. Send a message to me via the Music Clearance Help Desk at the link in the comments.

#music #licensing #sync #rights