What Is a Sync License?

A sync license is permission from the owner of a musical composition to use that song in timed relation with moving images, such as a film, TV show, ad, game or online video. It is granted by the music publisher (or a self-published songwriter). If you want to use an existing recording of the song, you also need a separate master use license from whoever owns that recording, usually the record label.

What "sync" means

"Sync" is short for synchronization. The term comes from film, where music is locked to picture. Today it covers any use where music plays alongside visual content.

Every recorded song has two separate copyrights:

• The composition. The melody, harmony and lyrics written by the songwriters. Publishers usually control this on the writers' behalf.
• The master recording. One specific recorded performance of that composition. A label or the artist usually owns this.

A sync license deals with the composition. A master use license deals with the recording. They are different contracts with different owners, and you normally need both.

Who grants a sync license

The publisher, for the composition

The publisher, or the songwriter if they handle their own publishing, grants the sync license. Many songs have several writers with different publishers. Each one controls a share. You need approval from every share you plan to use.

Sync is not a compulsory license. In the US, the compulsory license under 17 U.S.C. §115 applies to audio-only recordings, and the US Copyright Office notes that sound accompanying a motion picture or other audiovisual work is excluded from that system. So the owner can say no, or set any price.

The same is true in Germany. GEMA states in its licensing guide that the right to combine music with images or film is generally granted by the rights holders themselves (author and publisher), not by GEMA. GEMA also does not grant consent for advertising spots. In the UK, sync for commercial songs is also normally negotiated directly with the publisher.

The label, for the master

If you want the original recording, you also need a master use license from the master owner. Kobalt's sync FAQ puts it plainly: if you use an existing master, "you will need authorization for its use as well." The label that first released a recording usually owns it, but rights can move through catalog sales or reversions.

If you record your own version of the song, you skip the master use license. You still need the sync license from the publisher.

Typical uses that need a sync license

• Film. Background music, songs in scenes, opening or closing credits, trailers.
• TV. Series, documentaries, reality shows, promos.
• Advertising. TV, cinema, online and social ads. These are often the most tightly negotiated uses.
• Video games. In-game music, menus, cutscenes and trailers.
• YouTube and social media. Brand content, creator videos, podcasts with video, corporate videos.
• Events and presentations. Recorded event videos, product launches and similar.

A platform's own music library, if it has one, only covers what its terms say. A Content ID claim on YouTube is a monetization or blocking tool. It is not a license.

What terms are negotiated

A sync request usually spells out the use in detail. Kobalt, for example, asks requesters to "be as descriptive as possible" about the project and the use. Common terms include:

• Media. Where the work will appear: TV, cinema, online, social, festivals, in-store and so on.
• Term. How long you can use the music. Kobalt gives examples ranging from six months to five years or perpetuity.
• Territory. Where the work will be shown, such as one country, Europe or worldwide.
• Type of use. Background, featured (characters react to the music), theme song, or opening or closing titles.
• Duration. How many seconds of the song you use.
• Edits. Whether you can cut, loop or remix the track. Changing lyrics usually needs separate approval.
• Exclusivity. Whether the owner may license the same song to others, for example to competing brands.
• Fee and payment terms. A one-time fee is common. Some deals add options to extend the term or territory.
• Most favored nations (MFN). Under an MFN clause, rights holders who quoted on that basis "are entitled to receive the most favorable terms that any of the involved parties receive," in Kobalt's words. In practice, if the label gets a higher fee, the publisher can claim the same, or the reverse.

What sync does not cover

A sync license does not cover public performance. When a TV show or film is broadcast or screened, performance royalties are usually handled through performing rights organizations such as ASCAP, BMI, GEMA or PRS for Music, based on cue sheets the producer files. Check who is responsible for performance licensing in your territory and for your type of use.

What drives the price

There is no standard price, and no statutory sync rate in the US, Germany or the UK. Fees are negotiated case by case. Kobalt lists several factors directly:

• Term. "The longer the license term, the higher the associated license fee."
• Media. "The wider the set of media requested, the higher the associated license fee."
• Territory. The scope of the territory affects the fee.

Other factors that commonly matter:

• How well known the song and recording are. A current hit or classic will usually cost more than a lesser-known track.
• Prominence. Featured use or a title sequence is valued differently from brief background music.
• Length of the excerpt. A few seconds is not the same as the full track.
• Type of project. Advertising, where music is tied to a brand, is often priced differently from editorial or documentary use.
• Budget and distribution. A festival short and a global campaign are different negotiations.
• Number of rights holders. More publishers and a separate master owner mean more approvals and more fees.

Be wary of anyone quoting a "typical" sync fee without context. The range is wide and depends on all of the above.

Needle drops and production music

Production music (also called library or stock music) is written to be licensed. Libraries often control both the composition and the recording, so one license can cover both.

A "needle drop" is a single use of a library track in a production. Libraries usually offer per-use licenses, blanket licenses that cover a set period or a whole series, or subscriptions. Prices and terms are set by each library. Read the license carefully. Some exclude advertising, broadcast or certain platforms.

Production music is often faster and cheaper to clear. The trade-off is that you are not using a famous commercial song.

Typical timeline

Clearing a commercial song can take time. Kobalt says that due to the high volume of requests, a sync request "may take up to 3-4 weeks," and that back-and-forth over details slows things down. A typical process looks like this:

1. Identify the rights holders. Find every publisher share for the composition and the owner of the master.
2. Send a request. Describe the project, scene, media, term, territory, duration and budget.
3. Get a quote. Each rights holder answers with a fee or a refusal. Some must also check with the songwriter or artist.
4. Negotiate. Agree on fee, MFN, credits and any edits.
5. Sign the license. Get it signed before release, not after.
6. Pay and deliver. Pay the fee and file any required cue sheets.

Start early. Last-minute requests near a broadcast or launch date give you less room to negotiate or find an alternative.

Practical tips

• Plan for both licenses unless you re-record or use production music.
• Get written approval from every publisher share, not just the largest one.
• Do not release the project while the license is still being negotiated.
• Keep a copy of every signed license with the project files.
• If the use is high value or unusual, talk to a music lawyer in your country.

Licensing through a marketplace

Clearhly is a marketplace, currently in private beta, where verified rights-holder businesses list music they control. Licensees can send a license request, negotiate terms, e-sign the license on the platform and pay through Stripe. Every rights holder on Clearhly goes through business verification and confirms, for each listing and share, that they own or control the rights they license, and your license is a contract directly between you and the rights holder. The full legal terms are in the Terms of Service.