Synch Writer Tips

There are many routes to the monetization of music. Of course, streaming and radio play can generate a substantial portion of your yearly profits, but some writers choose to focus more specifically on obtaining synchronization licenses. Sync writers craft songs that can be used by for advertisements, background music in television, or trailers for movies. The payoffs can be massive, but the rules for writing this type of music are different.

If you’re going to tackle the world of sync, you need to change your lyrical approach. Most sync hits address big themes in a vague way. Ideas about family, togetherness, money, travel, or betterment permeate the sync industry and the songs that win more syncs often tackle these themes without specificity. Sync songs avoid timestamps, names of cities, or overwrought detail. You wouldn’t write “I want three dollars in Kentucky to buy a cotton coat,” instead you might say “I want money.” The distillation of lyrical concepts to their most rudimentary version often wins the day.

Melodically, there are two approaches that can ensure success. One is to create a track that is incredibly dense with instrumental and vocal hooks. When you blanket a single song with catchy moments, a music supervisor has more options to use for a potential commercial placement. The other option is to replicate popular songs that have recently entered the cultural zeitgeist. Often times, hit songs are too expensive for advertisers to use. Instead of coughing up the big bucks, they look for cheaper imitations of the song they want to use. If your goal is to land syncs, a strong strategy is to have an ample catalogue of material that mimics that hit songs of today. That way, you can be prepared when a music supervisor asks you for a song that sounds like another song.

There are more circuitous routes to obtaining syncs. If you’re an artist putting out music and playing shows consistently, you might be approached by an advertiser who wants to commission a piece. Other times, a music supervisor might come across one of your tracks on a social media platform or playlist and reach out to inquire about using it. These are less surefire ways to obtain syncs, but they do happen.

In the past two decades as publishing money from radio has diminished, more and more writers are pursuing the sync route. Ten years ago there was little competition, now the market is more competitive. If you want to land syncs, I definitely recommend spending a few sessions a month writing intentionally for that space.