A music
synchronization
Synchronization is the coordination of events to operate a system in unison. For example, the conductor of an orchestra keeps the orchestra synchronized or ''in time''. Systems that operate with all parts in synchrony are said to be synchronou ...
license, or "sync" for short, is a
music license granted by the holder of the
copyright
A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, education ...
of a particular composition, allowing the licensee to synchronize ("sync") music with some kind of visual media output (film, television shows, advertisements, video games, accompanying website music, movie trailers, etc.).
Copyright ownership
The rights to a composition or the "song", which is different from the
studio sound recording, are most often administered by the
publishing company
Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...
that represents the writer/producer. A sound recording has two separated copyrights:
# the sound recording itself, also called the ''"master" sound recording''; this is most often owned or administered by the
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
;
# the ''composition'' of the musical work, which consists of the underlying lyrics and melody written by the
songwriter
A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...
; this is most often owned or administered by the music publisher.
Sync negotiations and fees
When an audio/visual project producer wants to use a recording in their work, they must contact both the owner of the sound recording (record label of the performer), and the owner of the composition (publishing company of the songwriter). In many cases, producers with tight budgets will elect to use a
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
of a particular song or work with independent artists in order to save money on the master side. In doing so they can ask the artist to write original music or submit music that would be considered "work-for-hire" where they would buy artist out of their master side.
Once the producer has made an inquiry with the copyright administrator (and additionally the record label if they choose to use a famous recording), the rights holder or administrator issues a quote, usually for a "one-time fee" (often called the "sync fee" or the "front end"). Negotiations for the licensing fee typically address how the work is being used, the length of the segment, the prominence of the cue (whether used as background music, the title track during the credits, or other uses), and the overall popularity and importance of the song or recording. Another point of negotiation is whether the sync license constitutes a "buyout" (i.e. whether or not the entity that will ultimately broadcast the production will be required to pay "backend" (performance royalty) fees).
Sync licensing fees can range anywhere from free, to a few hundred dollars, to millions of dollars for popular recordings of songs (when the producer must pay for both the use of the sound recording "master" as well as the composition). Sync rights have been considered a lucrative and major field of the music industry; music industry attorney Erin M. Jacobson stated that they had "really helped to keep things afloat and keep revenues flowing into the industry, especially in a business climate of some uncertain times."
Some musicians have been known for being more selective over the works they license their music for. In some cases, they may also help to draw new or renewed interest in a song (especially with the current prominence of music streaming services).
Kate Bush
Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single "Wuthering Heights (song), Wuthering Heights", ...
licensed her song "
Running Up That Hill
"Running Up That Hill", titled "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" on some releases, is a song by the British singer and songwriter Kate Bush. It was released in the United Kingdom as the lead single from Bush's album ''Hounds of Love'' on ...
" for the fourth season of the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
series ''
Stranger Things
''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Prod ...
,'' as she was a fan of the series; after its release, the song experienced a major resurgence in popularity afterward, and became her first number-one single in the UK since 1978.
References
{{Reflist
Music licensing