Does It still make sense to pursue sync licensing?

I received an email from a client recently, expressing frustration about the slow and unpredictable nature of music licensing.  This particular client was feeling burnt out about how long it takes to build momentum in licensing and had taken a bit of a break due to burn out.

Here’s what he said: “I guess i was just a bit fatigued from the slow-as-molasses feeling this business has to it...like, one has to basically continually work to see results which may or may not come..months or years down the line.”

I can relate to this feeling so much.  I’ve experienced very similar periods over the years that have elicited similar feelings.  The downside of sync is that it can take a long time to build momentum and it can be very unpredictable. Sync Licensing is the opposite of an instant gratification endeavor.  It can be a long, arduous journey that is ultimately unclimactic. Unclimactic in the sense that often times, it takes so long to get things synced, that by the time you land a placement for a particular track, a couple years have passed, and you’ve already written another 50 songs and you almost forgot about the track you just found out you landed a placement for, six months after the fact!

So, why pursue Sync Licensing?  Does it still even make sense? Well, there are upsides, and in today’s email I want to focus on the positive aspects of sync licensing and help you determine whether sync licensing makes sense for you.  It’s not for everyone to be clear, and it makes more sense for some songwriters/composers than others. It really depends on the kind of musician you are, the kind of music you make, and what your long term goals are related to music.

So, with some of the cons of sync licensing out of the way, let’s focus on the positive aspects of sync licensing, so that you can determine whether or not the pros outweigh the cons.

Passive Income
There are very few truly passive income streams.  The term “passive income” gets thrown around a lot these days, but many income streams that are promoted as “passive” income streams, aren’t really passive at all.  For example, making money online is an income stream that is often described as “passive” income.  But as someone who also makes money online and runs several internet businesses, I can assure you there is absolutely nothing passive about running most online businesses.

Although there are elements that are passive, in the sense that you can, for example, create a course and sell it over and over, hypothetically while you're sleeping or doing other things.  There are still day to day things that you have to do to assure the ongoing success of an online business.  Things like marketing, website maintenance, customer service and so forth, never go away.  If you’re a one-man operation, or a small business, these things can take up a considerable amount of your time.  

Sync licensing, on the other hand, is truly passive, in the sense that once you write, record and sign a track to someone, your work is done.  As I’ve talked about many times, I’ve had songs that I wrote as far back as 20 years ago, that still get synced every single year!  I don’t even have the masters for some of these tracks, yet they still bring in revenue year after year.

Of course, growing your sync licensing business will take ongoing effort and work, but there is a truly passive element to the income you make from sync licensing that is fairly unique.  It’s of course, not easy per se, to build up your revenue from sync, to the point that it’s substantial. There is a lot of work required in the beginning. But there is a truly passive element to sync licensing revenue that is fairly unique.

Long Term Income
Related to the passive nature of sync licensing income, is the fact that if you create a large enough catalog, and market it successfully, you’ll be creating a long-term revenue stream that will continue to generate money, year after year.  Of course, the income you make from any particular track will fluctuate, but if you have a large enough catalog, being pitched to enough projects, you’ll have money continue to come in for years, even if you stop writing new material.

Again, this takes time to build up and you will be doing a lot of work in the beginning to make this happen, but over time, if you play your cards right, you’ll be able to create an income stream that will generate money on an ongoing basis, even if you stop making new music.

You’re Making Music Anyway
For me, this is one of the main reasons I think a lot musicians, if not most, should pursue sync licensing.  If you’re a songwriter or composer, you’re making music anyway!  Why not try to monetize it via sync licensing?  Maybe you don’t end up making a ton of money from sync, but if you’re the kind of musician, like me, that just has to create new music and it’s the kind of thing you would do, whether you make money or not from it, then it’s sort of a no brainier to at least try generating extra revenue via a revenue stream like sync licensing. 

Worst case scenario, you make nothing extra from tracks you would have created anyway, and you’re not really any worse off.  Best case scenario, you make substantial extra money from tracks you would have created anyway, and with the extra money you generate, you feel even more motivated and inspired to keep creating better music. And with extra revenue from sync licensing, you'll be able to continue this cycle of growing as a musician, getting better gear, writing better material, and growing your income.  You really have nothing to lose, other than the time it takes for you to pitch your material.

Builds Credibility
Another upside is that when you start succeeding in sync, it builds credibility, making it easier to secure future placements.  Although progress in sync licensing can be slow, as you do start landing placements over time, it helps you establish yourself within the context of sync licensing. Success in sync can even lead to other opportunities outside of sync licensing.  I often use my sync licensing credits as a way to help book live gigs and to boost my overall credibility as a musician, educator and so forth.

Viable Revenue Stream
Let’s face it, there are only so many ways to make money as a musician in 2024.  There are of course things like performing live, streaming (which is difficult to build up), platforms like Youtube, teaching and licensing.  All of these revenue streams can fluctuate. This is simply the nature of being a self-employed musician. 

My philosophy is that as an indie musician, you really need to tap into as many revenue streams as possible to make things work.  Of course, if one of these revenue streams takes off you can double down on what works and focus on that.  But for many musicians, there is a need to cultivate multiple streams of income, and sync licensing remains, despite the challenges, one of the few viable, and potentially lucrative, ways to make money with your music.

The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that, as my client alluded to, sync licensing can take time, and it can be frustrating while you’re waiting for things to happen.  You have to play the “long game” if you’re going to pursue sync.  It’s best to have other revenue streams you can live from while you’re getting started in Sync licensing, as it can take time to build momentum and start seeing significant income. 

As my very first producer that I worked with, twenty-five years ago, used to always say about the music business, “you have to be in it to win it”.  I remember discussing the uncertainty of the music business with him, long before I started pursuing sync, and he sort of summed up the music business this way.  He said, “the only thing certain I can tell you Aaron, is that if you don’t pursue music, nothing will happen.”.  The implication of course being that if you do pursue music, something might happen. This advice is as true about sync licensing, as any other aspect of the music business.
​
You have to be in it, to win it.