​I first met producer Gary Gray in 2012 when he, like thousands of other musicians, enrolled in my program, The 90 Day Music Licensing Challenge. Gary and I hit it off right away, and after the program concluded, we formed a friendship and eventually decided to start working together.

Since then, Gary and I have collaborated on numerous music projects. He’s produced a lot of my music, including tracks that have gone on to be licensed in TV shows (The Young & The Restless, Pitbulls & Parolees, Girl Meets Farm, The Great Way, etc), video games (Catch & Release), films (The English Estate), and for brands like Tesco and AMC. I’ve also performed on tracks Gary produced for companies like 20th Century Fox and Disney. We've even created several courses together for HTLYM Premium.

If you’d like to hear some of the tracks Gary has produced for me, check out this playlist we’ve curated of some of our favorite collaborations over the years:

The partnership and friendship I’ve built with Gary has been one of the highlights of my career, which is why I’m thrilled about the incredible success Gary has achieved in the music industry since taking my course back in 2012.
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Gary, a 10-year Voting Member of The Grammy Recording Academy, has had a distinguished music career, with his work reaching over 100 million people in just the last two years. His recent credits include the 2023 Amazon Super Bowl commercial and 46 tracks for Disney’s hit live-action film The Little Mermaid. He also produced, mixed, and mastered two albums for jazz great Justin Chart, released under Universal Music Group Records. Most notably, Gary co-produced and mastered the #1 Billboard album on the Traditional Classical Charts for the Symphonina Foundation, a nonprofit organization he co-founded with the mission of “spreading the joy of symphonic music to young audiences around the world.”

I’ve learned a lot from Gary over the years, and I’d like to think the feeling is mutual. In fact, I know it is—here’s what Gary had to say about working with me all these years and learning about music licensing after taking The 90 Day Music Licensing Challenge:

"Back in 2012 I first read the words “music” and “licensing” in the same sentence. That sentence was composed by a true pioneer in the field of music licensing - Aaron Davison. 
 
Long before the internet was filled with people sharing information about music licensing (many of them students of Aaron’s!), it was Aaron Davison at the helm, bringing many of us Indie Musicians the only truth and wisdom out there regarding how to license your music. 

My first step was taking The 90 Day Music Licensing Challenge. I voraciously studied and applied what I learned in The 90 Day Challenge, and subsequently, all of his courses - studying them very carefully so that I could get every single drop of his vast amount of knowledge and expertise into my head. I went to Aaron because I kept hearing about him from people who all possessed one common denominator -  success. 
 
Aaron and I then struck up a great friendship and we started collaborating. This collaboration has led to hundreds of licensing placements over the years. Aaron, as you may or may not know, is a phenomenal guitarist, singer and songwriter. I produced, mixed and mastered his tracks and he would pitch them - and over the years we’ve had more placements than I can count. 
 
As our musical relationship developed, two interesting things occurred. We started collaborating on courses (I asked him if he would like to have me put together courses on music production for licensing, and he said, “Yes!”), and I started teaching him more and more about music production. 

So, this great symbiosis developed - Aaron was teaching me everything there was to know about music licensing, I was teaching him all about music production, and we worked side-by-side on developing several extensive courses.

I can honestly say that the biggest turning point(s) in my career all happened when I put my career in the hands of one man, Aaron Davison. And when I look back at it, I can say with confidence that Aaron stands just as tall among several legendary mentors I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with: Quincy Jones, Phil Collins, Chick Corea, Lamont Dozier, Jermaine Jackson and more. 

​The amazing thing to me is this: The foundation that Aaron helped me build at that time has stood the test of time and has never let me down. My confidence, though shaken at times through the years, which we all go through, never cracked, never snapped, never broke. I was able to weather the storm of an uncertain lifestyle that we have all chosen. He helped me develop an unshakeable confidence and gave me the tools I needed to actually succeed for real. 

The credibility as a mentor and a teacher that Aaron possesses in the field of music licensing is unparalleled. He is a pioneer - possibly the first pioneer - in the music licensing education field. 

And as a result of knowing and working with Aaron, I can now bring home to him accomplishments I never dreamed I would achieve; a #1 Charting Album on Billboard (last week!), another album which made it to #10 on Billboard (in March of this year), a book used by Indie Musicians worldwide (The Home Studio Bible), over 100 million pairs of ears on the music that I recorded, mixed and mastered in the last two years alone (the 2023 Amazon Super Bowl commercial, 46 tracks on the Disney hit live-action film “The Little Mermaid”, and two albums I produced, arranged, mixed and mastered for Universal Music Group. 
 
The bottom line is that there are more accomplishments I HAVEN’T listed here than I have - and due to your time, I’ll keep this short(er). 

To you Aaron, I can say that the day you started teaching me, is the day my career took off. And every plateau I reached was connected to your undying help, support and care for me and my music. 

THANK YOU AARON!
 
Gary Gray"

Those are really kind words -- and I’m excited to resume working with Gary on a new project that I’ll be sharing with you soon."

In the meantime, If you’d like to learn more about the latest incarnation The 90 Day Music Licensing Challenge and how you can take your music career to the next level, visit:
https://www.htlympremium.com/90-day-challenge-2024.html

​To book a FREE 30 minute Zoom session with Gary Gray, sign up for The 90 Day Music Licensing Challenge today! During your session you'll have the opportunity to have a #1 Billboard charting Producer/ Engineer and Voting Member of the Grammy Recording Academy critique your music in real time, with the ability to get your music production questions answered and any confusions you may have cleared up.

Gary, who has conducted over 30,000 hours of research into music production, and who specializes in music production for licensing, has developed a revolutionary approach to mixing and mastering, which he used to master the #1 charting Billboard album.  What's even more impressive is that a student of Gary's, who learned Gary's mixing technique, mixed that same #1 album.
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I've been in the music licensing game for over 20 years, and during that time, I've seen countless musicians make the same mistakes over and over again when trying to license their music. It's easy to get lost in the weeds when you're trying to break into the world of sync licensing—there's a lot of information out there, and it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start.

But after helping hundreds of clients get their music placed in TV shows, films, and commercials, I’ve seen a lot of the same patterns play out over and over. I can tell you with confidence and experience what not to do.

Here are the top 10 mistakes I see musicians make when trying to license their music:

Not Understanding the Business Side of Licensing
Let's start with the basics. Many musicians think that all they need to do is make great music, send it to a few places, and the licensing deals will come rolling in. But the truth is, music licensing is as much about business as it is about creativity and music.

You need to have a good understanding of how the business works, how to cultivate relationships in the business, how to write music that works in the context of licensing and so on.  It’s not enough to just write great music.  That’s of course a great start but becoming successful in the licensing business is about much more than just writing great music.

Which leads me to…

Focusing Too Much on Art and Not Enough on Function
We musicians are artists at heart, and it's easy to get wrapped up in the creative process. But when it comes to licensing, your music needs to serve a purpose. Music supervisors are looking for tracks that fit specific moods, scenes, and narratives. If your song is too abstract or doesn’t fit the mold of what they need, it won’t get placed, no matter how good it is. It’s really that simple.

You have to find the balance between artistic expression and commercial viability. I always encourage artists to write from the heart and write music they’re inspired to make.  After all, if you’re not enjoying the process of creating music and writing music you’re inspired to write, then what’s the point?  But, if you goal is to make money licensing your tracks, then it’s important to be mindful of why songs are licensed and strike a balance between inspiration and commercial viability. You can do both!  You can both write songs that you’re inspired to write and create music that works for licensing. 

Ignoring the Importance of Metadata
It might sound boring, but metadata is crucial in the world of music licensing. When you submit your tracks to music libraries or directly to music supervisors, they need to be able to find your song quickly and easily. If your track doesn’t have the correct metadata—like the genre, mood, tempo, and instrumentation—there’s a good chance it will get lost in the shuffle. Think of metadata as the roadmap that leads your music to its next destination.

Not Tailoring Your Music for Licensing Opportunities
Every licensing opportunity is unique, and so is the music that fits it. Too many musicians make the mistake of submitting generic tracks that don’t align with the specific needs of a project, or the specific needs of a music library.

Take the time to research the show, film, or music library you’re pitching to. What kind of music have they used in the past? Do you know what kind of music they’re specifically looking for? Tailoring your submissions to fit those criteria will dramatically increase your chances of success. Think of it like dating.  If you’re approaching prospective partners that you’re not fundamentally compatible with, it’s not going to work.  It’s the same when it comes to licensing your music.

Overlooking the Power of Relationships
Licensing is a relationship-driven business. While it's important to have great music, it’s just as important to build strong relationships with music supervisors, sync agents, and other industry professionals. Networking might not come naturally to all musicians, but it’s a skill worth developing. A personal connection can sometimes be the deciding factor between your track and someone else’s. Humans are social creatures and we like to work with people we know and feel comfortable with.

Being Impatient
One of the biggest misconceptions about music licensing is that it's a quick way to make money. In reality, the process can take months or even years. Patience is key. You might have to pitch the same track dozens of times before it gets placed. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. The musicians who succeed in licensing are the ones who stick with it for the long haul.  I’ve had many tracks get picked up years after I initially signed them to my publisher.

Neglecting the Importance of High-Quality Production
In today’s competitive market, your tracks need to sound as polished and professional as possible. A great song can easily be overlooked if it’s poorly produced or mixed. Invest in high-quality production, or work with someone who can help you achieve that. Remember, your music is competing with thousands of other tracks, and first impressions matter. Listen to tracks that are being licensed to see how your music compares relative to production.  Make sure you are only pitching material that is actually ready to be licensed.

Not Having Your Paperwork in Order
When a licensing opportunity arises, you need to be ready to move quickly. That means having all your paperwork in order—split sheets, licensing agreements, and any other relevant documents. If you’re not organized, you could miss out on opportunities simply because you weren’t prepared. Make sure you have everything you need before you start pitching your music.

See my new resource, “The Ultimate Music Licensing Contract Bundle” for sample contract templates you can use when licensing your music directly to supervisors, production companies, etc.

Failing to Promote Yourself
You could have the best music in the world, but if no one knows about it, it’s not going to get placed. Promotion is a critical part of the licensing process. Build a strong online presence, share your music on social media, and make sure your website is up to date with your latest tracks and contact information. The more visible you are, the more likely it is that someone will discover your music and want to license it.

This will also help make a good impression when music supervisors are considering whether or not to use your music. Supervisors like to work with artists who are well established and have a strong online presence, so be sure not to overlook this part of promoting your music.

Giving Up Too Soon
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, don’t give up. Licensing is a challenging and competitive field, as is the music business in general, and it’s easy to get discouraged. But the musicians who succeed are the ones who keep pushing forward, even when the odds seem stacked against them. Keep creating music, keep pitching, and keep refining your approach. Success might not come overnight, but it will come if you stay the course.

If you're ready to take your music licensing career to the next level, now is the perfect time to join HTLYM Premium. By becoming a member, you'll gain access to an incredible array of resources designed to accelerate your success, including daily leads, in-depth courses, and exclusive industry directories. With tools like Spotify resources, contract templates, submission tracking, and more, you'll have everything you need to navigate the music licensing world with confidence. Don't miss out on this opportunity to grow your career—sign up today at HTLYM Premium and unlock the full potential of your music licensing journey.