Welcoem to posts!!
in the future - u will be able to do some more stuff here,,,!! like pat catgirl- i mean um yeah... for now u can only see others's posts :c
Believe it or not, there were about 5-6 different Sync Licensing Panels this year at NAMM. I attended 4 of them and wanted to share my top 10 notes that I found useful this past weekend.
1. Be Human - My first tip comes from music supervisor Jennifer Smith. She emphasized when approaching music supervisors, know that they’re human. Treat them as such and know they don’t work for you, they work for the project. This includes knowing and spelling their name correctly when cold emailing, not spamming their inbox, and doing research about their project.
2. Show up to the pitch PREPARED - This includes having proper split agreements, metadata which includes contact info, PRO info, keywords, etc. Labeling if your track is one stop and easy clear.
3. Put a face to the music - By FAR, The best way to connect with Music Libraries, Sync Agents, and Music Supervisors are at networking events like panels, conferences, etc. If you can’t attend them in person, set up Google alerts for virtual Sync Licensing panels.
4. Volunteer - This goes along with my last point, but volunteering at Sync Events is an excellent way to meet more people in the Sync Community. I’ve seen Jared Oluwa do this firsthand and even Amira Gadd touch on this at her NAMM panel.
5. Collaboration - The quickest way to get your foot in the door is to collaborate with other professionals in this industry. Creating with musicians outside of your genre is a unique way to carve out a lane.
6. Mentorship - I was fortunate enough to speak at the Business panel and on that panel, I mentioned how much I’ve enjoyed Jennifer Pyken’s Music Supervision Mastercourse, & Ryan Svendsen's Masterclass. Music Supervisor Livy Rodriguez-Behar, who was also a panelist, shared that she offers consulting & a mentorship group.
7. Go-To Person - Be easy to work with, become quick and responsive to briefs and emails, and creating consistent music helps build relationships.
8. Mental & Spiritual Health - Whether you’re a spiritual person or not, this next tip from Jazmin Brooks is vital; take care of your mental health. She shared taking care of your headspace and not being afraid to ask for help is a key way to connect with your creativity.
9. Persistence Meets Patience - There’s going to be times where you don’t hear a response, which isn’t necessarily a rejection. Being persistent without being ‘spammy’ is a skillset within itself. If you’re going to follow up, wait a few weeks to a month. Everyone who works in this field is busy, so patience and persistence without taking it personally is key.
10. Innovator - One of my favorite tips comes from panelist Vo Williams who spoke at the creative panel hosted by Marcus Manderson. He connects his success with blending different styles and genres together. Instead of just being a hip hop artist, he emphasized that becoming an innovator of the Epic Cinematic Hip Hop style helped him stand out in the Sync Space.
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Honored to be speaking again this year at NAMM about Sync Licensing. Who else is going?! Hope to catch you there:
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2 actionable steps to increase your chances of getting accepted into a music library.
1. Create a custom email domain name (instead of having @gmail.com)
2. Create an email footer (use a free tool like hubspot)
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Wanted to share a screenshot of how I like to structure my tracks for sync placements. It's not like this every time but there are certain parts that are intentional. 👇🏾
1. The track length for this track is around 1:40ish (I typically try to get my track between 1:30 - 2 minutes
2. My intro is short and is no longer than 8 seconds
3. Ever 4 - 8 bars there's something added or taken away
4. There's an EDIT section that drops out for the EDITOR of the show. This gives them room to cut the track to picture
5. I added a bridge because this track was starting to feel repetitive. That bridge gives them more reason to keep using the track longer.
6. Don't forget your sting at the end!
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As some of you may know, I'm starting my own music library called Supr Selectiv. Since my focus is shifting toward the library, we will be hosting one last 6-week mentorship run starting September 2nd to help anyone who's looking to learn the ins & outs of Sync Licensing.
If you have the budget to invest in yourself and want to grow with like-minded creates. I invite you to join us by emailing me nathan@heate.co and I'll shoot you the link
P.S. Please don't email me about the music library I'm creating, you can comment below if you have any questions!
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I feel like no matter where you are in your sync journey, at some point in this podcast you'll learn something actionable
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Ever wonder "What is sync licensing?" In this video, we break down the basics of what you need to know about music being licensed. My goal is to teach you sync licensing, So we also break down "Two Ways Sync Pays" for musicians looking to add an extra stream of revenue by utilizing their creativity.
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Saw some votes toward The Submission process of Sync Licensing in the poll I just made. This is Step by Step what I teach to help our students find success getting signed to a music library, that you might find useful.
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What point of your sync journey are you stuck at right now?
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🎥 Looking to break into Sync Licensing? I made a FREE Sync Licensing Masterclass: heate.co/go/free-masterclass-sync-licensing/
Yo! I’m XcaliberZero, a full-time music producer for TV & Film. I was fortunate enough to work as a Music Supervisor for 6 years at one of the top music libraries in Reality TV.
This experience gave me insider knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes for different forms of visual media. I find great fulfillment in sharing this info with other aspiring musicians who are looking to make a career out of their passion. This channel is dedicated to mapping out evidence-based strategies and resources, to build a passive stream of revenue with your music through Sync Licensing.
If that sounds like something that will help your music career, consider subscribing!
Production Credits:
Complex, Fortnite, NBA, MLB, Netflix, VH1, MTV,, BET, Lifetime, Bravo, E!, and many more!