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A Realistic Guide to Sync Licensing

Dana Okoro · 27 Aug 2026 · 10 min read

Sync is the most misunderstood income stream in independent music. Here is how placements actually happen.

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Most artists think sync is about knowing someone. It is mostly about being easy to clear.

One-stop rights If a supervisor needs three phone calls to clear your track, they will use someone else's.

Instrumentals and stems Deliver an instrumental, a no-lead version and clean stems with every release. Placements are frequently lost over this alone.

Metadata Your ISRC, publisher and split sheet should be findable in under a minute.

Dana writes about the economics of independent music and previously worked in streaming analytics.

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