Mihaljevich leaves no doubt that sync is an ever-growing opportunity, and has a simple explanation of why that is, and advice on how to make the most of it.

“In a sense, more screens means more opportunities to sync music,” he explains. “One sync alone may not necessarily dramatically affect an artist’s exposure to new audiences — though when that magic placement happens, within a pivotal scene of a great show or with a great piece of advertising, it can be hugely positive. Being focused and proactive with syncs can lead to unexpected opportunities.”

He’s observed an increasing willingness for artists to agree to lower fees when it comes to sync, but explains that “in terms of approvals for music selections, ultimately it still comes down to the individual songwriters and artists. It’s their work, and therefore their call on approvals at the end of the day.”

So what makes a great sync, and how do agencies track down that perfect song?

“Our job is to interpret the brief, and then lose ourselves in the script before we then deliver a shortlist of songs for the client to listen to. Budget is also a pragmatic concern. The music doesn’t have to be recognisable necessarily, and in fact, unless the brief is for something that’s crossed over and gone pop, the preference will always be for something new that works with the script.”

Ways to maximise sync success

1. Know your goals

In terms of maximising opportunities for your track being chosen for a sync, Martin Brem from Red Bull Music Publishing emphasises that it is a crowded market in the digital era.

“One big obstacle is the overall flood of music. How do you grab the attention span of a creative who is looking for music? Whether it’s a music supervisor at an advertising agency, or someone performing this role for a television show, how do you cut through the noise and reach them? It can be a matter of getting into the mindset of understanding what space your music might be suited to, or instead potentially creating the music in the first place with a mind to matching it to a particular medium.”

Brem says the competitive nature of syncs has lowered fees for the artists who are less established, though he emphasises that a give and take exists in terms of the exposure it offers.

“If you’re an artist who is starting out, Vodafone might come to you and say, ‘I love your track, we will only pay this low price as it will give you a lot of exposure’. If your goal as an artist is to get attention, then it might be worth it. We’re living in an attention economy, and a good sync might put your music in front of millions of people.”

Overall, though, revenue from sync is climbing steadily year on year, with last year’s IFPI industry report indicating growth of 2.8% in 2016, following a sharp rise of 7.0% the year before. Sync currently accounts for 2% of all global music revenue.



2. Be easy to contact

Mihaljevich recommends working with a publishing house, either via the record label’s in-house publishing unit or through a separate publishing house.

“The other pragmatic thing we would suggest is always make it simple for a music supervisor to contact you or your representatives. We’re all working to tight deadlines, and trying to find a working email address can sometimes take longer than the time we have to try to connect with you and propose a deal.”



3. Bigger isn’t always better

Oz McGuire is a music manager who works with San Francisco three-piece band the Monophonics, who had their music placed in multiple syncs after experiencing early success in a Bud Light commercial in 2012. McGuire also recommends working with a good publisher.

“Bigger is not always better, because if you find a niche publisher who gives you the time of day and has a good track record, this might be better than the publishing division of a major label that doesn’t return your emails. And for new artists I think the most important thing is building your fan base and creating buzz, clever marketing and social media will break through all the other noise.

“Steer away from companies asking for a monthly fee, instead do a little research on who is placing music on the TV shows you like and send them an organic link on Twitter. Save your money for gear and beer!”