Not All Sync Companies Are Worth Your Time

Written By Dereck Blackburn

I made this list for people who are interested in sync licensing and don’t know where to start. I am going to make it as simple as possible, all information from personal experience or information I’ve collected myself online.

black vinyl record

Photo by Siora Photography on Unsplash

As a mixing and mastering engineer, I get a lot of requests for multiple mixes for sync licensing. These are the core deliverables I can provide:

  • Full Stereo Mix

    • Broadcast Ready

    • No artifacts

    • The reference everything else is compared to

  • Instrumental

    • Full mix minus all lead and background vocals

    • Must feel like a complete song, even if elements are missing, it should not feel “hollow”

    • This is the most frequently used version

  • No-Lead Vocal/TV Mix

    • Lead Vocal removed

    • Background vocals are retained

I’ve also gotten requests for

  • No-lyrics versions

  • Clean/Censored versions

  • Alternate Lyric versions

  • 30 sec and 60 sec edits

  • Button ending

Sync often rewards usable assets under deadline pressure, so having most of these shows you understand how this actually works.

Here is a list of sync companies that are the best fit for independent artists with no prior placements. It is assumed that you have good recordings, professional complete metadata, and you respond quickly to requests.

Best entry points for new sync artists

These companies are legitimate, respected, and actually listen to new artists if the music fits.

  1. Marmoset
    Strong brand placements. They actively sign emerging artists when the work is right.

  2. Musicbed
    One of the few platforms where unsigned artists can still break through without industry politics.

  3. Position Music
    Publisher mindset. Long-term development. Good if the artist understands exclusivity tradeoffs.

  4. Lyric House
    Ad-world credibility. Good for artists with strong identity and lyric-driven material.

  5. Black Toast Music
    Composer-friendly, real backend, patient timelines.

Be on your A-Game for these companies

These companies are legitimate, but success depends heavily on timing, genre fit, or existing relationships.

  1. Crucial Music

  2. Riptide Music Group

  3. Raft Music

  4. Anacrusis

The hard truth most lists avoid

Most sync rejections have nothing to do with quality.

They come from:

  • Vague genre identity

  • Too many moods in one catalog

  • No alternate edits or instrumentals

  • Unclear ownership or metadata

  • Submitting “songs” when the brief requires function

Sync rewards specificity. The more narrowly your music knows what it is for, the more valuable it becomes.

Most artists don’t fail at sync because their music is bad.
They fail because they submit unfinished assets into a system that assumes professionalism by default.

This checklist is designed to answer one question honestly:

If a music supervisor emailed you tomorrow, would you slow them down?

If the answer is yes at any point below its a signal to pause, tighten, and protect your reputation.

1. Rights & ownership (non-negotiable)

If this section is unclear, stop here.

  • You own or control 100% of the master recording

  • You own or control 100% of the composition

  • No uncleared samples, beats, or “type beat” licenses

  • All collaborators are identified and reachable

  • You can state splits clearly and confidently (even if they’re 50/50)

If you hesitate when someone asks “who owns this?” you are not sync-ready yet.

2. Metadata (this is not optional admin work)

Every track must have:

  • Accurate song title and artist name

  • Writer(s) and publisher(s) listed correctly

  • PRO affiliation (ASCAP / BMI / SESAC / etc.)

  • Contact email that will still exist in five years

  • Clear genre and mood descriptors that match reality

Metadata is how your music survives after the initial listen.
No metadata = no recall.

3. Deliverables (what supervisors actually need)

For each track, you should already have:

  • Full mix (broadcast-ready)

  • Instrumental

  • No-vocal version (if applicable)

  • 30-second edit

  • 60-second edit

  • Clean intro (no 8-bar ambient ramp)

  • Clean ending (button or natural tail)

If you have to say “I can get that to you later,” you are already behind.

4. Mix & production reality check

Ask this without ego:

  • Does the song work at low volume?

  • Is the vocal intelligible without reading lyrics?

  • Are there obvious frequency fights that distract from dialogue?

  • Does the song establish its emotional intent in the first 5–10 seconds?

5. Functional identity (the most missed step)

You should be able to finish this sentence clearly:

“This song is good for __________.”

Examples:

  • introspective breakup montage

  • hopeful brand spot

  • restrained tension under dialogue

  • nostalgic lifestyle ad

  • end-credits emotional release

If the answer is “a vibe” or “anything,” supervisors don’t know where to put it. Know where your music exists!

6. Catalog focus

You are better off with 5 songs that know exactly what they are than 30 songs spanning six genres and three emotional worlds

A focused catalog signals reliability.
A scattered catalog signals hobby energy. Professionals get hired and rehired every time.

7. Professional behavior readiness

Before submitting anywhere, ask yourself:

  • Can I respond to emails within 24 hours?

  • Can I say yes or no without oversharing?

  • Can I accept a pass without arguing or explaining?

  • Can I deliver files exactly as requested?

Sync is a service business and reliability is the art.

8. Submission strategy

Before submitting to any company:

  • Read their catalog and placement history

  • Confirm your music actually fits what they place

  • Submit only your strongest, most aligned tracks

  • Follow submission instructions exactly

  • Submit once, then move on

Silence is not rejection.

Do not annoy these companies.

Show you are responsive and easy to work with.

Top 25 Artist-Forward Sync Companies

These are artist-forward sync companies, not stock libraries, not volume traps, and not trailer-only catalogs. They tend to be relationship-driven, selective, and human-curated. “Artist-friendly” doesn’t mean easy; it means your work is actually listened to by humans.

Marmoset — http://www.marmosetmusic.com/

Musicbed — http://www.musicbed.com/

Position Music — http://www.positionmusic.com/

Secret Road — https://www.secretroad.com/

Riptide Music Group — https://www.riptidemusic.com/

Black Toast Music — http://www.blacktoastmusic.com/

Crucial Music — http://www.crucialmusic.com/

Bopper Music — http://www.boppermusic.com/

Raft Music — http://www.raftmusic.com/

Resonant Music Licensing — http://www.resonantmusiclicensing.com/

Resin8 Music — https://resin8music.com/

Rhythm Couture — https://www.rhythmcouture.com/

Scout Music — http://www.scoutmusic.tv/

Lyric House — https://www.lyrichouseco.com/

Affix Music — http://www.affixmusic.com/

Anacrusis — https://anacrusissongs.com/

AudioSocket — http://www.audiosocket.com/

Big Sync Music — http://www.bigsyncmusic.com/

Music Vine — http://www.musicvine.com/

NOMA Music — http://www.nomamusic.com/

RX Music — http://www.rxmusic.com/

Urban Authentic — http://www.urbanauthentic.com/

Fringe Music — https://www.fringe-music.com/

Beat Pick — http://www.beatpick.com/

Zync — https://www.zyncmusic.com/

Dereck Blackburn http://dereckblackburn.com
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