How to get a sync license

There are two ways to get a sync licence in 2026: the traditional 2-to-8-week clearance route, or the 5-minute pre-cleared marketplace route. Both are valid — they just suit different stakes. Here's exactly how each one works. The permission itself is the synchronisation right defined in copyright law, and the money behind each route is broken down in our guide to what a sync licence costs.

The traditional sync clearance process

Step 1 — Identify both rights-holders

Every recorded song has two owners: the master (label or artist) and the publishing (songwriter or publisher). You need to clear both. Look up the song on a PRO database (ASCAP, BMI, PRS) for publishing, and the credits on streaming or label site for masters.

Step 2 — Define your usage

You can't get a quote without specifics:

• Media — TV, digital, social, theatrical, in-game.
• Territory — worldwide, single country, regional.
• Term — perpetual, 1 year, 3 years.
• Exclusivity — can the song be re-used by a competitor?
• Cut — :15, :30, :60 or full song.

Step 3 — Submit licence requests

Email both rights-holders (or their sync agents). Include the usage details, your campaign description and your budget. Expect 5–10 business days for an initial response on each side.

Step 4 — Negotiate and sign

You'll receive two quotes — one for the master, one for the publishing — and sign two separate agreements. Lawyers are typically involved on both sides. Expect 2–6 weeks of back-and-forth on a mid-tier deal.

Step 5 — Receive paperwork and audio

Once both contracts are countersigned, you receive the high-quality audio file and store the licence documentation for Content ID disputes, broadcaster delivery and ad-platform reviews.

The 5-minute alternative

Pre-cleared marketplaces collapse those five steps into one transaction:

1. Browse the catalogue and pick a track.
2. Choose your usage scope from a drop-down.
3. Pay the flat fee (from $5 on Melody).
4. Download the master and the signed sync + master licence.
5. Use the track.

This works because every track on the platform has been pre-cleared by the rights-holder up front — the friction lives in onboarding artists, not in onboarding brands.

When to use each route

• Traditional clearance — when you need a specific, well-known track. Super Bowl, hero brand spot, film soundtrack.
• Pre-cleared marketplaces — when you need authentic, original music at the speed of UGC, paid social and modern ad production. Hundreds of placements per month, not one.

How Melody gets you licensed in minutes

Every track on Melody is pre-cleared for advertising use, with both sync and master rights bundled. Pricing starts at $5. The signed licence is emailed instantly. No legal review, no negotiation, no waiting.

A worked example: getting a track cleared for a launch campaign

Imagine a DTC brand launching a paid social campaign in three weeks, running across Meta, YouTube and TikTok ads in two countries. Going the traditional route, you would need to shortlist a track, confirm the master owner and publisher, send requests to both, wait 5–10 business days for initial quotes, negotiate territory and term, get two contracts drafted and signed, and only then receive the audio file. That timeline alone can eat the entire three weeks before a single edit is cut. Going the pre-cleared marketplace route, the same brand can browse a catalogue filtered by mood and tempo, select a track already cleared for paid social in every territory, pay a flat fee, and have the signed licence and audio file in hand the same afternoon — leaving the full three weeks for production instead of clearance.

The traditional route still has its place. If the campaign depends on a specific, recognisable track — because the brief calls for a known song rather than "music that fits" — no marketplace can substitute for reaching the actual rights-holder. But for the large majority of commercial content, the scope of the usage is the same regardless of which track fills it, which is exactly why pre-clearance works.

What decision criteria actually matter

• Does the brief require a specific, named song? If yes, go traditional. If any well-fitting original track will do, a marketplace is faster and cheaper.
• How many pieces of content need music? One hero ad favours traditional negotiation; dozens of ad variants, UGC cuts or A/B tests favour a flat per-track marketplace fee.
• How tight is the timeline? Under two weeks realistically rules out traditional clearance for anything beyond the simplest deal.
• What is the budget per asset? Traditional clearance rarely makes sense below a few thousand dollars per placement, once agent time and legal review are factored in.
• Do you need exclusivity? Pre-cleared catalogues are typically non-exclusive by default; exclusive use usually still requires direct negotiation.

Common mistakes to avoid during clearance

• Requesting a quote before defining usage. Rights-holders cannot price a licence without knowing media, territory, term and exclusivity — vague requests just add a round trip.
• Clearing only one side of the rights. A signed publishing licence with no master licence (or vice versa) is not usable content.
• Not budgeting for legal review time. Even a fast traditional deal usually needs a lawyer to check both contracts before signing.
• Assuming a quote from one rights-holder sets the other's price. Master and publishing owners price independently; a low master fee does not mean a low publishing fee.
• Losing the paperwork after the campaign launches. Keep the signed licence on file — you will need it if a Content ID claim or ad-platform review comes up months later.

What the numbers actually mean

A quoted sync fee is not one number split evenly — it usually reflects two separate negotiations bundled into a single line item once you are quoted a "total". On a marketplace like Melody, that structure is made explicit: 75% of every licence fee goes directly to the rights-holder who wrote and recorded the track, with the remainder covering the platform, pre-clearance and instant licensing infrastructure. Understanding that split is useful context whether you are licensing music or comparing platforms — see our full breakdown on the sync licence cost page.

Who each route actually suits

Agencies running a single flagship brand campaign with a real production budget and a six-to-eight week runway are well suited to traditional clearance, especially where a specific track carries creative weight. Performance marketers, UGC studios and in-house teams shipping dozens of ad variants a month are better served by a pre-cleared catalogue, where the marginal cost and time of adding music to one more asset is close to zero. Filmmakers and podcast producers tend to sit in between, often mixing a small number of licensed needle-drops with a wider bed of pre-cleared background music.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get a sync license?

Traditional sync deals take 2 to 8 weeks because the master and publishing sides have to be cleared separately. Pre-cleared marketplaces deliver a signed sync + master licence in under 5 minutes.

Can I get a sync license without an agent?

Yes. Marketplaces like Melody let brands buy a complete sync licence directly with no agent, no negotiation and no minimum budget — from $5 per track.

What information do I need before requesting a sync license?

Specific track title and artist, intended usage (media, territory, term, exclusivity), the length of the cut, the production budget and your campaign launch date.

What happens if I use music without a sync license?

Copyright infringement claims, ad takedowns, Content ID monetisation loss, broadcast pulls, statutory damages up to $150,000 per infringement in the US, plus reputational risk for the brand.

Does a sync license cover both the song and the recording?

Only if it is a combined licence. Traditional sync licences cover only the composition — you would need a separate master use licence for the recording. Modern marketplaces bundle both into a single document.

About the Author

Samuel Olsson is the Head of Growth at Melody and the Managing Director of Kurve, an award-winning growth marketing agency. With over a decade of experience building scalable growth engines for tech companies, Samuel is now focused on solving the biggest problem in music: connecting the 90% of unheard artists with the brands that need their sound.

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