Are you selling out for sync?
November 30, 2022
Do you think you need to change the way you write music to get it into TV & Film?
I answer that here… along with something the manager of the ‘Sex Pistols’ told me.
Chris
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Hey! Give us a shout about anything really.
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Our goal is for you to start getting your music into TV & film.
Chris I agree just write the best you can. Then aim your songs towards the targets.
Good to hear, TJ.
Awesome Chris! With all the courses out there that are pushing getting Sync placements it is so easy to get lost in all the noise. You are right and you are clarifying what Music Supervisors do say, "be authentic", however, it is too easy for that all important message to get clouded over by all the other information that you have to learn to actually get a placement. This was inspiring and I appreciate you taking the time to put it out there for so many of us.
Yeah, there are a lot of music licensing courses out there. Like everything else in life you have to be careful which ones get actual results. Glad you agree with me (and the music supervisors) that authenticity rules the roost.
What about using reference tracks?
Yes, that is a valid approach, but you have to make sure you music sounds original and authentic.
I was told that using reference tracks for libraries is the way to go because the reference tracks tell you what kind and quality of music they are placing.
Yes, if you are trying to land in the same ballpark in terms of quality. Beware sounding too much like the reference tracks though, you just end up competing against them.
I’m trying both. I find writing to a brief, real or imagined, forces me to compose in styles I would not otherwise and come up with some interesting ideas. In the end, you always put your own spin on it!
That works too!
The vote for authenticity is much appreciated and much needed! A couple of snap shots from my age 73 perspective: Retired now after 22 years teaching special needs kids-all ages and 17 years as minister to Unitarian Universalist churches in US and Canada. Flah back to 1970 (playing guitar for Ruth and Billy Graham’s minister’s conferences and a crusade in Gatlinburg, TN) as a student at Montreat College. 1974 and married with a year-old child and playing and jamming with the Grateful Dead drummer at the Chateau Liberty run by the hells Angels. 1984 and Ken Keesey plays a psychedelic country song on my guitar and I play Stormey Monday Blues with Joan Jett at artist gathering in Balkemas, CA. I was in seminary then in Berkeley. You get the picture. Always music along the winding road. 1989 "After the Rain Album"–Windham Hill flavored New Age piano and acoustic guitar. 20,000 units sold in bookstores, airports, and crystal shops! A handful of licenses (Search the Music, HD Music Now, JPM, Pop-Up Music in UK, Perpetual Music Group, Moozikoo all non-exclusive. Did sign an exclusive with Eddie c Music of the Sea but terminated agreement after 5 years of my tunes sitting in the virtual library. You get the picture. It was Songrader for a while but most recently its Compigram in the Netherlands. Its a long journey. Glad I don’t have to depend on the musical industrial complex these days to survive. I think the only truly successful musicians I knew from my highschool days in Chapel Hill were Livingston and James Taylor. My band was called the elements five and Alex Taylor’s was the Corsairs–I was even jammed with James once in his homemade studio when liv invited me over. –It’s been a journey! But!! To your point –very authentic musicians true to themselves. So I’ve got Barker’s Vault and tried Song Chasers for a bit. New Age/Lis Storey/George Winston/ Jazz crossover is a bit too niche but I still keep pitching and signing through Music Xray.! Again–thank you for blessing our authentic musical voices! Keep the faith! Rod Brown
Wow, what a trip! You must have so many stories to tell. Good to hear you are still making music and trying to get it out there. It’s good you are going with some licensing platforms, but I would try to connect to the people who actually license the music if you can.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say "Write for a specific show.", but I think there’s something to be said for giving both approaches a whirl. Write the songs you normally write, run them up a flagpole and see who salutes them, but also let yourself imagine what sort of music you might write for an athlete’s foot powder commercial, or a nature documentary or whatever and write it. Things being what they are, your nature documentary tune about fuzzy bunnies might end up in a horror film as you never know what some music supervisor or director’s vision will be. Your fuzzy bunnies could be the comic relief or the calm before the truly horrific event in the film. Imagine yourself watching the film and cracking up saying to yourself, " I never imagined that song being used for something like this!" Would’t that be fun?
Nicole, I agree it’s a good idea to try both approaches but as you pointed out that it’s hard to predict where a song may land. This is another argument to just focus on the music and not try to write for an opportunity, if that makes sense.
How do you find out legitimate companies to send Your music to
There are lots of them out there, Keith, you just need to do a little searching. The one obstacle being with a company is you are typically one of thousands of tracks vying for attention. I have always found it much better to bypass the middle person and go straight to the gatekeepers.
Hi Chris learnt a lot from ur YouTube about the industry for sync through ur exspierence thanku definitely things I was not aware of I’ve been songwriter for 23 yrs always thought it would a great exspierence to write for film or commercials but you’ve clearly put it in perspective thanku
Glad you found that valuable, Tony.
This is kind of the direction I’m headed now. I’m not writing to brief.
Good to hear, Kip.
Chris has a great point about writing music about your own experiences and creative expressions without regard to a known target. Which is how most music is born.
But it really matters on your skill set wether or not your ready to attempt the task of target composing.
An example of a team of skilled composers that possess the skills to write exclusively directed for a film is The Goo Goo dolls and the collaboration with musicians like Session guitarist Tim Pierce for the movie City of Angles.
If you got the chops, keep choppin!
Couldn’t agree more, Karl.
I won’t change way i write music to make it aligned specifically for purpose to get it to movies ,but if someone finds my music suitable for their movie i might let it used in movie without major changes in tunes and main theme.
That is a great approach, Michael.
To be honest i just write whatever comes into my head. The music takes on its own form and i just go with it. Sometimes its just a simple riff that develops into something interesting but i think this approach for me works well in finding "Authenticity" so to speak. Give me quality over quantity everytime. Someone told me once they had over 10000 songs but i wondered how many of them where any good but of course music is subjective. "Let them come to you" shows what a brilliant mind Malcolm McLaren had. I loved Malcolm McLaren`s karaoke culture talk on ted shortly before he died couple years back he was such a clever guy.
Great to hear, Ray, and yes, I agree. Malcolm knew what he was talking about.
Greetings, Chris. Thanks so much for this affirming & encouraging video. Your message seems to deliver a recurring them in music as well as in other artistic fields, that it’s very evident to the people we serve which parties are doing it solely for the "hip-ness" or the $$ and which are doing it because it is what has been gifted to them from their Creator to reflect His ingenuity & uniqueness. Couple that with persistence, skill, tenacity, wisdom, humility, and good business sense, and I would think a person like that would stick out like a sore thumb … in a good way … to those looking for authentic music. True?
Absolutely. The cream rises to the top.
Thank you very much Chris, just the kind of encouragement i for one needed. For me, and as you say its different for everyone, my attempts to "write for sync" were a bit soul-sucking. Whether i can ever get placements is yet to be seen based on other considerations, at least i know there is a chance if we are writing from where real music comes from.
Great to hear, Josh!
I agree and that is my main goal to be authentic. Still awaiting my first placement but I believe it will happen eventually
Keep the faith and just make sure you are doing it right.
Hey Chris- Thanks for this video today. I so often ask myself this question. Your inspiration came to me at a great time today.
TG
Happy to hear that, Tommy.
Happy Holidays Chris!
Thanks so much for doing these videos, your insight and inspiration. It’s much appreciated! I have never wrote for sync so, I’m good with what you’re saying. I just signed my second Licensing deal with a catalog pitching company, NOMA music. I’ll let you know if I get any placements.
Take care & much peace and love,
Groovy Judy 🥰☮️🎄🎶
I would love to hear that. Keep me in the loop!
Timing of this post was perfect for me, thank you! If I’d a nickel for every music biz exec who’s told me my recorded songs, albeit well-written and produced, aren’t really "sync-able"…. Your advice lifted me back up into the proper head space to continue to write, sing and perform as who I am — as my true artist self — and I like me this way! I figure if I stay in the sync game long enough, work on building those important relationships and understanding which opportunities fit best with my music, well, as often said, "build it, and they will come." Love Malcom McLaren, BTW.
Great to hear, Annie.
That is good advice Chris. The music supervisors have been telling us as well. Supes say my music is authentic & well-targeted. But I haven’t got a placement yet. Thanks for your help.
Just know you are on the right path compared to many, Doug.
Thank you, Chris, for being there. I have had great reviews from the 3 supes I’ve met with. They have all said my music is beautiful, but hard to sync, best for a feature spot. I understand those are much more difficult to find and get. Some of my older music has been liked. I am still having trouble finding the niche of programing that my songs would fit into. That said, I am enjoying Sync Club and the journey to my first placement!
You are certainly in the right place to get that perfect fit, Einen.
Thanks Chris
I have a question should you record your songs to a click track? I have been recording old school just going with the best take and working from there. But I was recently told that makes it amateurish. Thoughts?
Thanks Tom T.
There are no rules with that, Tom. If you can maintain a natural tempo that flows with the music, no click is perfectly fine. Sometimes a music editor might want to sync something to a track click, but it’s pretty rare. I say go with whatever sounds and feels best to you.
Great advice Chris. I’ve always believed this is the right way to approach this career. Learning a lot. Thanks
Thanks Jimmy.
I have done both – due to the tradition I come from (music-centric movies) and the experiences I have had (including commissioned for commercials). But primarily and either way, it does come from the heart and a special place. Thanks for the inspiring video, Chris!
You bet, Ban, and great to hear.
Hi Chris,
Thank you for this.
👍
Good advice …I fully agree ….
Thanks.
You’re welcome, Gautam. Happy to help!
This is great to hear. Yes, am writing as an Artist and thanks to this program had a music supervisor as for my song! Thx!
Good to hear, KM.
No worries. 🙂
I prefer being myself as a composer, following my path and trying to find the right people for my music. Ok it’s not easy but in my book if you have your own music personality, sounds and color too, stay there and poursuit you research as i do.
Couldn’t agree more, JM.
That was exactly the message I needed to hear thanks Chris! I’ve been trying to write for a few sync briefs but of course it’s not mindblowing stuff because of the time lines. It’s hard to write great music with a tight deadline. I’m mostly writing whatever inspires me most and concentrating of defining my own sound now.
Good to hear, Jason. That’s the way to go.
Thanks Chris. You support me in believing in myself. But still I haveto define the genre of my song and I often don,t know how. Could you say something about it. What,s characteristic for each genre,
please
Ewa, that is unfortunately too long of a answer for here. Come out to the free music supervisor panel we are hosting in January and you can get all your questions answered there. I’ll keep you in the loop.
Hi Chris,
As an award winning songwriter, how do I get my songs in front of the right people in sync?
It’s frustrating having a large catalogue of great material, knowing that many of those songs would fit perfectly in those sync situations – and not having access to getting it in front of the right people in sync.
How would I go about doing this?
Many thanks in advance.
That is exactly what I do for songwriters, Sandra-Mae. Come out to my free music supervisor panel in January and I will tell you about how I can help you. I’ll let you know the date and time soon.
Hi Chris
thanks, no I have never written to sync before, but one of my tracks was used in a nature film about wolf’s life, whit out knowing about it.
Hmm… that’s great news, but not the part about not knowing. Got to tunesat.com to find out if any of your other songs have been used without your permission.