SAMPLED

Rights, royalties and the business · updated 2026-08-16

SYNC LICENCE

Permission to pair music with visuals. You typically need clearance from both the master owner and the publisher.

A singer signing a music publishing contract with a publisher across a table — the deal paperwork behind the rights, royalty and publishing terms defined here.
Rights, royalties and the business — A singer signing a music publishing contract with a publisher across a table — the deal paperwork behind the rights, royalty and publishing terms defined here.

Photo: Katherine Jenkins signing her publishing deal at Rive Droite Music (opens in a new tab) by Danott (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab)

Key takeaways

  • Permission to pair music with visuals.
  • You typically need clearance from both the master owner and the publisher.
  • Using an existing recording requires a master use licence as well, negotiated with whoever controls the master.
  • A national ad campaign needs both licences, cleared for a defined territory and length of use, before the spot can run.
  • Watch out: clearing only one side.

Quick checklist

  • Can you define sync licence in one sentence without looking?
  • Can you point at sync licence in a real session, mix or contract?
  • Have you tried the practical move above at least once?
  • Would you catch the common mistake before it costs you a take?
  • Have you opened one of the primary sources below rather than a forum thread?

SYNC LICENCE IN DEPTH

A sync licence permits a composition to be paired with visual media. Using an existing recording requires a master use licence as well, negotiated with whoever controls the master. Fees vary enormously with media, territory and term.

How it works in practice

A national ad campaign needs both licences, cleared for a defined territory and length of use, before the spot can run.

The mistake people make

Clearing only one side. Music supervisors routinely pass on tracks where one of the two rights is unclear or split too widely.

WHERE SYNC LICENCE SITS

Sync licence belongs to rights, royalties and the business in the Sampled music glossary. The words on your split sheet, your distribution dashboard and your royalty statement.

TEST YOURSELF

0/3 answered · 0 correct

3 quick questions on sync licence. Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. 1. Which statement best describes sync licence?

  2. 2. What is the mistake people most often make with sync licence?

  3. 3. In practice, which of these applies to sync licence?

Ready for the full thing? Take the 25-question terminology test and get a certificate with your name and score.

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for sync licence — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

  • U.S. Copyright Office — licensing (opens in a new tab)

    Government registry · U.S. Copyright Office

    “Permission to pair music with visuals.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: This is the office that actually administers the right being described, so its wording governs in a dispute.

  • ASCAP — licensing (opens in a new tab)

    Primary reference · ascap.com

    “You typically need clearance from both the master owner and the publisher.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: Published by the organisation responsible for the thing being defined, so it is a first-hand source rather than a summary of one.

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