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10 Best Music Sync Licensing Companies That Actually Deliver For Artists

*This article may contain links to affiliate products & services. We have reviewed these services to try and ensure the highest quality recommendations*

Written by Ramsey Brown

In the highly digitized world that we live in today, licensing music has become much easier for artists than ever before. Music licensing used to involve a lengthy process that required reaching out to many different stakeholders that had a say in who could license each piece of music. Now, artists can use a variety of digital platforms that make licensing your music for sync (TV, Film, Video Games, Ads, Etc) as easy as clicking a couple of buttons. 

Following our research and experience with music licensing platforms, we’ve listed 11 of our favorite sync licensing websites that artists can use to turn their intellectual property into profit.

The 10 Best Licensing Companies:

Music Gateway is one of the best music sync licensing libraries that represents independent artists. The company is established and has worked with many large companies including Dreamworks, Disney, and Universal.

Artists can sign up for the platform and submit their music to Music Gateway’s creative licensing team. Their team works directly with music supervisors to place music with media companies. 

Artists are paid 75% of the profit for non-exclusive licensing agreements and 80% for exclusive licensing agreements. Artists can keep 100% of backend royalties and rights associated with their work. 

PremiumBeat is a licensing platform created by the company ShutterStock. With a customized and easy to use platform, users are able to find what they are looking for quickly. They have various subscription options starting from a Standard License that covers all web-based projects, to a Premium License for music being used on TV, radio, apps or films.

The platform works with talented and award-winning composers and artists, so you can use it with confidence knowing that it is filled with high-quality music. 

BeatStars is a fast-growing community for artists, rappers, and singers who are looking to find affordable and professional instrumentals online. This digital production marketplace allows music producers the option to license, sell, or give away free beats to artists without ever getting into a studio together. 

This platform not only has an easy-to-use app to make uploading material more convenient, but it also provides educational resources and tools to equip users with the knowledge to become successful. If you are an artist looking to collaborate with a producer or vice versa, BeatStars has now made that connection easier than ever.

The platform has paid out over 85 million dollars to independent creators that sell music on their platform and over three million people visit the website every month. Producers can even create a digital storefront to display their products and get paid instantly when someone purchases from them.  

EpidemicSound is a subscription-based service for content creators looking to elevate their videos and projects through music. With a world class library of composers, artists, and bands, those who utilize the platform have a greater chance of getting heard, getting paid, and developing their music. 

EpidemicSound distributes music to streaming platforms and submits music to playlists with millions of followers. They pay artists upfront fees for music that they accept to their catalog, as well as a 50% of streaming revenue.

The platform is ‘Royalty Free’ and not connected with any Performance Rights Organisation. This means they take ownership of all financial rights to the music and provide a direct license which covers all rights and protects the artist from further costs, copyright strikes, or other legal negotiations that could happen down the road.

This platform offers users multiple options when it comes to finding the right song to create the perfect project. From single-song submissions, custom tailored music, and unlimited subscriptions, Musicbed is a solid choice for any sync licensing needs. 

Musicbed has worked with several established companies, providing music for various projects and brands. Some examples include Ford, Coca-Cola, Netflix, McDonalds, Nike, and more. 

They offer clients high quality music and 100+ ways to filter and sort through tracks. Their platform is made specifically with cinema in mind, connecting filmmakers with industry leading composers to emerging indie artists.

Soundstripe is another subscription based platform where creators can access royalty free music for their projects. The Soundstripe membership covers the cost for every song license, making it a worry-free option for creators. 

Founded by 3 professional musicians, the company prides itself on delivering outstanding music only. They’ve issued 5+ million licenses, paid out over $3.6 million dollars to artists, and continue to add new music on the website weekly.

The platform has a beautiful user experience, and that is apparent as soon as you visit their website. If you’re looking to take your music or project to the next level, then you should sign up for a free Soundstripe account today.

Music Vine is a platform that is specifically made for pro-video and film purposes. They showcase a high quality catalog of curated music from top artists that creators can feature in their video projects. Music Vine has worked with plenty of big name companies, making them a reputable platform for sync licensing services. 

Another plus to the Music Vine platform is their wide variety of pricing options. There are several monthly subscription choices for those who would rather pay a monthly fee, which is better when using large amounts of music. For creators not needing a large amount of content, there is also a pay-per-use option available. 

One of the many strengths Artlist provides is the ability to promote indie artists and showcase high quality music that appeals to various creators. People who are seeking a particular sound for their videos or projects can quickly find music that meets their specific needs through this platform. 

With their royalty-free music licensing, artists who use the platform get to keep the rights to their music with non-exclusive rights agreements. This means using the music on any platform, worldwide. 

Artlist is a stellar way for indie artists to tap into the revenue stream of sync-licensing while expanding their reach to new listeners and platforms across the globe.

ASCAP is a professional rights organization, or PRO with almost one million members, consisting of composers, songwriters, and music publishers. One of the major appeals of ASCAP is that it is owned and operated by its members, so it’s seen more of a community than a business. 

When compared to the other music licensing companies, ASCAP definitely has its own unique feel. It is a very progressive platform that seeks to benefit both the creators and music users involved with it. The user experience of ASCAP is different from the other platforms mentioned, only licensing its member’s public performances.

Public performance meaning any time a song is played in a public place where people gather (other than a small circle of a family or social acquaintances) and includes restaurants, gyms, venues, radio stations, TV broadcast, airlines, retail stores and more. 

If you are a business owner that plays music in your establishment, it’s likely that you’ve dealt with ASCAP before. Check out the complete list of ASCAP license types to find out if you or your business qualifies for one of their licenses.  

Pond5 has been around since 2006 and is a royalty free platform that offers music, effects, stock images, footage, and more. It acts as a one-stop shop for creators needing media effects, offering exclusive content that can only be accessed through their website and memberships

The company’s goal is to help their users become more successful by maximizing the value of their work. Artists who offer their music exclusively on Pond5 can earn an industry high royalty cut of 50-60%. 

In terms of artist-friendliness, there’s no question that Pond5 is the leader in the stock-media marketplace. With over 25 million royalty-free stock videos, they are now the world’s largest platform in terms of footage collection and creative solutions.

Criteria To Consider 

Before choosing which sync licensing libraries you want to work with, there are some criteria that you should consider in order to determine your best option.

Quality of Music

The quality of music is arguably the most important thing that you should consider before choosing a platform. Bad music is an easy way to ruin any kind of video that you are producing. For that reason, the quality should take the front seat in any of your considerations. 

User Interface

A well thought out user interface will ultimately make it easier for you to sign up, browse the platform, and license music for your project. The more time you spend browsing through music for your project, the less time you will have on the actual project. Choose a platform that allows you to narrow down your choices easily and efficiently.

Cost

The cost of any licensing platform is important, especially if your project is on a tight budget. How much money you have to spend will depend on your specific needs for music. Do you need to license one song for a quick intro, or will you have needs for different tracks over time? First figure out what you actually need from a licensing platform and then you will have a better idea about how much money you need to spend.

Wrapping Up 

Don’t let the songs you’ve written sit there and collect dust when they could be collecting royalties! With any of these easy to use sync licensing platforms mentioned above, you could easily be on your way to licensing and selling your own music. 


When your song is ready to go, it's time to start promoting it to potential fans! Omari has the best organic promotion services money can buy. With packages for Spotify, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, we will get your music the traffic and attention it deserves! Click below for more information.  


SPEAK YOUR MIND

    9 replies to "10 Best Music Sync Licensing Companies That Actually Deliver For Artists"

    • Howard Porter

      American Godfather Media LLC. we have the Hits for Film,TV,Commercials and all forms of Advertising contact us at 310-242-0379 [email protected]

    • judol303
    • pinoytv

      Watch your favorite Pinoy Tambayan, Pinoy Teleserye, Pinoy Lambingan, Pinoy Channel, Pinoy TV Replay, and Pinoy TV Shows online for free On Pinoy TV. https://tvstambayan.net/

    • kancilbola

      please make more article about this

    • kancilbola

      what a amazing post

    • Charles R Toomer

      I have fresh new beats I’m in NC Lock $ Key Production. Reflections LLC

    • Michael S Smith

      JUST SPEND DAYS SEEKING THE RIGHT DEAL. SO MANY NOW HAVE NO RESPECT FOR DEDICATED MUSIC ARTISTS, THEY WANT TO SIGN YOU WITH A ROYALTY FREE DEAL WHICH ADDS UP TO NOTHING FOR THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT.

      SOME OFFER EXCLUSIVE AND NON-EXCLUSIVE.
      WITH EXCLUSIVE AND IF THERE IS ACTIUVE PITCHING ITS BEST, BUT THEY HOLD YOUR MUSIC TO PNLY PITCH FOR THE DURATION OF THE CONTRACT, SO THIS STYLE OF LICENSE MUST HAVE A GOOD PLACMENT RECORD OR YOUR JUST LOCKING YOUR MUSIC IN A VAULT WITH NO DEALS.

      WITH NON-EXCLUSIVE YOU CAN SEND, UPLOAD AND PITCH TO THE WHOLE WORLD, BUT YOU WUILL PROUBALLY END UP IN A METADATA SPREADSHOOT WITH ABOUT 50 MILLION OTHER SONGS, SO THE META DATA EMBEDDED IN THE SONG IS THE ONLY WAY TO RECIEVE A VIABLE SEARCH CRITERIA, WITHOUT THE META DATA YOUR JUST A LOST TRACK WITHIN INFINITY AND BEYOND.

      AMYONE SEEKING GOOD SOLID REPRESENTATION WHERE A GROUP OF CURATORS ACTUALLY LISTEN IS THE NEW AND ONLY WAY TO GET HEARD, PITCHED AND PLACED. ALL THE REAT MAY NEVER GET YOU ANYWHERE. IVE HAD MANY A LICENSES GO EXACTLY NO WHERE. MY BEST SUCCESS HAS BEEN AN ACTUAL PERSON THAT TOOK IN A HARDRIVE WEEKLY TO A PRODUCITON COMPANY SO THEY HAVE A DISTINCTIVE LIBRARY PRE APPROVED TO THE HIGHEST RECORDIN QUALITY AND MUSIC DEFINED LEVEL.

      The research is up to you, read all info carefully before spending time only to get a terrible one-sided offer. Once you get into the research you will find about 5 to 10 boutique companies that care about their artists and are ethical, the rest do not really discern as the goal is their income using your lifetime developed talent. On the stream, making $.003 cent per play on Spotify, come on Spotify is the anti-Christ and so large you can never win unless you are a majorlu promoted A-list artist with someone doing all the work for you while you write, record and do your artform.

      Best of luck, i do this every day and generally never get a reply as the good licensing companies or on a 6 month backorder to even here your music, with the flood of Covid artist, or kids with a computer and stolen beats which is not music, you are in line behind 1000,000,000 pieced of music. If your music is great and organic perhaps in time you will be heard. I have composed over 800 pieces of real music and i’m still seeking the right licensing daily. I personally play 10 instruments professionally and being heard is like cutting through steel with s wooden knife, But never stop, give in or rollover, that the power and dedication of a true born with a vision and gift as a REAL music composer. If your looping and creating beat’s from other produced samples then that’s all fake stuff and in time it will dissolve. Stay positive if you are a serious talented musician. If it’s only about money then your in the biz for the wrong reason. An artist, creator, composer musician is born with the gift and develops their skill over a lifetime and never stops cause there is no choice in their mind to stop.

    • Chris Sanders

      Mass Mercury is a father and son songwritting and production duo based in Finalnd. The father is from Chicago and the son is from Finland. We are looking for the best sync deal offers we can find for indie artist, if you can help us find the right source it would be great. Feel free to contact us anytime.

      All respects
      Chris and Sean Sanders
      Mass Mercury prod

    • Chris Sanders

      Mass Mercury is a Father and Son Songwritting and production duo based in Finland. The father is from Chicago and the son is from Finland. We are looking for the best sync deal we can get, if we´re able to be so lucky. Can you please give us some pointers on getting involved in the best deal possible.

      All respects.

      Chris and Sean Sanders
      Mass Mercury prod.

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