Are you new to composing for sync, but overwhelmed by the jargon? In this episode, we sit down with Emmy-winning composer and sync expert Brad Hatfield to cut through the confusion.

Brad teaches Songwriting for Film & TV and Music Supervision at Berklee, drawing from decades of experience in the industry. From understanding contracts and ownership to knowing what to expect once your track is synced, this episode provides a thorough breakdown of sync licensing, publishing, royalties, and beyond.

We define essential terms such as ‘master recording’, ‘writer’ and ‘neighbouring rights’, and explain why getting your splits and agreements in order can make or break a placement…

We also explore what ‘useful music’ means for Film and TV, and how AI is reshaping the future of sync.

Whether you’re a songwriter, composer, or musician looking to break into sync, this episode will help you confidently navigate the production music world!

Chapters

0:00 Intro
3:38 What is Sync Licensing?
5:55 The three T’s: Term, Territory & Type of Media
9:14 What is a Publisher?
12:43 What is a Writer?
15:14 What is the Master Recording?
21:49 What is a Producer?
25:57 What are Mechanical Royalties?
31:01 What are Neighbouring Rights?
36:25 What is a Needle Drop?
38:45 What actually happens when a song is licensed for use in Film?
45:55 Writing ‘useful’ music and the importance of Outros
50:10 Why you should provide stems
54:00 AI and the future of Sync Music

Brad’s website - https://www.bradhatfieldmusic.com

Brad Hatfield Music Collective - https://www.bradhatfieldmusiccollective.com

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