How to Prepare Your Music Catalogue for Sync Opportunities
Your Catalogue Is Your Product
In the sync licensing world, your music catalogue is a product that music supervisors shop from. If your product is disorganised, poorly labelled, or missing essential components, supervisors will move on to someone whose catalogue is ready. Preparation is not glamorous, but it is the difference between landing placements and being overlooked.
Step 1: Audit Your Existing Catalogue
Start by listing every track you own. For each track, check:
- Do you own the master recording? (If you recorded and paid for it, yes.)
- Do you own the composition? (If you wrote it alone, yes. If co-written, what is your share?)
- Are there any samples that need clearance?
- Is the track registered with a PRO (PRS, ASCAP, BMI)?
- Does the track have an ISRC code from your distributor?
Any track where you control both the master and the composition (or your share of each) is a potential sync candidate. Tracks with uncleared samples are not -- clear them first or remove the samples.
Step 2: Create Stems and Alternate Versions
For every track in your sync catalogue, prepare:
Stems (Essential)
Music editors need to adjust the mix for scenes. Standard stem groups:
- Vocals (lead and backing separately if possible)
- Drums and percussion
- Bass
- Synths/keys/pads
- Guitars (acoustic and electric separately)
- Effects and atmospheres
Export each stem as a WAV file at the same sample rate and bit depth as your master. All stems should start at the same timecode so they sync perfectly when layered.
Instrumental Version (Essential)
Simply mute the vocal tracks and bounce a new mix. This is used more often than you might think -- many placements prefer instrumentals because dialogue needs to be heard clearly.
Clean Version (If Applicable)
If your track contains explicit language, create a clean version with the offending words removed or replaced. Broadcast TV and many adverts require clean versions.
TV Mix
Some producers create a "TV mix" with slightly reduced bass and a wider stereo image, optimised for television speakers. This is a nice-to-have, not a requirement.
Step 3: Tag Everything with Comprehensive Metadata
Metadata is how supervisors find your music. Tag every track with:
- Primary genre and sub-genres: "Electronic > Deep House > Melodic House"
- Moods (3-5): "Uplifting, Hopeful, Energetic, Euphoric, Summery"
- Energy level: Low / Medium / High
- Tempo (exact BPM): "124 BPM"
- Key: "A minor"
- Vocal type: "Female vocal / Male vocal / Instrumental"
- Instrumentation: "Piano, Synthesizers, Electric Guitar, Programmed Drums"
- Similar artists: "Sounds like: Rufus Du Sol, Lane 8, Bonobo"
- Lyrical themes: "Love, Loss, Hope, Adventure"
- Usage suggestions: "Works well for: Travel, Fashion, Automotive, Romance"
Step 4: Organise Your Files
Create a consistent folder structure:
- Artist Name / Track Title / Master Mix (WAV)
- Artist Name / Track Title / Instrumental (WAV)
- Artist Name / Track Title / Clean Version (WAV)
- Artist Name / Track Title / Stems / (individual stem WAVs)
- Artist Name / Track Title / Metadata (spreadsheet or text file)
Back this up in at least two locations -- a cloud service (Google Drive, Dropbox) and an external hard drive.
Step 5: Create Your Sync One-Sheets
For each track, create a one-page PDF or web page with:
- Track title, artist name, artwork
- Streaming/preview link
- All metadata listed above
- Clearance status ("One-stop clearance available")
- Available formats (stems, instrumental, clean)
- Contact information
- Any previous placements or notable press
Step 6: Submit to Sync Libraries
With your catalogue prepared, submit to sync libraries and agencies. PitchSonic's dashboard lets you manage sync submissions alongside your label and curator pitches. Read our complete sync licensing guide for detailed library recommendations, and learn how to write pitches that land placements.
Remember: sync supervisors may not use your music for months or even years after you submit. Building a sync career is about having a well-organised, well-tagged catalogue that is ready when the right opportunity comes. The artists who land the most placements are not necessarily the most talented -- they are the most prepared.