Music Licensing and Sync Deals: The Hidden Goldmine Artists Are Finally Tapping Into
Most people think streaming is where artists make their money, but the real fortune actually lies behind the scenes of music licensing and sync deals. This is evident in the context of Afrobeats artists like: • Tems – “No Woman, No Cry” (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)Her emotional delivery on the song helped define the movie’s tone hereby landing her massive licensing payout plus global attention. • Rema – “Calm Down”Beyond being a hit, Calm Down has been licensed for international ads and campaigns. This means more money for the young Afrobeats talent. • Burna Boy – “Destiny”Featured on Barack Obama’s playlist and multiple documentaries, showing how African music is being woven into global storytelling, Burna Boy is making making money off that track due to sync deals. How It Works • Music Supervisors Search for a Track: A film or brand looks for the perfect sound. • License Negotiation: The artist, label, or publisher agrees to terms and usage. • Payment: The artist receives an upfront sync fee, and continues to earn royalties whenever the song airs. • Split Between Rights Holders: Both the writer/publisher and the recording owner (often the label) get paid. That’s why owning your masters is such a big deal, it means you control your licensing income. Key Takeaways for Artists • Register with a Performance Rights Organization (PRO) like ASCAP, BMI, PRS, or COSON. • Add your songs to sync libraries like Artlist, Musicbed, or Epidemic Sound. • Keep an instrumental version of each track ready — many syncs prefer vocals light or clean. • Build relationships with music supervisors; they’re the gatekeepers to placements. The drill is, music licensing isn’t just about exposure, it’s a career game-changer. From Lagos to Los Angeles, artists are realizing that one song in the right film or ad can make more than a million streams ever will. In today’s music economy, as an artist, your next big break might not be a hit single, it might just be a sync deal. Written by Alaro Basit