Sync fee?

[Anders]

Hi,

What are typical circumstances for when a ”Sync fee” would be paid?
I have had quite a few placements but never any sync fees, only royalties.

Grateful for any insights, thanks!

/Anders

[eeoo]

I've only ever gotten upfront sync money for vocal songs. Also, I think it depends on the publisher's business model, some only license if there's upfront money, some use blanket deals and others anything and everything and nothing at all so I've heard.

[Casey H]

Like eeoo, I've only gotten sync fees on vocal songs and with specific libraries. A lot of library placements don't pay anything upfront. But if it's on a good time of day and the right network, the back end is nice. It's very difficult to get upfront money on instrumental cues. There are millions out there to chose from and many deals between the library and the TV production company are blanket deals whereby the client pays one fee for access to the entire library. Most libraries don't share a portion of these fees with the composers and even if they did, they amount we would get would be fairly small. Of course, we should get something, even if small, but the libraries generally don't share. One Taxi friendly library does.

Best,
Casey

[BradleyHagen]

Like eeoo, I've only gotten sync fees on vocal songs and with specific libraries. A lot of library placements don't pay anything upfront. But if it's on a good time of day and the right network, the back end is nice. It's very difficult to get upfront money on instrumental cues. There are millions out there to chose from and many deals between the library and the TV production company are blanket deals whereby the client pays one fee for access to the entire library. Most libraries don't share a portion of these fees with the composers and even if they did, they amount we would get would be fairly small. Of course, we should get something, even if small, but the libraries generally don't share. One Taxi friendly library does.

Best,
Casey

Interesting...... Now my understanding is that cover songs pay ZERO backend royalties, because there is already an existing writer??? Are cover songs, cover epic movie trailers.etc ALL just an upfront sync fee?

[eeoo]

Interesting...... Now my understanding is that cover songs pay ZERO backend royalties, because there is already an existing writer??? Are cover songs, cover epic movie trailers.etc ALL just an upfront sync fee?

Yes

[Casey H]

Interesting...... Now my understanding is that cover songs pay ZERO backend royalties, because there is already an existing writer??? Are cover songs, cover epic movie trailers.etc ALL just an upfront sync fee?

Yes

Yes, but a cover song placement will generally have an upfront sync fee.

[Anders]

Thank you eeoo and Casey H!

I had a vocal track used as background for announcements of upcoming shows on a German channel (it showed up on my Tunesat at 15 different spots).
I guess I would have known beforehand if there would have been a sync fee for that?

Most libraries don't share a portion of these fees with the composers and even if they did, they amount we would get would be fairly small.

Yes, I received a long spread sheet from one library where most tracks earned around 0,015$ which was ”pieces of blanket licenses”. I don't know how the calculation was made.

/Anders