This article was updated on February 20, 2020.

If you're wondering how to get your music licensed, you're not alone. It's a common question often asked by artists.

Even though you may have a killer track, there's more that can be done to give your song the best chance of being discovered. Here are some of the best tips to help get your music noticed, heard, and synced.

 

1) Tag Your Songs (& Include Your Artist Name!) 

This is a big one.  We often come across songs which have been incorrectly tagged or not tagged at all. Without concise, accurate tagging, the right people may not discover your song, no matter how great it is!

A buyer will inevitably be presented with a multitude of choices when seeking music to license, so you want to give your songs the best chance to be discovered. Tagging your music is highly recommended, because who knows your music better than you? Remember, every song is different and should be treated as such. Adding keywords and moods that accurately describe your songs will help them stand out. Click here for some tools and tips on tagging.

Also, don't forget to add your artist name. This is incredibly important for discoverability across all platforms — Songtradr and distribution outlets included. Tagging your artist name helps make you and your songs easily searchable, which will make the chances of your music getting licensed more likely.

 

2) Add a Professional Profile Picture 

Having a great profile picture that accurately represents your music, tells the world and any potential buyers that you are a creator who takes their art and product seriously. Poor quality photos can look amateur and do little to help your business.

A good-quality, captivating profile picture is an essential first impression. This is especially true for our music curation team, as they tag hundreds of songs every day.

Your profile picture speaks volumes about you and your music. Make it as artistic as you like, but remember to keep it professional.

 

3) Title Your Songs Correctly

Your song title should be the song name only  and should not include additional information. For example: Which one do you think works and looks better?

“A Beautiful Beach - 24BIT - WAV - VOCAL MIX” OR "A Beautiful Beach"?

Leaving extra information in the title may give the impression that the song is a work in progress. The title should also accurately represent your song. Much of pitching comes down to setting up the right listening environment and atmosphere. Shape the experience for your listener with a song title that accurately sets the mood.

 

4) Include Any Additional Versions

Soundscapes and ambiance (e.g. ocean wave, birds, crickets) in your music are great and could be exactly what a potential buyer wants, but we recommend creating and uploading a no ambiance version as well to give buyers more reasons to say yes.

Don't forget to include instrumental mixes and stems as well. When reviewing a song, one of the first questions from a music supervisor’s lips is, “Does it have an instrumental?”. Licenses have been won and then lost because the artist did not or could not provide an instrumental for dialogue-driven scenes. Make sure to take this into consideration when you are making final bounces in the recording studio!

 

5) Give Options for Fade-In Fade-Outs 

Visual projects need the most flexibility when mixing a song into a scene. Therefore, songs with a definitive start and end are more preferable than songs with fade-ins or fade-outs.

If your artistic vision calls for such, consider doing an alternate mix version with a definitive start/end, to give potential buyers the option.

 

6) Create Playlists

Utilizing Songtradr's playlists means you can share songs easily by sending links to industry colleagues, collaborators, or potential buyers.

To make things even easier, the auto-update playlist function allows you to edit your playlists whenever you like without having to resend links.

Don't forget you can also let others know what's going on in your world by sharing your playlists on social media.

 

7) Create Your Songtradr Artist Profile 

Every member of Songtradr has access to a customizable public profile. This is a great way to share your music and other information.

On your Songtradr profile, you can customize photos, share a bio, links, playlists and feature your top 10 tracks.

You can share your profile with anyone (fans, music supervisors, fellow musicians) so don't be shy!

 

8) Do Your Research 

Before sending your music for a pitch, it's a good idea to research the TV show, film, advertisement, or project. Industry professionals are busy and appreciate pitches with good quality production, that are well-thought-out.

Sending music that you know is relevant to the project will increase your chances of landing the license.

Side-note: Songs with generic or dual-meaning lyrics make your getting licensed more of a possibility. 

 

9) Let Listeners Know Your Music Is Available for Licensing  

Place your Songtradr song link on your website, in YouTube video descriptions, or Facebook captions to create a new pipeline for buyers. With a plan to get your music licensed, it's always beneficial to make sure as many people know about your work as possible.

 

10) Submit to Relevant Wanted Listings 

Being accurate with your Wanted submissions will help position your music in a good light with our licensing team and network of buyers. Our Wanted Listings are constantly updated, so checking them regularly to find which ones fit songs in your catalog will increase your chances of being noticed, and possibly licensed.

To ensure that artists are submitting music to relevant Wanteds we operate on a credit system. As a free or Lite user, you will receive 2 submissions per Wanted. By upgrading to Songtradr Pro, you will receive 5 submissions per Wanted opportunity.

If you've followed the steps above and your music is a good fit, you have an excellent chance of catching the ear of our music licensing team. Even if your song doesn't fit the needs of one project, it may be remembered and chosen for another. You've heard it before, and it's true; persistence is key.

Ultimately, we are firm believers that great music will find its way to the top, and we're here to help that happen! Covering these essential will make your chances of getting your music licensed stronger.

 

DISTRIBUTE & LICENSE YOUR MUSIC. EVERYWHERE.


Peter Schneider

Peter Schneider is the Director of Marketing here at Songtradr. And, of course, he loves music.

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Real music, real artists

About Songtradr

Songtradr is the largest, cleared-for-licensing, music marketplace in the world, connecting our global community of artists to Film & TV, advertising, games, brands, and more. We are a passionate group of musicians and music enthusiasts with a simple mission; to revolutionize the process of exchanging music rights.

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