How much should an artist charge for a sync licence?

The first time someone asks to license your song, the hardest question is usually the price. There is no official rate card for sync, and the numbers you read online range from a few dollars to six figures. The good news is that the range is not random. A handful of factors explain most of it, and once you know them you can quote with confidence.

What decides how much a sync licence is worth?

The biggest factor is the use: a social post, a YouTube video, a film and a paid ad are different products. After that, price follows the buyer's reach, your own audience, how long and where the licence runs, whether it is exclusive, which media it covers, how prominent the music is and how much of it is used.

• Use type. Advertising is worth more to a buyer than an organic post, and is priced that way.
• The buyer's scope. A national brand campaign reaches more people than a small channel.
• Your audience. A recognisable song brings its own listeners with it.
• Term and territory. Perpetual and worldwide is the widest grant. Arts Law notes ad campaigns often pay more for each added territory.
• Exclusivity. Promising not to license anyone else is a cost to you.
• Media. Online only, broadcast, cinema or all media.
• Prominence and length. Arts Law notes a short duration might attract a lower fee than a longer one. A featured song usually earns more than background music.

What do sync licences typically cost by use type?

For an emerging independent artist, cadential.'s pricing model typically lands social and podcast licences at roughly A$37 to A$67, YouTube at A$41 to A$73, film at A$300 to A$1,500 and brand or ad at A$415 to A$1,660. Verified wider-market figures exist mainly for film and TV, and are shown separately below.

The cadential. column comes from its pricing model for an average song by an artist with roughly 1,000 to 100,000 monthly listeners. It is a guide, not a rate card: every song is priced individually and the artist reviews the prices. For very well-known artists, around a million monthly listeners and up, film and ad become a custom quote.

The market figures are in US dollars and come from US practitioners. Film Independent quotes music supervisor Brooke Wentz saying most songs can be licensed for festival rights at around US$500 per side, meaning the song and the recording each. In a 2024 Berklee article, professor LaMarcus Miller puts a lesser-known artist used in the background at about US$5,000 all-in, a recognisable artist at US$40,000 to US$60,000, and major-label stars at six figures.

Why can independent artists quote lower than label acts?

If you own both the song and the recording, one person can say yes to the whole licence. A label-controlled track usually needs a publisher and a label to agree separately, each wanting its own fee. Being a single, fast point of contact is worth something to a buyer, and it gives you room to price competitively.

Arts Law explains that where the song and the recording are controlled by different parties, a producer needs a separate licence from each. It also notes that most favoured nations clauses are common in sync, where each side insists on at least what the other side gets. An independent artist who owns both has none of that to negotiate. That is a reason a lower quote can still be a fair one, not a reason to give your music away.

How do exclusivity, term and territory change the price?

Exclusivity pushes the price up, because you agree not to license the track to anyone else within the deal's scope. A narrower licence, such as a shorter term, a single country or online only, usually pushes it down, because the buyer gets less. Options to extend a licence later should cost extra.

Arts Law notes that ad licences are commonly exclusive for the campaign's term and territory, that film licences usually need to be perpetual because music cannot easily be removed once a film is released, and that option fees are sometimes set higher than the original fee. There is no universal multiplier for any of this. Price each change by asking what you are giving up.

How do you avoid underpricing your music?

Price the use, not your nerves. Ask exactly where the music will appear, for how long, in which territories and whether it is exclusive. Compare that against the factors above, quote once with confidence, and walk away from deals that ask for wide, permanent rights at a small-licence price. Saying no is sometimes the right answer.

Sync agent Tyler McLoughlan made this point to APRA AMCOS: brands often ask for perpetual online use, so understand the licence terms before approving, and if the track is strong and the budget or terms are poor, it may be worth holding out for a better opportunity. Say no to unpaid "exposure" deals for commercial uses, to exclusivity you are not paid for, and to anything you would not want your name next to.

How are prices set on cadential.?

On cadential. every song is priced per use type. A pricing model proposes each price from published market rates and how much the song is played, the artist reviews the prices before signing, and buyers see the exact price before checkout. 80% of every licence fee goes to the artist, and the arrangement is non-exclusive.

There is no haggling on each sale, which suits the many small, fast licences creators need. Bigger or unusual uses, such as broadcast TV, are handled as separate licences. Details for artists are on the for artists page.

Related reading:

• How do independent artists get sync deals?
• What it costs to license a song for YouTube
• Licensing a song for a film or documentary

This guide is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own project, talk to a lawyer. Licence details on cadential. are set out in the licence terms.