When a song lands in an ad, a film or a YouTube series, most artists ask the same question: is this a one-off payment, or does it keep paying? The honest answer is that sync can pay twice, but the two payments come from different places, and only one of them is guaranteed by the licence itself.
How does an artist get paid for a sync placement?
There are two possible payments. The sync fee is paid by the buyer under the licence, usually as a single lump sum agreed up front. Performance royalties can follow later, when the finished production is broadcast, streamed or performed in public, and are collected and paid by a collecting society such as APRA AMCOS.
Arts Law notes that fees from sync licences are generally more lucrative than ordinary royalties, which is why sync matters to independent artists. The royalty side is real, but it is smaller and less predictable.
What is a sync fee?
A sync fee is the price of the licence itself: the money a buyer pays for permission to put your song and recording in their production. Arts Law describes sync fees as generally lump sums, with an initial fee for the agreed term, territory and media, and further fees if the buyer later takes up options to extend.
The contract should say when and how you are paid. If the song and the recording are owned by different people, each side licenses its own copyright and is paid its own fee. What sets that fee is covered in how much to charge for a sync licence.
When do performance royalties apply?
Performance royalties apply when a production that includes your song is broadcast, streamed or played in public under a licence held by the broadcaster, platform or venue. APRA AMCOS collects those royalties for songwriters and publishers and pays them to the people registered as owning the song, which is why registration matters.
APRA AMCOS is clear that it does not issue sync licences or negotiate sync deals itself. The two systems sit side by side: the licence is between you and the buyer, and royalties flow through the society. How the separate rights fit together is in sync licence vs master licence.
What is a cue sheet and why does it matter?
A cue sheet is a list of every piece of music in a production, with titles, writers, durations and how each was used. Arts Law notes that a rights holder in a song will want the producer to promise to lodge cue sheets with APRA, so the use is picked up and can generate royalties for the writer.
If no cue sheet is lodged, the use may never be matched to your song. So for film, TV and broadcast placements, ask for a cue sheet clause in the licence, and make sure your song is registered with your writers and splits before the production goes out.
Who gets paid if you have a label or publisher?
Each fee and royalty goes to whoever owns or controls that copyright, then on to you under your contracts. Arts Law explains that the song is often controlled by the writer or their publisher, and the recording by the artist or their label. If you signed either away, your share depends on those deals.
Independent artists who wrote the song and own the recording can grant both licences and keep both fees. That is one of the reasons Arts Law says independent, unsigned artists can often license both rights in the same document.
How do artists get paid on cadential.?
On cadential., artists set their own prices for each song and use type, and keep 80% of every licence fee. Payment arrives on the 15th of the month after the buyer pays. Licences are non-exclusive, so artists keep ownership of their songs and recordings, and can still collect performance royalties through their collecting society.
cadential. is in early access and onboarding its first artists now. Details are on the for artists page. If you have not registered your songs yet, start with how independent artists get sync deals.
Related reading:
Questions, answered
Is a sync fee a royalty?
Not in the usual sense. The Arts Law Centre of Australia describes sync fees as generally lump sum fees, with an initial fee for the agreed term, territory and media and extra fees if options are exercised. Performance royalties are separate money that can follow later, depending on where the production is shown.
Does APRA AMCOS pay me for a sync licence?
APRA AMCOS says it does not issue sync licences or negotiate sync deals, so the sync fee comes from the buyer under your licence. APRA AMCOS collects and pays performance royalties when a production using your registered song is broadcast or streamed under its licences with broadcasters and other music users.
Do I get anything if my song is in a YouTube video?
You get the sync fee you agreed for the licence. Whether any further royalties follow depends on the platform, the territory, how the use is reported and whether your song is registered with your collecting society. Treat the sync fee as the money you can count on and anything after it as a possible extra.
How are artists paid on cadential.?
Artists keep 80% of every licence fee. They are paid on the 15th of the month after the buyer pays, by Stripe Connect transfer or bank transfer. Licences are non-exclusive, so artists keep ownership of their music, and their performance royalties from their collecting society are unaffected by the licence.
Sources
- Music Synchronisation Licence Fact Sheet, Arts Law Centre of Australia
- What is Sync, APRA AMCOS
- I'm a New Member, Now What?, APRA AMCOS
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.