What Rights Are Involved in Sync Licensing? The Short List

Short answer: Three rights matter most in sync licensing. The synchronization right lets a buyer put the song (the composition) into a production. The master use right lets them use a specific recording. The public performance right covers broadcasting or streaming the finished production, and it is how writers earn performance royalties. A buyer needs the first two before using a track. The third is usually handled by broadcasters and performance rights organizations, not in the sync license itself.

For a full guide to these rights, see music synchronization rights. This page is the short list.

The rights at a glance

Right	Covers	Usually controlled by	How it pays
Synchronization right	The composition: melody and lyrics	Writers and publishers	Part of the license fee
Master use right	The specific recording	The recording owner: artist, producer, or label	Part of the license fee
Public performance right	Broadcasting or streaming the production	Writers and publishers, through performance rights organizations	Performance royalties
Neighboring rights, in some countries	Public use of the recording	Recording owners and performers	Separate royalties, where they exist

The synchronization right

This is permission to record the composition into a production in time with picture. It belongs to whoever owns the song: the writers, and any publisher they have signed with. If a song has several writers, each owner, or someone authorized to act for them, must agree.

The master use right

This is permission to use a particular recording. If a buyer wants the original recording, they need it from the master owner. If they want a new recording of the song, they only need the synchronization right, plus whatever deal they make with the new performers.

What master rights mean in sync licensing goes deeper.

The public performance right

When a production is broadcast or streamed, the music in it is performed publicly. Broadcasters and platforms pay performance rights organizations, which pay writers and publishers based on cue sheets and reports. This is separate from the license fee and is why registering your songs matters.

Why both sync and master rights must be cleared

A buyer cannot use your track if only one side is cleared. If you own the song but a label owns the recording, the label must agree too. Why sync licensing requires both rights cleared explains the problems that cause.

One stop tracks

A track is one stop when a single party can license both the composition and the recording. Buyers prefer one stop music because it is faster and safer to clear. If you wrote and recorded the track yourself, or if all co-owners authorize one party to license it, it can be one stop. One-stop clearance explained covers how.

What can complicate rights

• Co-writers. Every writer must be known, with agreed splits.
• Producers. A producer may co-own the master or have written part of the music.
• Samples and loops. Every sample must be cleared for sync, or removed. Some loop licenses do not allow sync use.
• Covers. You can own a recording of a cover, but the song belongs to its writers, who must grant the sync right.
• Label deals. A label may own or control your recordings.
• Prior exclusive deals. An exclusive library or agency deal may block other licenses.

An ownership checklist

Before offering any track for sync, confirm:

• Who wrote the song, and each writer's share
• Who owns the recording, and each owner's share
• Whether any writer has a publisher
• Whether any part is sampled, and if so, whether it is cleared for sync
• Whether any existing deal is exclusive
• That everyone has signed a split sheet or ownership agreement
• That the song is registered with your performance rights organization

A hypothetical example

This example is made up. A singer-songwriter wrote a song alone and recorded it at home, so she owns both the composition and the master. A documentary team wants it. Because she controls both rights, she can grant the sync license and the master use license in one deal, which makes the track one stop. When the documentary streams in a territory where performances are reported, her performance rights organization pays her writer royalties from the cue sheet.

Common confusion

• "Owning the recording means I own the song." Not necessarily. They are separate rights.
• "A license transfers ownership." A standard license grants permission for a use. You keep ownership.
• "Performance royalties are part of the sync fee." They are separate.
• "A cover is mine to license." Only the recording. The song belongs to its writers.

Common confusion around rights in sync licensing covers more.

How rights affect the license fee

Because a sync use needs both the composition and the recording, the license fee is usually split between the two sides. If you own both, you receive both parts, minus any library or agent share. If someone else owns one side, they receive that part. This is why knowing exactly who owns what matters before any fee is agreed.

Registering your rights

Rights are easier to prove and to be paid for when they are registered:

• Register songs with your performance rights organization, listing every writer and split
• Keep signed split sheets and any master ownership agreements on file
• Use the same titles and names in your libraries and registrations
• Update registrations when anything changes, such as a new publisher

Rights in library deals

When you place a track in a library, you usually give the library the right to grant sync and master use licenses on your behalf, on the terms in your agreement. You keep ownership. Read whether the deal is exclusive, whether the library may retitle the track, and how long its right to license lasts. These terms decide what you can do with the same track elsewhere.

Where That Pitch fits

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FAQ

What rights are involved in sync licensing?

The synchronization right for the composition, the master use right for the recording, and, separately, the public performance right when the production is broadcast or streamed.

Who owns the synchronization right?

The writers of the song and any publishers they have signed with.

Who owns the master use right?

Whoever owns the recording, often the artist, a producer, or a label.

What is a one stop track?

A track where one party can license both the composition and the recording, which makes clearance faster.

Can I license a cover song for sync?

You can license your recording, but the buyer also needs the sync right from the song's writers or publishers.

Does a sync license transfer ownership?

No. A standard license grants permission for a specific use. You keep ownership of your rights.

Do I need to register my songs to license them?

You can license without registering, but registration is needed to collect performance royalties and makes ownership easier to prove.

What happens if one rights holder says no?

The track cannot be licensed for that use. Every owner of the song and the recording, or someone authorized for them, must agree.