I’ve noticed some trends in our community recently. A number of people are identifying themselves as a “sync artist” or stating in their bio that they focus exclusively on writing music for sync.
For independent artists, I’m starting to think that this is not a good thing.
I have regular conversations with execs in sync and there seems to be a preference for creators who are full-blown artists over artists that create soley for sync.
Of course, I’ve been in the latter group. But, I’ve never presented myself as a front facing artist. As a songwriter and producer, being able to create a fake artist name for music that I’ve created and then syncing it through music libraries has freed me to be fully creative.
And I’ve gotten some good TV placements with those fake bands. But, it would be very hard for me to get some of the high dollar ad placements that way.
This is because the agencies pitching to brands for these placements are often not just pitching songs, they’re pitching the artist. It seems brands want more than just good music. They want to know that they’re attaching their brand with an artist that has momentum and a brand that complements their own.
This is why an artist like Vo Williams can command higher sync fees than the average indie artist – because he has developed his brand while creating music content.
So, that’s the thing, in my opinion. For independent artists, if you want access to the higher dollar amounts that some syncs can generate, you need to develop your brand along with music content.
And I think your brand will be stronger if you pitch yourself as a real artist as opposed to just a “sync artist”. A real artist has a marketable image. A real artist has a fan base. A real artist might make music that works amazingly well for sync but they are a real artist nonetheless.
This is just my opinion – informed by discussions that I have with sync industry decision-makers.
But tell me what you think?
And for the industry execs, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Reply and let me know if you agree or disagree.
And, if you are an indie artist with a developed brand AND syncable music, reply so that I know who you are. I’m always looking for new people to introduce to my industry friends.
I think that being versatile is key. I don’t think it’s wise to lock yourself into one domain. Free yourself to be as intriguing as you’re capable of being.