One of the biggest mindset shifts you need to make if you want to succeed in sync licensing is learning to embrace delayed gratification.
If you’re constantly refreshing your inbox, anxiously waiting to hear whether your last pitch landed a placement, you’re setting yourself up for unnecessary stress. Sync deals don’t work like that.
Let me give you two recent examples from sus3 Music that highlight how long these placements can take.
1. From Pitch to Placement: Tyler Perry’s Next Medea Film
Last month, during our Music Supervisor Session with Celeste DeBro of Creative Control, she shared her music needs for upcoming Tyler Perry projects. But here’s the twist—before that session even happened, we had already landed a placement for the next Madea movie through her team.
That pitch? It was made 8-9 months ago.
2. A Year-Long Wait for The Proud Family
Another recent win—one of our placements will be featured on an upcoming episode of The Proud Family remake. That song was pitched almost a year ago. The project was delayed, but when production resumed, our placement remained locked in.
This is the nature of sync licensing. You pitch, and then you wait.
Why the “Pitch and Forget” Mentality is Key
If you tie your emotions too closely to each individual pitch, it will wear you out. The reality is:
- Time delays are normal. Even if a music supervisor loves your track, it could be months before they finalize the music choices.
- Competition is fierce. A single project can receive hundreds of submissions. Even if you don’t land this one, you’re building relationships for future opportunities.
- Your best move? Pitch and move on. Instead of obsessing over old pitches, focus on the next opportunity.
I’ve learned to treat every pitch as a learning experience and then immediately shift my focus to the next one. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t follow up strategically—but dwelling on a single pitch for months won’t help.
More Opportunities Are Always Coming
The key to building a sustainable sync career is staying consistent. By continuously seeking out new opportunities and making strong pitches, you give yourself the best chance to succeed.
So, embrace the long game, keep pitching, and let the placements come when they’re ready.