The Question that Successful Sync producers know to ask
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the speaker with 16 years of sync licensing experience identifies a critical pattern that distinguishes thriving music producers from those struggling in the industry. Success is not about talent or tools but the mindset and proactive approach towards the business. Unsuccessful producers often wait passively for placements, while successful ones actively engage with their library partners, focusing on creating music that is relevant and useful. The key is to communicate, serve, and let go of expectations, focusing on what one can control.
Takeaways
- 🧠 Mindset Matters: The success of music producers in sync licensing is heavily influenced by their mindset and attitude towards the industry, rather than just their talent or tools.
- 🚀 Persistence Pays: Successful producers continue to create and submit music consistently, despite facing rejections and a lack of immediate results.
- 🤔 Question Your Approach: Unsuccessful producers often ask 'where are my placements?', indicating a passive approach, while successful ones seek to understand and serve the needs of their library partners.
- 🔄 The Importance of Communication: Active and ongoing communication with library partners is crucial for understanding their needs and ensuring the relevance of the music being submitted.
- 💡 Serve, Don't Just Submit: Successful producers focus on how they can be useful and relevant to their library partners, rather than just hoping for placements.
- 🎯 Targeted Creation: Producers should aim to create music that is specifically tailored to the current needs of their library partners, rather than making assumptions about what might be useful in the future.
- 🤝 Building Relationships: Strong relationships with library partners are built on consistent communication and a willingness to understand and meet their needs.
- 🚫 Letting Go of Expectations: Successful producers let go of the need for immediate results and focus on what they can control, which is the quality and relevance of their next track.
- 🔄 Adapt and Overcome: Producers should be ready to adapt their approach based on feedback and results, understanding that the industry is unpredictable and requires flexibility.
- 🔄 The Power of Positivity: Maintaining a positive attitude and responding constructively to setbacks is key to thriving in the sync licensing industry.
- 🛑 Knowing When to Move On: If a relationship with a library is not yielding results despite consistent effort and communication, it may be time to reassess and potentially seek new partnerships.
Q & A
What is the main pattern the speaker has noticed that separates successful music producers from those who are struggling in the sync licensing industry?
-The main pattern is the mindset and attitude of the producers. Successful producers tend to have a proactive and supportive mindset, focusing on how they can help their library partners, while struggling producers often have a more passive and expectant mindset, waiting for placements without contributing further.
What does the speaker suggest is not the main factor determining success in the sync licensing business?
-The speaker suggests that talent, equipment (Daw), samples, studio quality, and even direct library relationships are not the main factors determining success. Instead, it's the mindset and approach to the industry that makes the most significant difference.
What is the common question that unsuccessful producers tend to ask their libraries?
-Unsuccessful producers commonly ask, 'Where are all my placements?' They expect results quickly and may become resentful if they don't see placements after submitting their music.
What is the key question that successful producers ask their library partners instead?
-Successful producers ask, 'How can I help you?' They focus on creating music that is more relevant and useful for their library partners' current needs.
What mindset shift is required for producers to thrive in the sync licensing business according to the speaker?
-The mindset shift required is to let go of expectations and focus on being useful and relevant to library partners. Producers should aim to serve their partners better with each new batch of tracks they create.
Why do some producers fail to see placements or royalties even after submitting their music to libraries?
-Some producers fail to see placements or royalties because they adopt a 'wait and see' approach, submitting their music and then passively waiting for results without further engagement or communication with their library partners.
What is the importance of communication between a producer and their library partners?
-Communication is crucial as it helps producers understand the specific needs and preferences of their library partners, allowing them to create more relevant and licensable music.
How does the speaker describe the experience of producers who are successful in the sync licensing industry?
-The speaker describes successful producers as those who consistently show up, create music that is helpful and relevant, and maintain open and ongoing communication with their library partners.
What advice does the speaker give to producers who are not seeing the results they desire from their library partners?
-The speaker advises such producers to step up their communication efforts, ask for feedback, and ensure they are creating music that is currently useful for their partners. If there is a lack of results despite good communication, it might be time to consider moving on to a different library.
What is the speaker's perspective on the importance of attitude in dealing with the challenges of the sync licensing industry?
-The speaker emphasizes that attitude is a critical factor in overcoming industry challenges. Producers should maintain a positive outlook, learn from setbacks, and focus on what they can control, such as creating the next relevant track.
How can producers ensure they are creating music that is licensable and relevant to their library partners?
-Producers can ensure their music is licensable and relevant by actively communicating with their library partners to understand their current needs and tailoring their music creation process accordingly.
Outlines
🎯 The Power of Mindset in Sync Licensing
The speaker emphasizes the importance of mindset in the success of music producers in sync licensing. They highlight that after 16 years in the industry, it's not talent, equipment, or even direct relationships that make the biggest difference, but rather how producers think and approach the industry. Successful producers have a positive attitude and are proactive, focusing on how they can serve their library partners better. The speaker urges producers to move past the weeds of details and instead focus on the bigger picture of their mindset, which is the key to thriving in sync licensing.
🤔 The Dichotomy of Producers' Questions
This paragraph contrasts the questions asked by unsuccessful and successful producers. Unsuccessful producers tend to inquire about their placements, expecting immediate results and showing impatience when they don't materialize. In contrast, successful producers ask how they can be of service, focusing on creating music that is relevant and useful for their library partners. The successful approach involves open communication, understanding current needs, and serving those needs proactively, leading to more placements and income as a natural consequence of being useful.
📞 The Importance of Communication and Initiative
The speaker discusses the importance of communication and taking initiative in maintaining relationships with library partners. They note that successful producers keep the lines of communication open, asking how they can help and ensuring their music is relevant. The speaker also touches on the need to let go of expectations and to focus on what one can control, such as the creation of the next track. They stress the importance of not just waiting for results but actively working to improve communication and understanding the needs of library partners.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Sync Licensing
💡Royalties
💡Forward Momentum
💡Mindset
💡Attitude
💡Placements
💡Library
💡Communication
💡Relevance
💡Expectations
💡Productivity
Highlights
The video discusses a clear pattern that separates thriving music producers from those struggling in the sync licensing industry.
Success in the industry is not determined by talent, DAW, samples, or studio, but rather by mindset and attitude.
Successful producers have a proactive approach, focusing on how they can serve and add value to their library partners.
Unsuccessful producers often adopt a 'wait and see' approach, expecting libraries to create opportunities without further input from them.
The common question from unsuccessful producers is 'where are my placements?', indicating a lack of understanding of the industry's dynamics.
Successful producers ask 'how can I help you?', showing a willingness to tailor their work to meet current needs of the industry.
Anthony Crawford's advice on not having expectations after sending tracks to a catalog, focusing instead on being productive.
The importance of letting go of the need for immediate results and focusing on what is within one's control, such as creating the next track.
The speaker emphasizes the need for ongoing communication with library partners to understand their current needs.
Lack of communication is often a sign of unsuccessful relationships with library partners.
Producers should trust their intuition and ask hard questions about their relationships with libraries if they are not seeing results.
It's acceptable to move on from a library if there are no placements or progress despite good communication and effort.
The video encourages producers to value their career and music enough to seek out placements and progress.
The speaker shares personal experiences of dealing with disappointments and the importance of mindset in responding to industry challenges.
The video concludes by inviting producers to share their experiences and seek advice on how to thrive in the sync licensing industry.
Transcripts
when you've done sync licensing as long
as I have going back to 2008 16 years
into it now you start noticing some
things okay and I want to basically in
this video let you guys know one of the
clear obvious patterns I've noticed in
terms of what separates the producers
that are thriving doing great seeing
their royalties grow just seeing a lot
of forward momentum in this business and
those that are struggling and are
getting resentful and bitter maybe they
gave a library or two a shot with a
couple of albums but they haven't seen
the placements and they're like H I
don't think sink's really the thing it's
all a scam or it's all Bs and there's
really no future or promise for for me
in this industry I'm going to let you
know right off the bat it's not your
talent it's not your Daw it's not your
samples it's not your studio um it's
probably not even your direct Library
relationships that you have in this
business all those things are important
they all play a role but above all of
those those are kind of the weeds those
are the details above all of those is
what's happening right here in your mind
I noticed and we definitely saw this at
sync up our inperson event the Common
Thread between all of those successful
producers and composers that some of you
guys that were there in person or
virtually saw it has to do with what
they're thinking about how they're
thinking about things what their
attitude is how they approach this
industry that is the make or
break issue detail element uh very
variable whatever you want to call it
that is literally slicing people down
the middle in terms of some people that
are doing great here and some people
that are really struggling in this
business and it's all about how they
think it sounds stupid that sounds
ridiculous that sounds
way woo woo woo and kind of
oversimplified and that can't make the
big difference can it I I am telling you
guys in my personal life it has made the
difference and I'm seeing it
consistently play out with everybody
that does well in this business so
please please do take a moment just to
finish this video out because I think
this is something that we all need to
consistently remind ourselves because
this industry is going to kick our asses
over and over again right rejections
just the length of time it takes to get
those royalties to get placements
risking and and being vulnerable and
putting your music in the hands of a new
publisher a new library are not really
sure if they're going to be able to
deliver for you I've been there you guys
have probably been there or if not
you're going to be there okay so it's a
really scary delicate situation and
unfortunately there aren't really very
clear answers to any of this kind of
stuff a lot of it comes down to your gut
comes down to your intuition but most of
it is going to come down to how you
think about this business so let me
explain the the biggest question that
unsuccessful producers are asking their
libraries okay this is the unsuccessful
ones and what I mean by unsuccessful
meaning that they're not untalented or
they don't have great music or something
like that and they're not maybe amazing
great people they could be all of those
things but they're not seeing placements
royalties and they're not seeing just
forward momentum in any way way that
they want to categorize that or measure
that the question that those producers
are always asking their libraries is hey
where are all my placements how come I
don't have any placements yet bro what's
going on I gave you an album I gave you
two albums it's been 6 months it's been
9 months it's been a year where are my
placements that is the question that
every Library owner who's watching this
video right now is probably laughing
because they see the pattern too where
you get the producer composer that drops
off 10 tracks 20 tracks maybe even 30
tracks with a with a library with a
publisher kind of walks away doesn't do
much after that and then just kind of
sits there and waits and says all right
well let's see what you do with those
those tracks before I keep committing to
you before I keep giving you more music
or continue a conversation uh let's just
see what you can do with that it's a
kind of wait and see approach of sitting
back folding your arms and just waiting
for them to create Magic for you and
hoping that they're going to get you
placements which of course yes that is
their job that's what you signed over
your tracks for them to do but you all
know and we know that there are no
guarantees that that will absolutely
happen those producers usually don't see
placements they usually don't see
forward momentum they usually don't have
great relationships with their Library
partners and those are usually the ones
that 6 months a year maybe two years
sort of just back away from the industry
and then go do something else and
sometimes about a year or two later get
like a surprising royalty statement from
BMI or askap and it might be hundreds of
dollars maybe even thousands of dollars
and that's when they scramble and go oh
crap like it actually was working I I
didn't know I didn't know it took this
long okay then they come back to their
publisher and say I wouldn't want to
give you I want to give you more music
like let's let's get this thing going
again most common story in this industry
literally 80 to 90% of producers fall
into that so if you've done that it's
totally cool it's not a judgment or
anything like that I don't know if
there's a way that I could coach you or
educate you or advise you out of that
cycle I just think that that's just kind
of like the human nature of wanting
results quickly matched with this
industry that just takes so long for it
to work out and no clear trans
transparency on like am I getting a lot
of placements is it happening we have to
wait for a royalties right I don't know
if there's a way around that you know I
luckily didn't have to go through that I
just consistently kept showing up but a
lot of people 80 to 90% of us don't keep
showing up we have to kind of see
results before we keep doing it which is
very understandable again not to be
judgmental on that so that's what the
unsuccessful people who are not seeing a
lot of results in this industry are
asking hey where are my placements you
want to know what the successful
producers are asking you probably
already know if you've been watching
this channel for a while the successful
question that producers and composers
are asking that are seeing results are
how can I help you how can I serve you
in this next batch of tracks that I
create how can I make them even more
relevant more licensable more useful for
you and your TV and film clients because
you obviously accepted what I did before
maybe there's something going on right
now there's some new sporting event or
season or a client initiative maybe
you're trying to and some of the library
Partners I've worked with they are
trying to get a foothold into major
sporting um uh networks like a Major
League Baseball Network or NHL Network
or the BBC or something like that
keeping these conversations open to say
I am here to make music I'm going to
spend a lot of time in my studio but I
want to make sure that the next 10
tracks I create are going to be at the
top of your list in terms of they are
the most relevant they most useful and
something that's really feeling a need
for you right now because I don't want
to make music that be useful for you in
2 years potentially or 10 years
potentially I want to know what you're
working on right now what's important to
you what can I do to help how can I
serve you you notice the difference
there right the first question was where
are my placements how can you help me
right what why aren't you giving me
stuff I need more stuff here to keep
going the second question is what do you
need how can I make your life better
helpful more relevant because if I'm
making your life more helpful and
relevant um to your libr Partners I'm
going to be getting more placements
anyways like the side effect of me being
useful is more placements and more
income this is the mindset shift that is
required to really thrive in this
business and one thing that I think was
great about Anthony Crawford he was this
uh amazing very talented crazy Talent
I'm going to have him back on the
channel soon uh producer who produces in
multiple different genres and he's great
at at multiple ones which is actually
very rare um but one thing he said at
syn up which has been sticking with me
is he says you know after I send my
tracks off to a catalog um I don't think
about them anymore I'm not I I have zero
expectations that any of them get any
any placements I hope that they do
obviously I'm crafting them in a way
that's going to be helpful and relevant
for them but once they're in their hands
like I'm going to trust that they're
going to do their job and then I got to
go back to being productive and doing my
job which is all right what's my do
what's on my docket for the next week
they're handling all that I'm moving
forward in his brain there is no
expectation that something magical is
going to happen over here we want things
to happen this is the hardest part about
this business we want them we are
obviously doing this because we want to
get placements we want syn fees
royalties we want this to become
significant part-time or maybe even
full-time income for us for sure that
was my intention all those years ago so
it's hard to let go of that and to
pretend like that's not something that's
pulling you and to just focus on what
you can control which is your next track
right that's really all we got in this
business what can I do next and if
you're going to be spending time waking
up early staying up late sacrificing
your weekends sacrificing family time
friend time socializing time why not
make sure that the next track or the
next group of tracks that you have are
extremely relevant and useful for the
library partners that you're partnered
with and the only way to know how to do
that is not to assume don't guess don't
think that you've got all the answers
because this is a mistake that I made
was making a lot of music that I thought
was great and really useful and then I
sent it off the libraries and some of
them accepted them and they got zero
placements and others rightly right off
the bat said cool music but like this is
not at all useful for us at all and so I
had to learn that lesson the hard way
after spending a lot of time money and
effort making music that just wasn't
licensable so the shortcut to all of
this stuff is communication between you
and your library Partners to say how can
I help how can I be useful how can the
next track or the next group of tracks
next album that I create become the most
useful and relevant for you right now if
you can stick with this mindset of
letting go of expectations outcome
Independence if you've ever heard of
that term letting go of well either I
get placements or I'm a failure you have
to let go of that framing that is a game
it's a dangerous game that you
absolutely can lose um if I had played
that game in my career there's no way I
would have kept going because most of my
tracks have not been placed in my career
okay it's a small number of them that
are doing most of the work most of the
heavy lifting for my career and for my
income okay probably likely same will
happen for you depending on I guess your
approach to this business but I remember
every single time I got a disappointing
royalty statement I got passed over for
a custom opportunity some punch in the
gut one way or another from any of this
industry there was always this moment
of how do I decide this is my choice
this is what I can control how do I
perceive this and what moves do I make
now that's pretty much it here's what
life gave me it's a bucket load of
lemons right over and over again do I
cry about it do I give up do I uh sulk
do I get bitter resentful passive
aggressive I've been tempted I've Had My
Moments I've had times where I've not
been proud of how I responded to all the
things that this industry has given me
but one reason or another I figured out
a way to go okay here are the
lemons what can I do to make this into
lemonade how can I squeeze this how can
I approach how can I change this uh
maybe if I'm not getting great results
that means that my communication needs
to step up that's probably the biggest
lesson for most of you guys I'll be
honest right now if you're not getting
results from your library chances are
your your relationships and your
communication has not been pretty
consistent and ongoing that's that's
usually the biggest sign that I've
noticed from some producers that are
doing well and those that are going like
well I gave it to them a year ago and I
just haven't seen anything you know I
always ask when was the last time you
talked to them on the phone not just an
email but just phone call of saying hey
you know I really want to make sure that
this is you you're the right partner for
me do you value what I'm giving you is
this helpful and most times of those
composers you oh I've never gone on the
on phone with them or I I talked to them
when I first submitted but we haven't
talked since that's not always on them
guys libraries are very busy people
they've got two sets of clients they got
their TV film clients and all of you
you've just got them you've just got one
client I mean you might have multiple
libraries you're working with but take
some initiative and responsibility that
like you can ask them for a conversation
and a phone call or a zoom call and you
can ask them for consistent
communication um and and if they're not
giving that to you and not able to give
that to you that might be a sign that
maybe this isn't the right Library
partner for you again uh just because
I'm saying you have to con consistently
show up and create new music for for
these Library Partners you know if it's
been you had this relationship it's been
a year two years and you're constantly
giving the music and you're getting no
placements even though communication is
great maybe your music isn't in the
right hands maybe it's just not the
right place for you at that time so it
doesn't mean you just blindly keep
giving music to these Library Publishers
you kind of have to trust your gut a
little bit and kind of ask some harder
questions about that and it's okay to
move on from a library even if they're
great people they've been treating you
well answering your questions being very
approachable but no results have been
coming in it's okay to walk away from a
relationship like that you should be
valuing your career and your music and
yourself enough to realize that you
deserve to be seeing some some
placements and some uh progress if
you're not getting enough of that then
maybe it's time for you to move on to
another um Library so anyways it's a
tricky subject there are multiple assets
and facets to this and multiple
perspectives um I want to now know what
do you guys think uh have you been in
this situation have you been feeling
this um um and not really sure where you
should be going in your career right now
comment below I'd love to help and any
possible way that I can but hopefully
this is helpful in terms of letting you
guys know what I think really separates
those that Thrive and syn from those
that are really struggling
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