What Does a Sync License Agreement Say? The Clauses to Read Before You Sign

A sync license agreement is the paper behind the yes. It turns a quote into a contract, and it is what a distributor, a platform or an insurer will ask to see. The Arts Law Centre of Australia says producers sometimes need to "demonstrate to broadcasters, licensees, streaming platforms, financiers, insurers etc that they have the necessary rights."

Agreements vary, and this guide is general information, not legal advice. It draws on a California entertainment lawyer's column, a 2026 guide from a legal blog for musicians and a fact sheet from the Arts Law Centre of Australia, so local law may differ. Use it as a map of what to look for.

Two licenses, often two agreements

A recorded song has two copyrights, the song and the recording. The Arts Law fact sheet says that when different people own them, the producer needs a separate license from each, and that when one artist controls both, one document can grant both. Lawyer Glenn Litwak, in Music Connection, draws the same line: a sync license comes from the owner of the composition, a master use license from the owner of the recording. If you record your own version, Universal Music Canada's licensing page says you need only publishing clearance.

Who and what: the parties and the music

• Parties. The fact sheet says producers are likely to specify that the rights apply to their "licensees and assigns" too, so check that the wording matches your plans. It also warns that "together and separately" wording makes each signer liable for the others' warranties and indemnities, and notes that with several owners you might use "each separately" instead.
• The music. Title, writers and the share the licensor controls. If it is under 100 percent, the fact sheet says the producer needs another license for the rest. The agreement should also say how much of the music you may use, as a length.
• The use. How the music appears, such as in the opening or closing credits or as background in a scene, as Litwak's column lists it, and in which production.

Where, how long and in what media

• Media. Promise Legal puts it bluntly: "Each medium is its own grant; if it is not listed, it is not licensed." The fact sheet gives the contrast: an ad campaign may be cleared for radio and television only, or for the internet only, while a film is likely to be cleared for all formats. Promise Legal adds that "out-of-context uses almost always carry a separate fee," which is why a trailer or promo often needs its own line.
• Open-ended wording. Promise Legal flags phrases such as "all media now known or hereafter devised" as a risk for the licensor, because they can stretch one placement into many uses "at no additional cost." A producer may like broad wording. A licensor should read it twice.
• Territory. Name the countries. The fact sheet says an ad campaign may want only certain markets and expects to pay more for each added territory, while a feature film for international release will generally need the world.
• Term. For a campaign, usually its planned run, perhaps with options to extend for a further fee. A film is typically licensed "in perpetuity," because once it is out in the world "the producer cannot easily remove the music from it."
• Exclusivity. Film and TV licenses are generally non-exclusive, the fact sheet says, while an ad license is usually exclusive during its term and territory. Promise Legal warns songwriters that granting exclusive perpetual rights by accident means you "can never license that song to anyone else."
• Options. The right to add time, media or countries later. Promise Legal says each option needs "a defined exercise window and a defined additional fee," and the fact sheet adds that option fees are sometimes set above the original fee. Our guide to festival licenses and step-ups shows how options work for a film.

The money

• Fee and payment. The fact sheet says sync fees are generally lump sums for the first term, territory and media, with extra fees if you exercise options, and that the contract should say when and how the rights holder is paid. Promise Legal says the fee is "most often flat and upfront" but can take other forms, such as an advance against future royalties. Know which one you are signing.
• Most favored nations. A clause that ties one owner's fee to the other's. The fact sheet says it is not unusual for the publisher to require at least as much as the recording owner, and the reverse. Promise Legal advises applying it to both sides so they do not drift apart. If you are the buyer, a better deal with one owner can raise what you owe the other.

Promises and protection

• Warranties and indemnity. The licensor promises it can grant the rights and that the music infringes no one else's. The fact sheet says this is usually paired with an indemnity, a promise to compensate the producer if the warranty proves untrue. It calls that "a very onerous and financially perilous promise to make." If you are the songwriter, be sure of your splits and samples before you sign.
• Reserved rights. Litwak lists what the licensor keeps, such as the right to license the composition to others. Promise Legal's version is short: "Reserve everything you did not grant."
• Credit. Litwak says to settle whether the song is credited on screen, and the credit's size and placement. Promise Legal adds the exact name and spelling, and credit on any official soundtrack release.
• Cue sheets. The fact sheet says the licensor will want the producer to promise to lodge them. Promise Legal says filing is "typically the production company's responsibility" and advises putting that duty in the contract. Our guide to cue sheets for songwriters explains why it matters.
• Breach and remedies. The fact sheet says most film and TV agreements provide that ending the agreement does not stop the producer using the music in the finished production. It adds that the owner's remedy is usually limited to damages, and that the contract may promise the owner will never seek an injunction. Litwak's example clause likewise limits the licensor to money damages.

Does it have to be in writing?

For an exclusive license, yes. The U.S. Copyright Act says a transfer of copyright ownership "is not valid unless" it is in writing and signed by the owner. Its definition of a transfer includes an exclusive license, "but not including a nonexclusive license." A non-exclusive license is not covered by that rule, but a distributor or insurer will still want to see it on paper. This is U.S. law, and other countries differ.

A five-minute check before you sign

For anything important, have a music lawyer read the agreement. Before you sign, ask:

• Does every medium I need appear on the list?
• Do the countries and dates cover my plan, with an option if I might need more?
• Is it exclusive, and for how long?
• How much of the song does each signer control, and who is promising what?
• Who files the cue sheet, and how will the song be credited?

Where Starchild fits

Every Starchild license comes with a certificate naming the writers, and starchild.music/verify checks it, which is the kind of record the first clauses above depend on. For a film, series or ad, the sync licensing page is the place to start, and the film and TV page is where to browse. Adaptive sync licensing for film, TV, games and ads launches in fall 2026.

Sources

• Arts Law Centre of Australia: Music Synchronisation Licence Fact Sheet
• Music Connection: Negotiating Sync Licenses for Film & TV, The Legal Beat (Glenn Litwak, 2018)
• Promise Legal: Sync Licensing Basics, What the TV-and-Film Deal Actually Says (2026)
• Universal Music Canada: Sync & Licensing
• U.S. Copyright Office: Title 17, Chapter 1, Subject Matter and Scope of Copyright (section 101)
• U.S. Copyright Office: Title 17, Chapter 2, Copyright Ownership and Transfer (section 204)