This is How Gatekeeping works in the Sync Industry

Historically, sync licensing has been one of those “if you know you know” industries.

I remember, years ago, sitting down with a producer who did work on Ads.? I wanted to pick his brain about how he got his ad placements. Instead, he spent the next hour telling me how much he hated the work and trying to convince me that music for Ads was a dying industry and not worth my time.

Unfortunately, I listened and it would be another 5 years before I uncovered the secrets to writing music for brands and commercials.

Even today when there is more available information than ever before, some aspects of music for brands and TV remain difficult to find.

Most sync requests aren’t publicly available.? Music supervisors tend to send briefs to composers that they work with and trust.? And this is totally understandable.? Music supervisors work with tight deadlines and very strict business requirements.? Working with people unfamiliar with the “rules” could cause them big problems with their clients.

So the industry has evolved to become a word of mouth industry.? In fact, did you know that many music supervision companies are actively hiring right now? No, most of you don’t because the paying jobs aren’t usually posted on job boards.? This is an industry that does EVERYTHING via word of? mouth.

This type of gatekeeping has served the sync industry well for many years.? It ensures that people work with people that they can trust.

However, the industry has another problem that gatekeeping is exacerbating - lack of diversity and inclusivity.

And this is not just a moral or ethical problem - it’s a practical problem affecting a lot of companies' bottom lines.

We now have a multitude of networks creating a plethora of programs and that requires a plethora of music options.

But if your musician network is created by word of mouth, it’s probably not that diverse and it might not be able to create a variety of music at the pace that today’s entertainment business demands.

Bottom line: today’s entertainment and ad business requires diversity and inclusivity.

Gatekeeping, however, hinders that inclusivity.

And because the business requirements of sync will NOT change, that means EDUCATION becomes the way in which our industry evolves and grows.

More educated composers means more syncable content.

And there’s actually quite a bit of education out there.? There are more “sync masterclasses” than ever before.

Unfortunately, most keep the info at a shallow level hoping to upsell you - and usually at a pretty steep price point.

In my opinion, this is still a form of gatekeeping - because it sets aside the critical information for those in a class who can afford it.??

This is counter-productive.? We will not generate enough content this way. ? Ultimately, we hurt ourselves by making this education difficult to find and expensive to access.

This is why I’m personally committed to making sync education available to anyone who wants it.

I have created CTRL Camp, a free sync education community, as a place where ANYONE who desires to learn about music licensing can learn, have their music evaluated AND pitch to real sync opportunities - all for FREE.

Yes, I’m a capitalist. And yes, I know that businesses need sales to exist. So, there will definitely be some premium services offered to help finance the organization.? However, there is a core level of knowledge that an educated base of music creators must have - I intend to keep that free.

If you agree with this plan to make sync more inclusive, then consider supporting our Patreon.??

By doing so, you’ll be helping support the technical architecture needed to educate anyone who truly wants to learn.

Click here to check out information about our Patreon.

And if you know people who could benefit from learning how to pitch their music for sync opportunities, then forward this newsletter to them or tell them about ctrlcamp.com