Sync Licensing Checklist: Can You Clear Both Sides of the Song?
Owning a recording does not necessarily give you authority over the song underneath it. A practical approval map helps independent artists answer a sync request accurately.
Oct 20, 2026 · 3 min read
Before pitching a track for sync, confirm who can approve the composition and who can approve the specific recording. Those permissions may come from the same person, but they are not the same right. A useful checklist makes the approval route clear before a filmmaker, brand or supervisor needs an answer.
This guide uses a U.S. rights framework and general workflow advice, not legal advice for a particular agreement. The U.S. Copyright Office distinguishes the musical work—the composition and lyrics—from the sound recording. Its guidance explains that they are commonly owned and licensed separately.
Make two rows, not one ownership claim
Start a short approval map. In the first row, list the composition’s writers, publishers or administrators and the person responsible for confirming the required permission. In the second, identify the owner or controller of the recording and its approval contact. Put unresolved points in writing instead of marking the track cleared by default.
A songwriter who also records a vocal may participate in both sides. A co-written song, label agreement or producer arrangement can make the map more complicated. Le Cadre’s split-sheet guide explains why a songwriting split should not be mistaken for an agreement about the master.
Check what your agreements actually allow
Review the relevant publishing, recording, production and beat agreements. Check whether someone else’s consent is needed and whether a proposed use falls outside an existing permission. If a track contains samples or other preexisting material, verify the applicable permissions rather than assuming release on streaming services settled every later use.
Sony Music’s SyncShop request page is a concrete example: it distinguishes the recording license from the publishing license and flags other possible consents, including side artists, samples and union obligations. That is Sony’s stated clearance process, not a universal contract template or timetable.
Describe the use before offering an answer
A vague request for “a social video” leaves important questions unanswered. Ask for enough detail to identify the proposed permission:
- Project, licensee and a description of the scene or campaign.
- The exact recording and approximate length of use.
- Media and distribution, including whether paid advertising is involved.
- Territory, duration of the license and intended release date.
- Any edits, versions or future-use options being requested.
These are practical scoping questions, not a license in themselves. SyncShop’s form asks for comparable details, including media, term and territory. An artist should use the information to get an informed answer from the appropriate rightsholders—not imply that filling in a checklist grants permission.
Do not substitute a PRO registration for sync approval
BMI states that it licenses public-performing rights, not synchronization or mechanical rights. A song appearing in a repertoire database can help identify contacts, but it does not by itself show that the requested audiovisual use has been approved.
Keep the approval record beside the correct audio version and credits. Le Cadre’s metadata checklist helps prevent the paperwork and file from describing different releases.
A useful preliminary reply might be: “I can confirm the master approval contact; composition approval is still being checked. Please send the proposed media, term and territory.” This is an example, not language guaranteed to resolve a deal. The professional advantage is an accurate answer—not a fast claim of total control that the documents cannot support. Join Le Cadre’s Music community to compare non-confidential sync-preparation workflows.