Synchronization License
The right to pair music with picture — usually negotiated case by case
Related
A sync licence is the right to pair music with picture: a film, TV series, advert, game or short video that uses a piece of music needs sync clearance. It usually takes two layers: sync for the composition and sync for the master; the two may belong to different owners and must be negotiated separately.
It differs from mechanical: mechanical covers recording to audio, sync covers music with picture. The usual mistake is to think a production-library track can be used for anything — a library usually grants a limited licence, with platform, territory, term and commercial use written into the contract. Sync is rarely a statutory rate; it is almost always negotiated case by case.
Read deeper → copyright
Sources
- 同步权的定义与双层授权（词曲 + 录音），参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Copyright" 与通行影视音乐教材；本文为通识说明，不构成法律意见
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.