I get asked about sync licensing more than almost anything else. And the follow-up is always the same: “But how do I actually do it?” Not the theory. The specific, practical steps an independent artist in Australia needs to take to get music into TV shows, films, and ads.

Here’s a walkthrough based on conversations with music supervisors, sync agents, and artists who’ve landed placements.

Get Your Catalogue in Order

Before you pitch anyone, your music needs to be sync-ready. Music supervisors work under tight deadlines and won’t chase you for missing files.

For every track you want to pitch, prepare: a high-quality master (WAV, 48kHz/24-bit preferred), an instrumental version, a clean version if lyrics contain explicit content, separated stems, and complete metadata including title, BPM, key, mood tags, and ISRC code.

That metadata point trips people up constantly. Supervisors search databases by mood, tempo, and genre. If your metadata says nothing, your track doesn’t surface. Spend a Saturday tagging everything properly.

Sort Your Rights

Your rights management needs to be watertight. If a supervisor wants your track and you can’t confirm who owns what, you lose the placement.

At minimum: register all compositions with APRA AMCOS (this handles performance royalties from broadcasts), register masters with PPCA/ARIA for neighbouring rights, and get ISRC codes through your distributor or directly.

If you co-wrote a track, sort out the splits now and put it in writing. A disagreement six months from now will kill a placement faster than anything.

Build a Pitch Package

Your pitch should include: a brief artist bio (four sentences max), links to three to five sync-ready tracks (private SoundCloud works well), a one-line description of each track’s mood and potential use case, confirmation that you control master and publishing rights, and your APRA AMCOS member number.

Keep it short. Supervisors review hundreds of submissions. If yours requires scrolling, it’s too long.

Know Who to Contact

This is where most artists get stuck. Here are the main pathways.

Sync agents and publishers. These companies pitch your music to supervisors on your behalf. Key players include Native Tongue Music Publishing (strong sync division, international reach), Level Two Music (specialises in sync for independents, actively seeking new catalogues), Mushroom Music Publishing (bigger operation, harder to get signed), and Sentric Music (UK-based, active in Australia, accessible non-exclusive deals).

Music supervisors. These are the people selecting music for specific productions. Companies like Nylon Studios, Song Zu, and Level Two employ active supervisors. LinkedIn is genuinely useful here — check credits on Australian shows and work backwards to find who supervises what.

Licensing platforms. Songtradr, Musicbed, Artlist, and Epidemic Sound accept submissions from Australian artists. Lower per-placement fees but consistent volume.

Tailor Your Approach

Don’t blast the same email to everyone. Research the shows and campaigns each supervisor is working on. If someone is supervising a surf documentary, pitch your coastal ambient tracks, not your heavy industrial beats.

Watch Australian TV with your ears open. Shows like Bump, Heartbreak High, and Total Control all use sync-placed music. Advertising agencies like DDB, Clemenger BBDO, and The Monkeys commission music regularly — an introduction through a sync agent is more effective than cold outreach, but some producers do accept direct submissions.

Follow Up Without Being Annoying

You sent your pitch. You heard nothing. That’s normal.

Follow up once after two weeks. Keep it brief. If you still hear nothing, move on and try again with new material in three to six months. Do not follow up weekly. Do not DM them on Instagram. The Australian music industry is small enough that being known as a pest closes doors permanently.

The Realistic Picture

Most independent artists won’t land a major placement in their first year. The artists who build consistent sync income do so over years, growing their catalogues and building relationships.

But the Australian screen industry is producing more content than ever. Stan, ABC, SBS, Netflix’s Australian productions, advertising campaigns — they all need music. Local content quotas mean Australian productions actively seek Australian music.

Start with smaller placements. A regional ad, a student film, an independent web series. Build your credits. The bigger placements come from a track record, not a cold email.