Simple things artists can do to attract music supervisors
The simple prep that gets artists sync-ready
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Today's sponsor: EMERGE - AI chat interface for sync professionals
EMERGE connects European music directly with potential sync professionals, showcasing the unique creativity of European artists on a global stage. This AI-powered chat interface is designed to help professionals find the music they need while promoting European music in a market dominated by Anglo-American influences.
EMERGE is developed by Soundcharts in collaboration with ESNS and will be launched in January 2026. Leveraging Soundcharts’ data and AI, professionals can search directly for what they’re aiming for using the chat interface, without having to go through a whole database, graph, or ranking. Give it a try at emerge.soundcharts.com
Simple things artists can do to attract music supervisors
Most artists miss out on sync opportunities because they lack the basics.
Why it matters
A sync placement, when music is used in film, TV, ads, games, and other media, can put an artist in front of millions. Yet many miss opportunities because supervisors can’t find the right files or even a contact email.
Supervisors work under extreme time pressure. They need tracks they can clear and use immediately. Artists who handle the basics rise above the noise.
How it works
Attracting music supervisors is less about secret connections and more about accessibility. Here’s what matters most:
How supervisors search: They work on many projects at once and send briefs to trusted sources, like sync agents, publishers, and producers they’ve worked with before.
How the future looks: AI will make their jobs easier. Today’s sponsor, EMERGE, is building an AI chat interface for the European music industry, helping sync pros find sync-ready European music and analyse music data using Soundcharts’ extensive database. Real-time data includes airplay, streaming, social performance, audio characteristics, and lyrics. It can be explored in over twenty EU languages. Give it a try at emerge.soundcharts.com (sponsored).
When they need it: Sync moves fast. A TV show may need a replacement track overnight. An ad agency may need music the same day.
What they need: Alternate versions (vocal-free, stems, shorter edits) are often required.
Who owns it: Supervisors must know all rights holders and who to contact for clearance.
Here’s how artists can prepare right now:
Make contact details easy to find: Add a line to the artist’s website, Bandcamp, and socials: “For licensing/sync: {{email}}”.
Build a ready-to-share folder: Include high-quality files (original + instrumental) with correct metadata tagged, ownership details, and a one-sheet with bio and links. Bonus points for using music library tools like DISCO.
Optimise for (AI) search: Improve visibility in Google and AI search tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and EMERGE. I’ve written about how artists can get recommended more in Search and AI earlier.
Go deeper
This article is about getting found, but don’t let that stop artists from pitching. Reaching out to music supervisors with a short, relevant email can be just as powerful as being discovered.
Yes, but…
Some believe supervisors will simply “find them” if the music is good enough. In reality, many tracks are skipped if they lack the basics, even brilliant ones.
Others worry that listing sync details everywhere feels too corporate. In practice, music industry pros appreciate artists who make things simple and professional. Making a great first impression lays the foundation for a long-term relationship.
Take action now
Artists can spend an hour this week setting up their sync basics mentioned above. A few minutes of prep today can turn a missed opportunity into a career-changing sync placement.
Your thoughts
Are you a music supervisor? Please share your perspective in the comments. How do you discover new music, and what makes an artist easier to work with?
Further reading
How Do You Find Music Supervisors Looking for Songs? (Sync Songwriter The Blog)
How to reach out to music supervisors (r/musicmarketing)
What is a Music Supervisor? (Guild of Music Supervisors)
Introducing EMERGE: a new era for European music in the sync market (EMERGE)
How artists can get recommended more in ChatGPT and Claude (The Fanbase Builder)
Why listeners interpret songs differently than songwriters intended (The Fanbase Builder)
Full disclaimer
EMERGE sponsors this edition. Today’s topic was a perfect fit, but as always, the article was written independently.