You don’t need to sign away your rights to a major publisher to get on Netflix or HBO. You can pitch your music yourself as an independent artist. However, music supervisors require that your publishing is “cleared,” meaning they need a legal representative to sign off on the songwriting rights. If you only have a distributor, you are only half-ready. Audiobulb’s Sync Pitching service bridges this gap by providing professional representation to supervisors while ensuring you retain 100% of your ownership.
1. The Three Things a Publisher Does for Sync
If you are wondering whether to hire a publisher or do it yourself, you need to understand the three specific tasks they handle:
- Pitching: Getting your MP3 into the hands of a Music Supervisor for a specific show (e.g., Grey’s Anatomy or Stranger Things).
- Clearing: The legal “Yes.” If a song has multiple writers, the publisher ensures that all 100% of the songwriting rights are signed off on.
- Collection: The “Backend.” This is the money generated every time the show airs on TV or is streamed on a platform like Hulu.
2. Comparison: Traditional vs. DIY vs. Audiobulb
| Feature | Traditional Publisher | DIY (Self-Published) | Audiobulb Admin |
| Ownership | They own 50–100% of your rights. | You own 100%. | You own 100%. |
| Sync Fee Cut | They take 25–50%. | You keep 100%. | You keep 100%. |
| Pitching | They have high-level connections. | You have to find your own. | Active Sync Pitching included. |
| Admin Fee | High Commission. | Free (but you miss money). | Flat $19.99/year (0% Comm). |
3. The “Distribution Trap”: Why Your Distributor Can’t Help You
Many artists believe that if their song is on Spotify via DistroKid, TuneCore, or CD Baby, they are “ready for sync.” This is the biggest myth in music distribution.
- The Composition Gap: Distributors handle the Master Recording. They do not have the legal authority to sign a Sync License for your lyrics and melody.
- The Backend Leak: When your song plays on TV, it generates Performance Royalties. Your distributor does not collect these. If you aren’t registered with a global publishing administrator, that money sits in a “Black Box” until it eventually expires.
- The Risk Factor: Music supervisors are afraid of “un-administered” music. If they can’t find a publisher listed for your song, they will often skip it to avoid the risk of a future lawsuit from an unregistered co-writer.
4. Why You’re Losing Money Without Publishing
If you land a $2,000 sync placement yourself, you might think you’ve won. But without a publishing administrator like Audiobulb, you are likely losing:
- Mechanical Royalties: Generated when the show is “reproduced” on DVD or digital downloads.
- International Performance Royalties: If that show is sold to a network in the UK, India, or France, those countries’ collection societies will have no idea who to pay.
- The Publisher’s Share: Even if you are in a PRO (like ASCAP or BMI), they only send you the “Writer’s Share.” The other 50% (The Publisher’s Share) remains unclaimed unless you have an administrator.
5. How Audiobulb Solves the Sync Dilemma
At Audiobulb, we provide the power of a major publisher without taking your rights or your money.
- Exclusive Administration: For a flat $19.99/year, we register your music with global entities (The MLC, PRS, IPRS, etc.). We make you “One-Stop,” meaning you are 100% legally clear for any supervisor to hire.
- 0% Commission: We don’t take a cut of your sync fee. We don’t take a cut of your royalties. We are the only service that lets you keep 100% of everything.
- Active Sync Pitching: We don’t just wait for a check. We actively represent your catalog to our network of media partners, helping you get the placement in the first place.
- Usage Tracking: Our technology scans the web and broadcast TV for uses of your music, ensuring that no “backend” check ever goes missing.
Summary
You don’t need a traditional publisher to get a sync placement, but you do need to be professional. A distributor gets you heard, but an administrator gets you paid. By using Audiobulb, you get the best of both worlds: the freedom of an independent artist and the legal “teeth” of a major publishing house.
Your Next Step: Are you ready to pitch your music to TV and film but haven’t set up your publishing? Join Audiobulb for $19.99/year to access our Sync Pitching Service and ensure your catalog is legally “One-Stop” for global media.