How Music Licensing Works: Jennifer Smith on Sync for Film and TV (Episode 123)

Make Music Your Business.

Jennifer Smith is the founder of Rat Dance Party, a Los Angeles music supervision company that works across film, TV, new media, podcasts, live television and documentaries. Her recent work includes Netflix's Deadly Illusions and CBS's Why Women Kill. Before that she cleared rights for hundreds of songs on Dancing with the Stars and American Idol. She sits on the board of The Guild of Music Supervisors.

As Nomad puts it, music supervisors are a career musician's best friend. In Episode 123 of The Career Musician, Jennifer explains how music licensing for film and TV really works, and what you need to do before you ever pitch a song. Here is what stood out.

She fell into it, then made it a career

Jennifer grew up in a house where music was always playing instead of the TV. She read liner notes, made mixtapes for every family trip and, by her own account, was that nerdy kid. In high school theater, a teacher saw that her skills were behind the scenes: running sound, costumes, directing, producing.

She did not even know music supervision existed when she went to college. An internship at a casting agency taught her that casting was not her thing, which is exactly why she recommends internships. Then she landed at a music clearance company, worked on big TV shows, caught the attention of producers, and her career kept growing from there.

Supervisors work in film and TV, not the music industry

This is the first thing musicians miss. Music supervisors technically work in the film and TV industry, closely with the music industry. So you need to understand basic content terms: development (no money yet, don't pitch), pre-production, production and post-production. That knowledge, she says, will be your success.

"For you to have a sustainable career, you have to know the business not only of music, but how content works."

Jennifer Smith, 10:26

Sync fees are based on the budget for the project, and the music budget is only a slice of it. A famous actor on IMDb does not mean there's more money for your song. If a supervisor says they have a set amount for a spot, they are not lying, and they don't think less of your music.

Supply far outweighs demand

Jennifer's inbox never stops. She could pull up thousands of tracks that fit a single spot. So if a quote request lands and you sit on it hoping for more money, she has probably sent out several others and will use whatever clears first. That is what she means when she says, kindly, you're not special. It's a team effort, and you have to be easy to work with.

Her best story: someone sent her a song she never listened to. A year later, on a deadline, she searched her library by keyword. Their song popped up because the metadata was right, and their contact info was in it. They answered in 15 minutes and got the placement.

Get your business buttoned up

Here is Jennifer's checklist, in her words and spirit:

• Metadata: song title, artist, writers, who owns it (is it one-stop, meaning you own 100 percent of both sides?), and an email and phone number in the comments. Add your co-writer's contact too.
• Keywords that honestly describe the song and its moods. Don't use "cool," and don't tag a mellow acoustic song "swagger."
• Register your songs with your performing rights organization, with contact info.
• Sort out co-writers and samples before you pitch. A cover is not one-stop. Some catalogs never clear, so check with publishers for their cover lists before you record covers for sync.
• No demos and no SoundCloud links.
• Read the brief. Send your best one or two songs that actually fit. If you have nothing, it's fine to say so.

And remember: in content, the music bends to the picture. The picture does not bend to the music. If you want the picture to follow you, that's called being a composer.

That is Make Music Your Business, line by line.

It's a trust business

When Jennifer tells a production a song is cleared, she is putting 15 years of relationships on the line. If your co-writer was never sorted out and it turns into a legal problem, she is the one who gets blamed. So she needs to get to know you before she bets on you.

"This entire business is a trust business, and it's all based on relationships and contacts."

Jennifer Smith, 28:56

Nomad made the same point about referring players for gigs: if they are unreliable, it reflects on you. And neither of them has time for ghosting. If you can't do something, just respond. Everything you do is an audition, including your emails.

Know the era you're writing for

Jennifer loves the research side of the job. On a period show she dug into music of the 1920s, 30s and 40s, because music tells the audience what time it is in seconds. If a brief asks for 80s hip-hop and you send something modern, she can tell in the first two seconds from the vocal tone and the instruments. Nomad's advice for anyone who can't hear that difference: you have some studying to do.

And when a song you love falls out of the edit at the last second? It happens. It is nothing personal. She has cried over it too.

The takeaway

Jennifer defines success as legacy: what you did to move your community forward, not money or status. For musicians who want to work with supervisors, her advice is to build real relationships. Be authentic, don't be pushy, and be human.

"It's a marathon, not a sprint. Not just placement, but also relationships."

Jennifer Smith, 57:07

Use slow times to educate yourself, so you come out ready. Learn more at ratdanceparty.com. And if you want the bigger picture of building income streams around your music, start with the free Get the Gig Guide.

Get the gig. Keep the gig. Build the career.

Watch on YouTube or find every episode on the TCM Podcast page.