Teaching Songwriters How To License Their Music: Launched by award-winning veteran producer Chris SD, Sync Songwriter is a multi-faceted platform designed to teach songwriters how to license their music and connect them to the right people in the TV and film industries. Many of the clients the Canadian native works with are songwriters who aspire to place their songs. So he and his partner, licensing agent Danielle Emmrich, started a service that selectively licenses music.
Since they were unable to shop everyone’s music, Chris––upon relocating from Toronto to Los Angeles––decided to teach songwriters how to do it themselves. He turned to some of his top contacts in the licensing realm to help him develop the ultimate music licensing course, “The Art of the Song Pitch.” That course is the flagship offering of Sync Songwriter; the others are its website, which includes tons of free info and Chris’ weekly vlogs; and an exclusive library of hundreds of licensing-available songs penned by members who sign up for the intensive course.
The Art of the Song Pitch: Chris went live with the first seven-module, year-long course in February 2017. Chris does the instructing, following up each completed course segment with individual coaching calls. The modules include exclusive interviews with over 20 experts in music licensing, including lawyers, music supervisors, licensing agents and songwriters who have been successful in placing their music. At the end of the course, students are automatically included in a pitch session with a panel of top music supervisors, and given the opportunity to pitch music to them live online. “The icing on the cake is starting a relationship with these supervisors,” Chris says. “It’s otherwise almost impossible to get your music to them.” His students’ successes include scoring major films, many of placements on most of the major TV networks and the most recent trailer for Annihilation.
A Background in Production: While still in Canada, he worked with numerous indie artists as well as iconic musicians like Kris Kristofferson, Garth Hudson and Bryan Adams. He worked on five albums that won Juno Awards, was nominated for seven others, and was nominated for Engineer of the Year in 2012. After 20 years of working 12 to 14 hour days in traditional studios, Chris––wanting to spend more time at home with his young daughter––started an online recording studio that brings world class talent to anyone for indie rates. Sundown Session Studios, launched in 2015, gave artists the chance to work with A-list session players and award-winning engineers. “I love to see indie songwriters making a living from their music and being able to keep doing what they were meant to do,” Chris says. “I also realize that their successes are my successes, so helping them get real results is crucial.”
Contact Sync Songwriter, 1-888-805-8330, syncsongwriter.com
