Best Sync Licensing Platforms for Artists

Several well-known sync licensing companies are closed to new artists right now. Artlist, Epidemic Sound, and Soundstripe are not accepting submissions, and Songtradr's Marketplace for Artists has closed. Pond5 and CD Baby Sync remain routes in, along with Musicbed, which still reviews artist submissions but says its in-house team accepts less than 1% of them. YouTube Creator Music no longer sells paid licenses.

A single national commercial placement can pay more than years of streaming royalties. That is why lists of sync licensing companies get copied and recycled, even when their submission details are out of date. Libraries open and close submissions constantly, and several of the biggest names on the usual list are not taking artists at all.

Platform terms below were reviewed against official sources on October 21, 2026. For the wider strategy, including how supervisors choose music and how to pitch them directly, see How to Get Your Music in TV, Film, and Ads.

Which Sync Licensing Platforms Are Open Right Now

These are routes an artist can explore without an invitation. The Creator Music row explains the change to its paid licensing model.

CD Baby's sync addendum, last updated in August 2023, sets that 60% share and makes enrollment an opt-in you control from your account once a release carries CDB Boost. YouTube ended new paid Creator Music licenses on August 10, 2026, and its catalog now focuses on no-cost licenses and revenue sharing. DistroKid still lists the old prices and commission, so do not budget for new paid-license income through that route. DISCO's paid plans run from $10.80 per month for the Artist tier to $26.99 for Pro on annual billing, with Discovery Suite and watermarking as separate add-ons.

Which Ones Are Closed, Changing, or Not for Artists

Epidemic Sound is worth reading closely even though it is closed. It pays a fixed fee of $2,000 to $8,000 per track as of the first quarter of 2026 and splits streaming royalties 50/50. It also only works with artists based in Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Puerto Rico, and Nigeria, and it requires you to resign from your performing rights organization or collecting society before working with it. Epidemic says how long leaving takes depends on which organization you are affiliated with, so treat this as a condition to clear rather than a permanent bar.

Which Platform for Which Artist

Pick the row that matches you and stop there. Most artists only need one or two of these.

You already distribute through CD Baby. Sync access comes with CDB Boost, a $39.99 add-on per single or album; releases already registered through the legacy CD Baby Pro program get it at no extra cost. It pays 60% of the gross amount attributable to the licensed use and received by CD Baby, less actual and reasonable non-overhead costs and expenses, stays non-exclusive, and you can opt out later.

You already distribute through DistroKid. Its Social Media Pack still lists Creator Music delivery, but YouTube ended new paid licenses on August 10, 2026. Do not add the pack expecting the former license-fee income.

You write instrumentals, beds, or cues and can upload steadily. Pond5 takes open contributor signups, though it reviews every file for quality, legal, and technical standards before it goes live. The 30% share is low, but standard music submissions are non-exclusive and you can start today. Its separate, optional Pond5 Publishing service is the exception: enrolling gives Pond5 exclusive publishing and administration rights for Licensed Uses, meaning uses under Pond5 License Agreements or distributor licenses. Its terms otherwise reserve your rights, subject to Pond5 and distributor uses under the Contributor Agreement and the terms' detection-based royalty provision.

Your catalog is finished, cleared, and cinematic. Skip the open libraries. Email Musicbed about submitting, and pitch supervisors directly using DISCO to send organized, streamable links.

You hold a PRO affiliation you will not give up. Rule out Epidemic Sound now, even when it reopens, because it requires you to resign from your PRO or collecting society. Soundstripe is the opposite case and requires a writer affiliation with a PRO, so judge it on its other terms instead: it takes only custom tracks made for Soundstripe, as work made for hire.

You are a label, publisher, or library with a large catalog. Synchtank is the tier built for you. Individual artists should not spend time on it.

You had music on Songtradr. Its Marketplace for Artists closed on September 30, 2026. Contact support about outstanding earnings or account questions. The help center reports delays to withdrawals requested before closure and October statement payouts.

How These Platforms Differ

The word "platform" covers three different businesses, and the difference decides what you should expect.

Production music libraries license your music to buyers and pay you a share or a fee. Musicbed, Artlist, Epidemic Sound, Marmoset, Music Vine, and Soundstripe work this way. They are curated, which is why their doors open and close.

Open marketplaces let anyone upload and let buyers search. Pond5 is the clearest current example. Access is easy, competition is enormous, and per-placement fees are usually small.

Catalog tools organize and deliver your catalog instead of signing you to a library. DISCO organizes your metadata and sends supervisors clean, branded links to your music, and you still do the pitching. Synchtank serves rightsholders at enterprise scale and goes further than DISCO: its SyncUp module tracks opportunities, sends quotes, and generates licenses, and it also offers automated micro-licensing from a branded storefront.

Distributor programs sit slightly outside all three. CD Baby Sync opts your catalog into a licensing pool, while DistroKid feeds YouTube Creator Music. CD Baby's sync licensing team does pitch music enrolled through CDB Boost. DistroKid does not pitch, and states plainly that its publishing service does not include sync licensing.

What Makes Music Sync-Ready

Requirements vary by platform. Rights clearance and compliant audio are mandatory everywhere; metadata, instrumentals, and stems are not universally required, but they make a track easier to use and easier to find.

Ownership. You must own or control both the master and the composition. Co-writers must have signed off on sync licensing. Uncleared samples make a track unusable.

Production quality. Broadcast-quality mixing and mastering. No clipping, no excessive noise, no demo-level recordings.

Metadata. Complete and accurate: title, artist, writers, publishers, ISRC codes, genre, mood tags, tempo. Supervisors search by metadata. Incomplete metadata can reduce discoverability and slow clearance.

Instrumental versions. Many sync uses require instrumentals. Having a clean instrumental version lets editors use the track when vocals would conflict with dialogue.

Stems. Some placements require separated tracks for editing flexibility. Having stems ready makes you more competitive for higher-value placements.

Whichever route you take, you need one place that holds your release plans and your per-track records: lyrics, release metadata, and the UPC and ISRC codes buyers ask for. That is part of what Orphiq does for artists and their teams.

For how sync income fits your wider revenue mix, see Music Income: How Artists Actually Get Paid. The performance royalties a placement generates are covered in Music Royalties Explained: The 6 Types You Earn.

Common Mistakes

Pitching a library that closed months ago. Check the platform's own submissions page before you write anything. Lists of "best sync licensing companies" can still recommend platforms that stopped accepting artists.

Signing away more than you meant to. Read what the deal takes, not just what it pays. Soundstripe buys tracks as work made for hire, and Epidemic Sound requires you to leave your PRO. Neither is easy to reverse.

Poor metadata. Supervisors use search filters. Incorrect or missing genre and mood tags make relevant filtered searches less likely to surface your track, though tools like DISCO also offer similarity search.

No instrumentals. Many placements specifically need instrumentals. Without an instrumental mix, you miss briefs that need music under dialogue.

Uncleared samples or co-writer disputes. If you cannot legally grant sync rights, platforms reject you and supervisors pass. Clear all rights before uploading anywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which sync licensing companies are accepting submissions?

Pond5 takes open uploads, subject to file review, and CD Baby customers get in by adding CDB Boost to a release at $39.99. Musicbed reviews submissions by email and accepts less than 1% of them. DistroKid's Social Media Pack still lists Creator Music delivery, but YouTube no longer sells paid Creator Music licenses. Artlist, Epidemic Sound, and Soundstripe are closed to submissions.

Can I put the same song on more than one sync platform?

Yes, on non-exclusive platforms. Pond5, CD Baby Sync, and YouTube Creator Music all allow it. Music Vine requires at least half of your Music Vine portfolio to be exclusive, and Soundstripe buys tracks as work made for hire.

What percentage do sync platforms take?

Pond5 pays 30% of Net License Revenue. CD Baby Sync pays 60% of the gross amount attributable to the licensed use and received by CD Baby, less actual and reasonable non-overhead costs and expenses. DistroKid's former paid Creator Music route has ended. Catalog tools like DISCO take no percentage.

How long until I get a sync placement?

There is no typical timeline. Some artists land placements within months. Many wait years. The variables are your sound, production quality, metadata, and how actively you pitch.

Read Next

• How to Get Your Music in TV, Film, and Ads

• Music Sync Agents: How They Work and How to Find One

• Music Royalties Explained: The 6 Types You Earn

• Music Income: How Artists Actually Get Paid

Plan Your Sync Strategy:

Apollo, Orphiq's AI music strategist, answers career questions from the context you give it about your music, your goals, and your plans, and it keeps that context across sessions. See what Orphiq does for artists and their teams.