Sync & Licensing

Sync Licensing for UK Artists Who Know What Their Music Is Worth

IQ Management secures sync licensing placements for UK artists across film, television, advertising, and digital media. We work with major broadcasters and production companies including the BBC, ITV, Netflix, and Channel 4, and have built the kind of relationships that get submissions listened to rather than ignored.

Getting a placement is one thing. Getting a placement that pays fairly, in a project that suits the artist, with a contract that does not restrict future use of the track, takes considerably more work. That is where IQ comes in.

How Sync and Licensing Management Works at IQ

Sync is a relationship business, full stop. A cold submission to a music supervisor gets exactly as much attention as you’d expect, which is almost none. IQ knows the music supervisors and production companies working across television, film, and advertising, and those existing relationships are what actually get tracks in front of people who can say yes. When something fits a brief, we pitch it, negotiate the deal, and see it through.

Why Sync Licensing Matters for Artists Building a Catalogue

Sync licensing gives artists a route to audiences they would never reach through streaming or social media alone. A single placement in a well watched drama or a major advertising campaign can do more for visibility than six months of releasing any amount of singles. At IQ, we know which opportunities are worth pursuing and which are not worth the paperwork. Not every placement pays well. Some pay very well. Knowing the difference is a part of the job we do well.

Matching the Right Track to the Right Brief

Not all music fits all briefs, and part of this job is knowing the difference. We go through the catalogue properly, identify where tracks are most likely to land, and pitch them to the right places rather than sending everything everywhere and hoping something connects. There is a real difference between a track that works for a car commercial and one that fits a Sunday night drama. Knowing which is which comes from actually spending time with the music.

The Contacts That Actually Get Music Placed

Getting music placed requires contacts. IQ has direct working relationships with music supervisors, production companies, and commissioning editors across the world. These are people we have worked with before, which means our submissions get listened to rather than sitting in a person’s inbox. When a brief comes in, we know who to call.

Rights Management and What the Negotiations Involve

Sync agreements are not straightforward documents. They can cover territory rights, exclusivity clauses, royalty splits and usage terms. They can also include clauses that limit what else you can do with the track. So, getting the deal right matters just as much as securing the deal. IQ handles the negotiations directly, checks the contract terms properly, and makes sure that artists understand what they are signing up to. Most problems in sync licensing come from agreeing to terms that were not read through carefully enough.

Transparency and Accountability

Every placement gets reported. Payments get tracked, income gets attributed, and you get a clear breakdown without having to ask for it. You will know what has been placed, where, when, and what it earned. If something does not look right, we find out why.

What IQ Brings to Sync Licensing

IQ handles sync licensing as part of the full management picture, which means catalogue decisions, release planning, and placement work all connect. IQ Music, the publishing and catalogue arm, handles the publishing side of that.

We have working relationships with all major broadcasters and production companies, including the BBC, ITV, Netflix, and Channel 4. Artists come to IQ at different stages in their careers. Some have a deep catalogue and no placement history. Some have had a few deals but nothing that has moved their career forward. The approach adjusts to where the artist actually is.