Synchronization Rights

Audiodrome | Last Updated: March 25th, 2026 | 4 min read | Glossary

Synchronization rights are the rights to use a musical composition in timed relation with visual content such as film, ads, YouTube videos, online courses, reels, or client deliverables. In practice, this means you need permission to pair the composition with a picture, and that permission is separate from rights in the sound recording, public performance rights, and audio-only mechanical licensing.

Quick facts:
Also called: Sync rights – Sync license – Synch rights
Applies to: video, film, TV, ads, games, social video, branded content
Used for: pairing music with moving images
Not the same as: master use rights, public performance rights, or mechanical rights.

Example:
A brand edits a product video using a released track. To do that properly, it needs sync permission for the composition and, if it uses the commercial recording, a separate master use license for that recording.

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Free Tools:

What rights do I need for this use? Rights Requirement Checker

Gotchas:

  • Sync covers the composition, not automatically the recording – using the released track often requires separate master clearance.
  • A public performance license is not a sync license – they solve different uses and are licensed differently.
  • Audio-only mechanical licensing does not replace sync clearance for video – audiovisual use sits outside that audio-only framework.
  • There is no general compulsory sync license – terms are negotiated directly with the rights holder or its representative.

FAQs

They cover the right to pair a musical composition with visual media in timed relation, whether the project is commercial, editorial, educational, or branded.

No. The composition and the recording are different rights layers, so a finished track often needs both sync clearance and master use clearance.

Yes, if you are pairing music with video outside a platform’s built-in licensed music environment or outside the scope of a license that already covers that use. Sync is about the audiovisual pairing itself.

No. PRO licenses handle public performance of musical works, not permission to attach a composition to picture.

Related terms

Sync License • Master Use License • Public Performance Rights • Mechanical License • Sound Recording Rights • Publisher • Rights-Cleared Audio • Usage Scope