Josh Collum is a leading voice in sync licensing and music strategy, with more than 150 placements across major TV shows, films, and global advertising campaigns, including Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Grey’s Anatomy, This Is Us, and brands such as Google, IKEA, and Chase. A founder of the influential sync agency Sorted Noise and currently Vice President of Music at Soundstripe, Josh brings deep, real-world experience from both the creative and commercial sides of the industry. During the Talent Is Timeless Nashville Experience 2025 Josh delivered a practical, no-nonsense masterclass on how sync licensing really works — who it’s for, how to write for it, and how songwriters at any stage of life can approach it professionally and sustainably.

Our favourite quote from his session with us? “Sync is ageless” – completely open to songwriters of any age or background. Success in this world depends far less on image and far more on professionalism, catalogue quality, and connections. The most important step, he said, is finding a sync rep, someone who actively pitches your music to supervisors and brands. He encouraged writers to research who is active locally or online, look for catalogues similar to their own, and consider who they might already have access to.

He noted the significant advantage many independent writers have: you are often a one-stop shop, owning your master, publishing, and songwriting. This makes licensing far easier for industry partners and therefore makes your music more attractive.

Josh explained that writing for sync is its own craft — very different from writing for an artist. To help the group understand this, he offered a series of practical songwriting guidelines:

Songwriting Tips for Sync

• Write around universal themes such as home, togetherness, empowerment, swagger, attitude, and connection
• Avoid overly specific visual imagery; keep lyrics vague, emotional, internal, and flexible
• Think about your waveform — include sections that build and vary dynamically so sync reps might look at different sections of your song (giving it more chances to be synced!)
• Keep intros short and consider starting with the chorus
• Choose a clear, descriptive title; it acts like a business card for your song
• Provide an instrumental version (no main vocals) for editors to use under dialogue scenes
• Supply multiple endings (e.g., hard stop and fade-out)
• Write for one emotional moment, not a progressing story — supervisors need songs that sit comfortably under a single scene

He also explained that having your catalogue on Disco is essential, as it’s the industry-standard platform for sharing syncable tracks. Reps expect Disco links, not SoundCloud or Dropbox.

Josh then addressed the legal caution common in the sync world. Reps are deeply protective of their reputation and fearful of being sued, so presenting yourself as simple, clear, and low-risk is crucial. He also highlighted two red flags participants should avoid: never pay for the chance to pitch sync, and avoid non-exclusive sync deals, both of which suggest the rep is not serious or legitimate.

Overall, Josh helped demystify sync licensing and showed the group that with professionalism, clarity, and the right creative approach, this path is genuinely open to everyone.

https://www.soundstripe.com