We sat down with Tim Miles, SVP Global Sync at Warner Music, to reflect on the growth, evolution, and challenges in the music sync industry in 2024. Discussing notable industry shifts, the rise of emerging platforms, and how technology is reshaping sync licensing for films, TV shows, games, and more.
Looking back at 2024, how would you assess the overall growth and evolution of the music sync industry?
It’s been a good year for sync overall, but the landscape has changed. Globally, it’s been an exciting year with interesting developments in new parts of the world, particularly in Asia and EMEA.
The film and TV sectors will recover, but they’re diversifying, with more high-calibre content emerging from regions outside of the U.S.
While the strikes in the U.S. impacted our business, we made up for it in other markets. The film and TV sectors will recover, but they’re diversifying, with more high-calibre content emerging from regions outside of the U.S. One example is the deal we did with BMW for Benson Boone, a truly global sync deal. We also had a major moment with Dua Lipa and Pokémon in Japan, marking a big shift where emerging markets are willing to pay significant fees for big artists and tracks.
Additionally, another trend we’re noticing is the rise of “shallow catalogs,” particularly from the ’90s and early 2000s. These tracks, which were once big hits, are now more appealing for licensing.
When it comes to front-line music, new artists demonstrating a unique sound, like Charli XCX, are doing well in sync opportunities. There’s a real demand for originality and artistry in music, and that’s something we’ll continue to see more of in the sync space.
Have any new technologies or platforms emerged that have significantly impacted the industry?
The scalable licensing platforms have really come to the forefront in 2024, specifically those that help streamline the sync processes. For example, the likes of music supervision market-places MAIA based in Sweden and Catalog in Barcelona, who are already working with many indie labels.
These platforms are trying to automate the sync process to make it more efficient. While they haven’t cannibalised our core business, they’re certainly making it easier to navigate the sheer volume of content being created. Platforms like these are becoming more serious players in the sync space, and I believe we’ll see real growth in 2025 as these technologies mature and the majors lean-in.
What role have emerging platforms or collaborations played in reshaping music sync for commercial films and games in 2024?
A major change is the growth of gaming platforms like Fortnite and Roblox. A few years ago, we were talking about them as the future of sync, but it’s now the new normal and not just for high profile artists but any successful break-through artist to see their music featured in these games.
These platforms are always evolving and offer sync opportunities throughout the year, unlike FIFA which is updated annually but still up there as a big opportunity for artists. Fortnite and Roblox are pushing the boundaries of sync in gaming though, as they’re both an ever-changing soundtrack that can come to life at any time of the year and often offer immersive experiences through music.
Fortnite and Roblox are pushing the boundaries of sync in gaming, as they’re both an ever-changing soundtrack that can come to life at any time of the year and often offer immersive experiences through music
Additionally, gaming is an industry with multiple access points—social games, mobile gaming, and AAA titles all have different sync needs. Whether it’s working on a mobile rhythm game or a blockbuster, the conversations around sync vary widely. The key is understanding the unique needs of each gaming genre and aligning our approach to best support those.
What was your favourite sync of the year in 2024?
One of my favourite syncs was for David Attenborough’s show Mammals. They wanted to use Coldplay’s “Paradise” for the trailer.
What made it special was how they reorchestrated parts of the song, creating a brand-new edit that underpinned the visuals while keeping Chris Martin’s vocals and the original recording to embellish it and make it feel relevant and recognisable, despite being a new recording of the song.
It was quite an ambitious sync, but Coldplay embraced the idea and were amazing to work with and the end result was spellbinding. It was a unique way of using music to elevate the show, and the track even got a premiere on BBC Radio 1, which shows how powerful it was even outside the sync.
What’s been the biggest challenge in the sync industry in 2024?
The biggest challenge this year has definitely been the strikes in the U.S. While I work from the UK, our business is global and seeing the impact it had on our U.S team – it created a lot of uncertainty, not just for the majors but independents as well.
Combined with productions in other parts of the world continuing to thrive, it was unsettling to see such large disruption in Hollywood. However, Hollywood has experienced difficult times before but has always come back and thrived again.
I’m confident Hollywood will bounce back in 2025, and the industry will regain its strength.
Looking ahead to 2025 – do you think we’ll see Productions rise?
2025 promises to be an exciting year. I think we’ll see a resurgence in Hollywood with a return to the golden age of production. There’s renewed energy in the market, and content from around the world—especially from the Middle East and Asia—is booming. Countries are investing heavily in new studio facilities, and I’ve seen a lot of exciting developments in places like the UK (Crown Works), The Nordics(SF studios), Spain (AVS Hub).
While the demand for content continues to grow, I’m optimistic that high-quality productions will rise to the top.
While the demand for content continues to grow, I’m optimistic that high-quality productions will rise to the top. With that, there will be an increasing demand for high-quality music to match.
Do you think there’s more demand for sync opportunities now than ever before?
The way music is used in films and TV shows has evolved, with music becoming more of a character than just a background element. Shows are using music embedded and weaved into storylines often as a device that constantly reappears in a show, meaning that people will hear it more often, leading to greater recall and overall music streaming outside of the production.
Because we now consume everything digitally, it’s so much easier for someone to watch a Netflix show for example, and then quickly add the music that they hear to a playlist or look it up on a streaming platform, sync as a discovery tool has never been more important
As we approach 2025, what are your predictions for the future of music sync licensing?
We will see the spectrum of sync opportunities growing as we embrace this digital age. At one end, there is the creation of low-level content, whether it’s fashion houses creating product videos and filming catwalk shows, or sports teams releasing more content, all of this needs to have a sync framework in place. This is alongside the top end of brands, all around the world, craving access to high profile artists, like we saw this year with Benson Boone and BMW and Dua Lipa with Pokémon,
We see a need for that white glove approach where we have exceptional and meaningful relationships with brands and film / TV directors to understand their vision and come up with ideas all the way through to automating the lower end. We will rely heavily on the assistance from technology to assist in innovating and curating, but that technology has to be designed, tweaked, and understood by our people.
We will rely heavily on the assistance from technology to assist in innovating and curating, but that technology has to be designed, tweaked, and understood by our people.
How has technology helped streamline the music sync process in 2024, and what role will it play moving forward?
The major advancement in technology this year is the ability to surface music more effectively. Tools like Synctank allow us to quickly locate music based on specific criteria—genre, tempo, mood, etc.—which is crucial when managing millions of tracks.
As humans we can only keep track of a small portion of our catalog in our minds, but with AI-powered search tools, we can now find the right music much more efficiently.
Looking ahead, I’d love to see these tools extended to clients so they can have direct access to these powerful search capabilities. Enabling film studios and sync buyers with these tools will create a more efficient and collaborative process.
How do you see AI influencing music sync in the coming years?
AI is already playing a role in the sync process, especially in search tools. It’s incredibly effective at helping us surface the right music. The challenge will be when it comes to altering or creating music. While AI can be useful in editing or re-orchestrating music for sync, it’s important that artists have control over their own work. Some artists may be open to it, while others may not want AI to change their music.
While AI can be useful in editing or re-orchestrating music for sync, it’s important that artists have control over their own work.
Sync licensing will continue to evolve, and AI will likely play an important role in speeding up processes like music auditioning, but it will always be a tool rather than a replacement for human curation and creativity.
As Tim notes, 2024 has been a year of evolution for the music sync industry, with new markets, emerging technologies, and shifting trends shaping the future. As the industry adapts to these changes, it will be interesting to see how sync licensing continues to innovate and grow in the years to come.
