EP12 - Succeed in Sync with a B+ (or less)
DOING sync is more important than HOW you do it… and why I’m shooting this video in a car (for the first time). Let me explain…
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- If you want more tips and ideas on how to get your music into tv and film:
https://syncsongwriter.com - For my free cheatsheet that shows you how to connect with the right people in licensing:
https://syncsongwriter.com/guide - To join the Art Of The Song Pitch - a proven step-by-step process that shows you exactly how to license your music to TV & film successfully in precise detail, where we personally introduce you to top music supervisors:
http://artofthesongpitch.com
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Hey, how's it going? Today is the first day that I've ever shot a blog in a car, and you might be wondering why I'm doing that. So it ties into what I want to talk about, and it's called B+ing in my mind.
Essentially in life, in all the things we're doing and trying to get music into TV and film and sync placements and everything, you might be thinking that a lot of the people who succeed are A+ers, right? They're A students and you are not succeeding so that must mean you're a B, or C, or maybe F.
But I have news for you. Most everybody who has ever done anything in the world successfully started out at the very top, a B+ student. They had to learn what they were doing and get there.
Now there's a saying in business, and I think in people's personal lives that the facade, the front of what you see, is always much cleaner. It looks much nicer than the reality behind the scenes. Okay? So I'm sure you probably know that from your own life. We're all like that. We want to put our best foot forward. We want to look like we've got our beat together.
But the bottom line is we're all fighting a battle. We're all trying to do things and make things happen in our lives. And it's messy, you know? There are always these things because it's not a perfect path. The future is always unpredictable, right? So, we're always doing our best to navigate that.
So, everybody who gets sync placements, all the bands that made it huge - like overnight successes that came out of nowhere, seemingly, like Radiohead, the Eagles, the Beatles, it took them years- toiling and obscurity.
So, one of the things you have to keep in mind is that you have to remember that part of the process to get where you want to go and get your music into TV and film is B+ing it. The fact that your music's not going anywhere in libraries, possibly the fact you can't get ahold of music supervisors, get an agent, you just can't seem to get your music out there (and it's ready, it's going). How do you go about that?
Now, there are certainly smarter ways of doing it than others, right? I'm all about working smarter and not harder. So much of it is about relationships and all of that stuff that comes with time. It comes with that toiling and obscurity and building yourself up to where you want to go, right? (Or of course, with what I do with The Art Of The Song Pitch and all of that stuff.)
But the bottom line is that I'm shooting this in this car because it's super windy outside. I just ate at Waffle House - I'm on the road and I wanted a cheap breakfast. It's been raining off and on. I just couldn't find a spot to shoot it. So, I was like, “Well, should I wait and not do a blog this week? Because I can't find a decent background for doing it?”
No.
I thought it's way better to B+ it and just reach out to you because the message is what matters. It's not the car, you know?
And remember that with your music.
Remember that when you're trying to even get your music out there in the world, let alone sync, you've got to just do it. Put one foot in front of the other, B+ it, because everybody else is B+ing it until the point where you can A+ it.
The point at which you can A+ it comes by B+ing it until you get to a point where you've been practicing what you do, you've been getting better and better and better. Then most every time it's going to start working.
So, I remember when I was in a band and we would get on stage after maybe two or three years of having toured and played and stuff like that. And it was a big gig and we were all nervous. I used to tell the lads, “Hey, you know what? Don't worry about this. We'll do the best we can, but we won't suck. We can't, suck because we're too good for that now - we've practiced too much, right? Not because we're awesome. Just because we've just done it so much, we know we can at least get it right on stage every time and hopefully A+ it.”
Now, that's the thing about sync licensing is that you want to always just keep your music coming, keep producing it, try and do it the right ways. Get as much information as you can. Try to always be putting one foot in front of the other.
And remember, we're all fighting that battle, right? We all have our own challenges. So don't worry about your “behind the scenes,” which you know all too well being a B+ (could be a C, could be even an F right now - it doesn't matter). You can get to the A+ if you just keep doing what you're doing.
And remember, everybody else has been B+ing it through life. Most of us are still doing that. Okay?