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18 Music Licensing Companies Accepting Submissions in 2026 (Sync + Trailer)
18 Sync Licensing Companies Actually Open to Submissions in 2026
Sync licensing companies are trailer houses, sync agencies, production music libraries and licensing platforms that place your music in film, TV, ads, games and trailers. This list covers 18 of them that independent composers and artists can realistically approach in 2026, what each one wants, and exactly how to submit. We rechecked every company's own site in October 2026, removed the ones that have closed their doors, and noted the house rules that get submissions deleted unheard.
> Quick answer: 18 music licensing companies are accepting submissions in 2026, in four groups: trailer music houses (Tonal Chaos Trailers, Position Music, Audiomachine, Elephant Music, Gothic Storm), sync agencies (Bank Robber Music, Terrorbird Media, Musicbed, Marmoset), production music libraries (APM Music, Extreme Music, Outsider Music, Universal Production Music, Audio Network), and indie-friendly licensing platforms (Music Vine, Artlist, Epidemic Sound, Audiosocket). Independent artists with no placements yet usually get the fastest yes from the platforms and from agencies with open forms, such as Audiosocket, Terrorbird and Marmoset. Full breakdown below, plus a step by step guide to submitting music for sync licensing.
This page is about who is open right now and what to send them. If you want the companies ranked by what they actually pay and the cut they take, that is a different question with its own page: the best sync and music licensing companies compared by payout.
Most "best sync licensing companies" lists read like LinkedIn carousels written by someone who has never sent a demo. Some of the names on them have stopped operating. Others are pay to play traps, and some are technically open but have not answered an email in years.
This is not that list. We have pitched most of the companies below. Some replied. Some did not. Some sent very polite no thank yous within an hour, which we have decided to take as a compliment about their inbox hygiene. Here is who is still listening in 2026 and how to pitch them without getting archived in three seconds flat.
Disclosure: DropCue's founder, Marc Aaron Jacobs, runs Tonal Chaos Trailers and co-owns Outsider Music, both listed below. Every other company is independent of us, and every status note comes from the company's own website, checked October 2026.
If you are new to the sync world or want a broader roadmap before diving in, start with How to Build a Sync Licensing Career from Scratch.
What Changed in the October 2026 Update
Submission policies move faster than blog posts. Here is what we found when we rechecked every company on this list:
- Two Steps From Hell is gone. Its founders announced in April 2024 that they were going their separate ways, ending the company. Both still release music under their own names, but there is no Two Steps From Hell catalog to submit to. Removed.
- Secret Road no longer takes unsolicited music. Its contact page now says it does not accept any unsolicited submissions. Removed.
- Soundstripe is closed to new artists. Its artist page says it is not accepting submissions, and its past deals were work for hire, so you would not have kept your masters anyway. Removed.
- FirstCom Music is now part of Universal Production Music. The two merged in 2021, so the listing below is Universal Production Music.
- Terrorbird Media is a New York company, not Canadian as older lists (including ours) said. It lists offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and London.
- Added: Audio Network, Epidemic Sound and Audiosocket, all three with a public submission route.
How to Submit Music for Sync Licensing
Every company below has its own front door, but the steps that get you through it are the same everywhere. Here is how to submit music for sync licensing in 2026, in the order that matters.
1. Own or control everything you send. You need 100% of the master recording and the composition, or written agreements from every co-writer and producer that let you license the track. A company cannot pitch a song with an open ownership question, and an uncleared sample ends the conversation. 2. Register as a writer with a PRO. ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, PRS or your local society. Most libraries ask for your IPI number, and the performance royalties from a TV placement often outlast the sync fee. 3. Have the versions supervisors ask for. A full mix, an instrumental, and ideally a clean version and stems. Editors cut music to picture, and a track that comes with an instrumental places far more often than one that does not. 4. Tag every file. Title, writers with splits, PRO and IPI, genre, mood, tempo, key, and whether there are vocals. Missing metadata is the fastest way to look like an amateur. Our guide to music metadata that gets you sync placements covers the full list. 5. Pick five to ten companies, not fifty. Listen to each catalog first. If your sound does not fit what they already license, skip them. Fit beats prestige every time. 6. Send three to five tracks in the format they ask for. Most companies want a streaming link, not attachments. Bank Robber deletes emails with attachments, and Epidemic Sound does not review music sent by email at all. Follow each company's rules exactly. 7. Send one private link per company. A dedicated playlist link for each submission keeps your pitch focused, and with per-recipient analytics you can see whether anyone actually pressed play before you follow up. 8. Follow up once, then move on. Two to three weeks is a fair wait for an email submission. Platforms with formal review queues (Audiosocket says it aims for 90 days) need longer. One polite follow-up is professional. Three is noise.
For the full workflow from receiving a brief to landing a placement, read Sync Licensing Workflow: From Brief to Placement.
Sync Licensing for Independent Artists: Where to Start
If you are an independent artist or composer with no placements yet, the honest truth is that the trailer houses and big production libraries are a long shot on day one. They sign proven composers. That does not mean you should not submit; it means you should run a second, faster lane alongside it.
The best sync licensing companies for independent artists are the ones with an open, documented submission route and no requirement for prior credits:
- Audiosocket takes four original songs through its public auditions portal and offers both non-exclusive and exclusive deals.
- Terrorbird Media takes submissions through a public form and has a long record with independent artists and labels.
- Marmoset opens its A&R submissions for one week every month. Mark the window and submit on day one.
- Music Vine and Artlist both run artist applications and are realistic starting points for cinematic, acoustic and instrumental writers.
- Epidemic Sound reviews submissions through an online form and is open to any genre, though its deals are buyouts with conditions on PRO membership in some countries, so read the terms first.
- Bank Robber Music listens to artists, not production writers. It says plainly that it does not want music written "for sync."
What to avoid: paying a fee just to be heard, exclusive deals that cover your whole catalog, retitling agreements you do not understand, and work for hire contracts you sign without realising you are giving up your masters. Read every contract, and have an entertainment lawyer look at anything exclusive.
What to run in parallel: while submissions sit in queues, pitch music supervisors directly. A direct placement pays you 100% of the fee, and a few placements are what make agencies say yes later. Our guide on how to pitch music supervisors in 2026 walks through finding them and writing the email.
Trailer Music Houses
Trailer music is one of the most lucrative corners of sync licensing, and one of the most competitive. These companies supply music for Hollywood trailers, video game promos and major brand campaigns, and production expectations are extremely high. Translation: if your trailer track has an 808 in it, just back away slowly.
1. Tonal Chaos Trailers
Tonal Chaos Trailers is a Los Angeles trailer music company founded by composer Marc Aaron Jacobs (see the disclosure above). It writes high-impact music for theatrical trailers, streaming TV promos, AAA video game campaigns and advertising.
What they want: Epic orchestral, hybrid cinematic, dark tension, emotional builds, sci-fi, action, horror and dramatic underscore, with clear energy arcs that map to trailer structure. Every track ships with full mixes, instrumentals, underscores, stems and pre-cut edits, so composers need to deliver full packages.
How to submit: The Tonal Chaos Trailers website has a Composer Submissions section with a contact address. Send a short note and a streaming link to your strongest trailer work. Highly selective on quality and genre fit.
2. Position Music
Position Music is a Los Angeles company with placements across studio films, TV networks and global ad campaigns, known for blending high-end production with creative range.
What they want: Epic orchestral, hybrid orchestral and electronic, tension and suspense, anthemic rock, emotional piano, and modern cinematic pop that can compete at the top of the trailer market.
How to submit: Its contact page lists a dedicated music submission address. Send finished, mixed and mastered tracks, not demos, with complete metadata.
3. Audiomachine
Audiomachine is a powerhouse of trailer music, heard in campaigns for Marvel, DC, Star Wars and countless AAA games. Its standards are exacting.
What they want: Large-scale orchestral, hybrid orchestral and electronic, and epic vocal pieces built for impact moments: sweeping strings, thundering percussion, soaring brass.
How to submit: Audiomachine works mainly with an established composer roster and publishes no open submission form; its site offers a general contact email. Treat it as a relationship target: get your work in front of its team once your production is indistinguishable from what is already in the catalog.
4. Elephant Music
Elephant Music is a London trailer music company founded by Vikram Gudi in 2012, known for a darker, more experimental sound that has landed in trailers for films such as Avengers: Endgame and A Quiet Place Part II.
What they want: Experimental trailer music, dark and atmospheric cues, horror and thriller tension, and contemporary hybrid sound design that breaks from traditional orchestral templates.
How to submit: Its site has a contact page with a section for new music submissions. Study the catalog first; Elephant values originality over volume.
5. Gothic Storm
Gothic Storm is a UK trailer and production music company with a catalog of thousands of tracks across trailers, promos and broadcast. Several of its catalogs are also licensed through Warner Chappell Production Music.
What they want: Epic orchestral, dark ambient, suspense, action, drama and lighter emotional pieces. It releases at high volume, which means more openings for composers at different stages.
How to submit: Its main site now points to its licensing catalog rather than a demo page. Founder Dan Graham has said in interviews that he listens to composer submissions himself, with a wait of around three months, but confirm the current contact before you send anything.
Sync Agencies
Sync agencies sit between artists and music supervisors, pitching songs and instrumentals for specific placements in film, TV and advertising. They are relationship businesses, and a good agency can change your placement rate.
6. Bank Robber Music
Bank Robber Music is a sync agency known for a curated roster of indie, alternative and emerging artists, with strong relationships across networks and streaming platforms.
What they want: Indie rock, indie pop, folk, alternative, electronic and singer-songwriter material with authentic vocals and distinctive production. Music that would sit in a prestige drama or an indie film.
How to submit: Demos go by email to the address on its About/Contact page. Its rules are strict: streaming links only, emails with attachments are deleted, nothing by post, no music written "for sync," and no music made with AI.
7. Terrorbird Media
Terrorbird Media is a New York based music company with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and London. It runs sync licensing, publishing and a custom music house, and represents a large roster of independent artists and labels.
What they want: Indie rock, indie pop, electronic, folk, hip hop and experimental music. Terrorbird is open to DIY artists with strong, distinctive material and is willing to take chances on less conventional sounds.
How to submit: Through the public form linked from its contact page. It is selective, so send only the project you think genuinely fits.
8. Musicbed
Musicbed is a curated licensing platform that represents more than 1,500 artists and composers to filmmakers, brands and agencies, positioned as a premium alternative to royalty-free libraries.
What they want: Cinematic instrumental, indie folk, ambient, electronic, modern classical, singer-songwriter and atmospheric production. Music that works under dialogue or as emotional underscore performs well.
How to submit: Musicbed says its team accepts fewer than 1% of artist submissions, and it does not run an always-open form. Check Musicbed and its support site for how and when it is currently taking music, and send a cohesive set rather than a sampler.
9. Marmoset
Marmoset is a Portland music agency known for authentic, emotionally resonant music placed with filmmakers, agencies and brands, and for strong artist relationships.
What they want: Indie folk, indie rock, ambient, electronic, singer-songwriter and experimental music with a clear creative identity.
How to submit: Through the Marmoset submission form. Its A&R team accepts submissions during a one week window each month, and the same form also covers its sister catalog, Track Club.
Production Music Libraries
Production music libraries hold large catalogs of pre-cleared music that broadcasters, production companies and brands license quickly. Getting in means your music is available for thousands of potential uses, though per-use fees are usually lower than direct sync placements.
10. APM Music
APM Music is one of the oldest and largest production music services in the world, supplying networks, studios and agencies with music across every genre and mood.
What they want: Everything, at high production standards, with particular interest in music that fills gaps in the existing catalog: specific cultural genres, new electronic subgenres, unusual instrumentation.
How to submit: APM represents a large family of individual libraries, so the realistic route is usually to approach a library it distributes rather than APM itself. Expect a formal review of your catalog and capabilities.
11. Extreme Music
Extreme Music is the production music arm of Sony Music Publishing, headquartered in London with creative operations in Santa Monica. Its catalog is used heavily in trailers, TV, advertising and games, and it is known for commissioning high-profile composers and artists.
What they want: High-end production across cinematic, urban, electronic, rock and pop, usually as cohesive albums built around a theme or brief rather than one-off tracks.
How to submit: Extreme works mainly through referrals and direct outreach to composers it has identified. A strong portfolio and credits help most.
12. Outsider Music
Outsider Music is a production music catalog co-owned by Marc Aaron Jacobs and Greg Wiktorski (see the disclosure above), built for TV shows and advertising. The catalog covers indie, electronic, acoustic, ambient, modern pop instrumentals and contemporary underscore, produced to broadcast standards.
What they want: Contemporary, emotionally resonant music for episodic TV, reality and ad campaigns, with clean production and strong melody. Both vocal and instrumental versions are welcome.
How to submit: By invitation rather than an open form. Composers who can deliver full packages, including instrumentals and alt mixes, have the advantage.
13. Universal Production Music (including FirstCom)
Universal Production Music is Universal Music Group's production music company, operating in more than 30 countries. FirstCom Music merged into it in 2021, so the catalogs you may know as FirstCom now sit under the Universal Production Music name.
What they want: Broad genre coverage, from orchestral, pop and rock to electronic, hip hop, country, jazz and world music. Beds that sit under dialogue or narration are always in demand.
How to submit: Through industry relationships or direct outreach with a proven catalog. It often commissions full albums, so show you can sustain one creative vision across ten or more tracks.
14. Audio Network
Audio Network is a production music company that commissions and records its own catalog and supplies it to broadcasters, agencies and creators worldwide.
What they want: Well-produced music across genres for TV, film, advertising and online content, from writers who can deliver consistently.
How to submit: Its composer roster page links to a music submission form. Send your strongest, most current work.
Indie-Friendly Licensing Platforms
These platforms are often the most accessible entry point for independent artists. They have documented application processes, lower barriers to entry and genuine interest in new talent.
15. Music Vine
Music Vine is a UK sync licensing platform with a strong following among wedding filmmakers, documentary makers and branded content creators.
What they want: Cinematic instrumental, acoustic, ambient, indie folk, modern classical, electronic and atmospheric tracks that support a story without competing with it.
How to submit: Through the artist application on Music Vine. Applicants are judged on production, musicianship, sound quality, arrangement, emotion and commercial relevance.
16. Artlist
Artlist is a subscription licensing platform used by content creators, filmmakers and brands, paying artists from its subscription revenue.
What they want: Cinematic, electronic, pop, hip hop, rock, ambient, acoustic and world music with high production quality and versatility across visual contexts.
How to submit: Through the artist application on Artlist, with links to your work. Its catalog team replies once the review is done.
17. Epidemic Sound
Epidemic Sound is a Stockholm music company whose subscription catalog is used heavily by YouTubers and creators. Artists are paid upfront for tracks and share in streaming revenue.
What they want: Every genre is welcome. It has publicly called out needs in trap, lo-fi hip hop, Latin and country, among others.
How to submit: Through the online form on Epidemic Sound's artist pages, with streaming links and your role on each track. Music sent by email is not reviewed. Read the deal terms carefully: Epidemic buys the rights to the tracks it signs, and in some countries that affects your PRO membership.
18. Audiosocket
Audiosocket is a music licensing company and sync agency that places music in film, TV, advertising and online content, and runs a public auditions process.
What they want: 100% original music that you fully own. No covers, no uncleared samples and no AI-generated music.
How to submit: Through the Audiosocket auditions portal, with four original songs. It aims to review within 90 days and offers both non-exclusive and exclusive deals, with the exclusive roster getting higher splits and more active pitching.
Present Your Music the Way Libraries and Supervisors Remember
Every company on this list makes a decision in the first few seconds after opening your link. A bare file list makes that decision harder. A page that looks and sounds like a finished release makes it easier.
DropCue's new Marquee design puts a looping video banner behind your name or your playlist title, with your music, reels and photos gliding up underneath. It works on portfolios and EPKs, on playlist share pages, and on album pages, so the same cinematic look follows a library A&R from your EPK to the exact playlist you pitched them. Listeners do not need an account to press play, and music supervisors use DropCue free.
These are live demo pages from DropCue's own demo account, with made-up artists, so you can open them and see exactly what a recipient sees:
- Portfolios and EPKs: James Everett Cole, film and TV composer, Nora Valen, documentary and drama, Rowan Ashby, games and fantasy, and Stonewake, a trailer music label.
- Playlists: Last Light, a trailer pitch and Golden Hour, ad campaign picks.
The Marquee is included with Pro and Studio. Here is a short walkthrough of all three:
Watch: The Marquee: video banner pages for portfolios, playlists and albums
Building a Long-Term Sync Catalog
Getting onto one of these rosters is not the finish line. It is the starting point. The artists who earn the most from sync treat it as an ongoing business, not a lottery ticket.
That means building your catalog with intention. Notice the moods, tempos and instrumentation that keep showing up in the shows, films and ads you watch, and write music that fills those needs while staying true to your sound.
Organize your growing catalog into clearly defined playlists by mood, tempo, genre and use case. When a music supervisor or sync agent sends a brief, you should be able to pull a targeted selection together in minutes, not hours. For structuring those playlists, read The Complete Guide to Playlist Sections for Music Pitching.
The companies on this list are actively looking for great music. Make sure yours is ready when the opportunity arrives. For a professional way to present it, see the best music pitching platforms for composers or try DropCue free.
Related: Music metadata that gets you sync placements | How to pitch music supervisors in 2026 | Production music libraries accepting submissions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which sync licensing companies are accepting submissions in 2026?
The 18 companies on this list all have a route in for 2026, rechecked in October 2026. The most open to independent composers and artists are Audiosocket, Terrorbird Media, Marmoset (during its monthly one week window), Music Vine, Artlist and Epidemic Sound. Trailer houses like Position Music and Tonal Chaos Trailers take email submissions but are highly selective. Two Steps From Hell has closed, Secret Road no longer accepts unsolicited music, and Soundstripe is not taking new artists.
How do I submit music for sync licensing?
Make sure you own or control 100% of the master and composition, register with a PRO, prepare a full mix plus instrumental (and stems if you can), and tag every file with complete metadata. Then pick five to ten companies whose catalogs match your sound, send three to five tracks as a streaming link in exactly the format each one asks for, and follow up once after two to three weeks.
What are the best sync licensing companies for independent artists?
The best starting points are the ones with an open, documented submission process and no requirement for prior placements: Audiosocket, Terrorbird Media, Marmoset, Music Vine, Artlist and Epidemic Sound. Bank Robber Music also listens to independent artists, but not to music written specifically for sync. Run direct pitching to music supervisors alongside your submissions so you are not waiting on queues.
How do I get my music placed in film and TV?
Build a catalog suited to sync (broadcast-ready instrumentals, alt mixes, stems, complete metadata), then submit to the right companies for each style. Direct outreach to music supervisors and libraries is the most reliable path for independent composers. Sync agents and libraries can accelerate things once they sign you, but they take a percentage.
Do sync licensing companies pay upfront?
Most do not. The usual model is that you grant the company the right to pitch your music, they place it, and you split the sync fee while collecting your writer share of performance royalties. Sync fees range from a few hundred dollars for a small indie placement to $30,000 or more for a major brand campaign. Some platforms, like Epidemic Sound, pay upfront in exchange for buying the rights to the track. Always read the contract before signing.
What is the difference between a sync agency and a music library?
A sync agency represents you and your catalog, actively pitching your music to specific projects and supervisors, much like an agent. A production music library is a large catalog of pre-cleared music that broadcasters, editors and producers license directly without negotiating each use. Agencies are higher touch and more selective. Libraries take more music, with broader rights and lower per-use fees.
Can I submit to multiple sync licensing companies at once?
Yes, unless you sign an exclusive agreement. Most submissions are non-exclusive by default, so you keep the right to license your music elsewhere. If a contract says "exclusive," the company controls sync licensing for those tracks for the term of the deal, often years. Never place the same track in two exclusive deals.
How long does it take to hear back from a sync licensing submission?
Weeks to months, and often never. Email submissions usually get an answer, if any, within two to six weeks. Formal review queues take longer: Audiosocket aims for 90 days, and Gothic Storm's founder has talked about waits of around three months. Silence after six weeks on an email submission usually means a pass for now. The right track at the wrong moment gets nothing; the same track six months later might get placed.
