Music Dealers (Create Music Group)

United States • Los AngelesFounded 2008

Music Dealers is a B2B music licensing platform and agency that connects independent artists with brands, agencies, TV networks, and film studios for sync placements. Originally founded in Chicago in 2008, the company built one of the world's largest pre-cleared music catalogs before restructuring. Now operating under Create Music Group, a Los Angeles-based music, media, and technology platform valued at $2.2 billion as of 2026.

Contact & HQ

Headquarters

Los Angeles, California

Specializations

Sync Licensing
Custom Music
Brand Partnerships
TV
Film
Advertising
Gaming
Social Media Video

Additional Details

Genres

All genres

Submission Process

Artists submit music through the Create Music Group platform. The team reviews submissions for quality, rights clarity, and sync suitability. Accepted tracks join a pre-cleared catalog available for instant licensing to brands, agencies, and networks.

Typical Fee Structure

Revenue split model on licensing fees. No upfront costs to artists. Commission-based representation with negotiated splits per placement.

Notable Clients

Coca-Cola
Disney
McDonald's
Nike
Visa
HBO
Sony
BMW
Airbnb
MTV
NBC
CBS
The Olympic Games
FIFA

Music Dealers is a B2B music licensing platform and agency that connects independent artists with brands, advertising agencies, TV networks, film studios, and game developers for sync placements. Founded in Chicago in 2008 by Eric Sheinkop, the company built one of the world's largest pre-cleared music catalogs with over 180,000 songs from artists across 85 countries. After a 2016 bankruptcy and asset acquisition by BrandSpins, the Music Dealers platform and catalog now operate under Create Music Group, a Los Angeles-based music, media, and technology platform valued at $2.2 billion as of March 2026.

Submission and Application Details

Create Music Group operates a technology-driven submission and review process. Artists can submit music through the Create Music Group platform for sync consideration. The team evaluates tracks based on recording quality, rights clarity, and sync potential across advertising, television, film, gaming, and social media video.

Requirements for submission:

Broadcast-quality recordings: Tracks must meet professional production standards. Clean mixes, proper mastering, and consistent loudness levels are required.
Pre-cleared rights: Artists must control both master and publishing rights, or have documented agreements with all co-writers, producers, and performers. Use a split sheet to document ownership splits before submitting.
Instrumental versions: Music supervisors frequently need instrumentals. Have clean instrumental versions of every track ready.
Metadata completeness: Properly tagged metadata (BPM, genre, mood, instrumentation) speeds up the licensing process.
PRO registration: Artists must be registered with a PRO like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC to collect performance royalties from broadcast placements.

How Music Dealers Works Under Create Music Group

Create Music Group was founded in 2015 by Jonathan Strauss and is headquartered in Los Angeles. The company describes itself as a digitally native music, media, and technology platform. It has evolved into one of the industry's most active owner-operators of labels, catalogs, and creative businesses. As of 2026, Create Music Group has approximately 400 employees worldwide and generates over 30 billion music streams monthly.

The Music Dealers catalog benefits from Create Music Group's proprietary technology stack, which includes data analytics, digital marketing tools, and automated rights management. This infrastructure allows the platform to efficiently match music to brand briefs and process licenses at scale.

Create Music Group completed a $450 million fundraise in March 2026, valuing the company at $2.2 billion. The company has invested over $500 million across acquisitions, advances, and growth initiatives in the past 12 months alone. This capital strength means the Music Dealers catalog has access to significant resources for marketing, promotion, and global expansion.

Real-World Example

A music supervisor at an advertising agency needs an upbeat indie pop track for a national car commercial. They search the Music Dealers catalog, filter by mood and tempo, and find three pre-cleared tracks that fit the brief. They select one track and license it for a 12-month national TV and digital campaign for $5,000.

The artist receives their negotiated split of the sync fee (typically 50% to 70%, depending on the agreement). The artist also earns performance royalties through their PRO when the commercial airs on broadcast television. The entire licensing transaction is processed through Create Music Group's platform, with automated rights clearance and payment distribution.

Key Benefits

Massive brand network: Music Dealers historically served over 200 major brands including Coca-Cola, Disney, McDonald's, Nike, Visa, HBO, Sony, and BMW. These relationships continue under Create Music Group's broader platform.
Pre-cleared one-stop licensing: The catalog is pre-cleared, meaning brands and supervisors can license tracks in a single transaction without chasing multiple rights holders.
Technology-driven matching: Create Music Group's proprietary technology uses data analytics to match music to briefs efficiently, reducing the time from search to license.
Global reach: Create Music Group operates across 5 continents with approximately 400 employees, giving the Music Dealers catalog international distribution capability.
No upfront costs: Artists do not pay to submit or join the catalog. Revenue is split on placements.
Custom music opportunities: Beyond catalog licensing, the platform handles custom music creation for brands that need original compositions.

Potential Drawbacks and Things to Consider

Historical payment issues: Music Dealers filed for bankruptcy in July 2016 after losing its largest client (Coca-Cola) and accumulating $9.93 million in debt. Many artists went unpaid during this period. While the platform now operates under Create Music Group with substantially stronger financial backing, the historical payment failures are a matter of public record.
Ownership transitions: The company has changed hands multiple times (original founders, BrandSpins acquisition in 2016, now under Create Music Group). Each transition brought operational changes. Artists should verify current terms before submitting.
Revenue split transparency: Exact split percentages may vary by agreement. Artists should negotiate and document their split before signing anything. Use our sync licensing fee calculator to understand fair market rates.
Exclusivity terms may apply: Some brand placements require exclusive licenses for specific categories or time periods. Read all agreements carefully before signing.
Competition within the catalog: With 180,000+ tracks in the catalog, individual tracks may get lost in the volume. Artists need distinctive, high-quality recordings to stand out.
Not a replacement for a publisher: Music Dealers handles sync licensing, not full publishing administration. Artists still need a PRO registration and potentially a publishing administrator for mechanical royalties and other income streams.

Company Type and Licensing Model

Music Dealers is a B2B music licensing platform and agency. Founded in Chicago in 2008 by Eric Sheinkop, the company built a pre-cleared catalog for brands, agencies, TV networks, and film studios. After a 2016 bankruptcy and asset acquisition, the platform now operates under Create Music Group in Los Angeles.

The licensing model combines catalog licensing with custom music creation. The catalog is pre-cleared for one-stop licensing. Brands and supervisors can license tracks in a single transaction. The model is non-exclusive for artists in most cases, though some brand placements require exclusive licenses for specific categories or time periods.

Create Music Group, the current parent company, was founded in 2015 by Jonathan Strauss. It was valued at $2.2 billion as of March 2026 after a $450 million fundraise. The company generates over 30 billion music streams monthly and employs approximately 400 people worldwide.

Catalog and Clients

The Music Dealers catalog contains over 180,000 songs from artists across 85 countries. The catalog covers all genres. Create Music Group's proprietary technology uses data analytics to match music to brand briefs and process licenses at scale.

Historically, Music Dealers served over 200 major brands. Notable clients include Coca-Cola, Disney, McDonald's, Nike, Visa, HBO, Sony, BMW, Airbnb, MTV, NBC, CBS, the Olympic Games, and FIFA. These relationships continue under Create Music Group's broader platform.

Music Dealers was named one of Inc. Magazine's Fastest Growing Private Companies in America. Founder Eric Sheinkop was honored by Billboard's 30 Under 30 and Crain's Tech 50. The company's work earned Cannes Lions, CLIO, LIA, and Emmy awards.

Payment Structure

Music Dealers operates on a revenue split model. Artists receive a negotiated percentage of each sync fee, typically 50% to 70% depending on the agreement. There are no upfront costs to artists for submission or catalog inclusion.

Artists also earn performance royalties through their PRO when placements air on broadcast television. The entire licensing transaction is processed through Create Music Group's platform. Payment distribution is automated through the company's rights management system.

Exact split percentages vary by agreement. Artists should negotiate and document their split before signing anything. The historical 2016 bankruptcy left many artists unpaid, with $9.93 million in debt accumulated. The current platform under Create Music Group has substantially stronger financial backing.

Comparison: Music Dealers vs Other Sync Licensing Companies

Company	Company Type	Licensing Model	Catalog Size	Exclusivity	Artist Payout	Typical Fee Range
Music Dealers	B2B licensing platform	Revenue split (50% to 70%)	180,000+ tracks	Non-exclusive (some exclusive brand deals)	50% to 70% of sync fee	$1,000 to $50,000+
Bodega Sync	Sync placement agency	Commission-based (20%)	Curated, undisclosed	Non-exclusive	80% of sync fee	$1,000 to $10,000+
Jingle Punks	Music licensing agency	Commission-based	50,000+ tracks	Non-exclusive	50% of sync fee	$500 to $25,000
Musicbed	Music licensing platform	Subscription and per-use	Curated, undisclosed	Non-exclusive	50% of sync fee	$49 to $499 per license