Position Music

Position Music is an independent music publishing, record label, and artist management company founded in 1999 in Los Angeles by Tyler Bacon. The company places music across thousands of advertising, trailer, film, TV, and video game placements. Position Music operates five departments: Synchronization and Licensing, A&R, Administration, Label Services, and Artist Management.

How Position Music Works

Position Music is not a music library or marketplace. It is a full-service music company that combines publishing, sync licensing, and artist development under one roof. The company builds its catalog through artist signings, writer and producer deals, and publishing acquisitions.

For the first 16 years of its history, Position Music grew its catalog exclusively through single-song signings. The company has since expanded into artist development, signing and developing artists like Welshly Arms (who achieved three top-ten singles in Germany and toured with 30 Seconds to Mars), Twin XL, and TeaMarrr.

The sync licensing process is highly proactive. Position Music's pitching team researches production schedules at studios, ad agencies, and brands to anticipate what music supervisors will need. They create customized playlists for clients based on specific briefs and maintain relationships with music supervisors across film, TV, advertising, and gaming. The company has partners in Europe, allowing it to serve clients around the clock.

Position Music is also an official Apple Music Playlist curator, focusing on epic and trailer music as a genre. The company reports that its trailer music sometimes sells more records and generates higher streaming numbers than its artist releases, demonstrating the commercial viability of production music.

Real-World Example

An alternative rock band signs with Position Music's publishing and artist management divisions. The band has been together for two months and has no major releases. Position Music lands a $50,000 advertising sync placement for one of the band's songs mid-tour. That sync revenue funds tour support and marketing while the band builds an audience. Over the next two years, the band achieves three top-ten singles in Germany, tours with a major act, and generates streaming revenue that sustains their career. The sync placement served as the financial bridge between signing and commercial breakthrough.

For a writer or producer focused purely on sync, Position Music signs them to a publishing deal where the company pitches their catalog to music supervisors. A single trailer placement in a major film campaign can generate $10,000 to $50,000 in sync fees, plus backend PRO royalties when the trailer airs on television or streams online.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

Position Music represents a traditional publishing and sync model, not a self-service platform. This has specific implications for independent artists:

• You need to be signed: Position Music does not accept open submissions. You need to be discovered by their A&R team or connected through industry relationships. Focus on building a strong catalog and networking within the industry.
• Sync can fund artist development: The company's model uses sync revenue to fund artist development. If you are an artist who wants both sync income and label support, Position Music offers a path that pure licensing platforms cannot match.
• Trailer music has commercial value: Position Music's Apple Music playlist curation shows that trailer and epic music has a real audience beyond sync placements. If you produce cinematic, high-energy music, there is a streaming audience for it.
• Advertising syncs pay well: A single advertising sync can generate $50,000 or more. Compare this to per-track royalties on marketplace platforms, where individual sales might generate $10 to $50. The difference is that Position Music's model requires you to be signed and represented by their pitching team.
• Publishing deals involve rights: Signing a publishing deal means delegating administration and sometimes creative control of your compositions. Read our guide to music licensing agreements to understand what a publishing deal entails.

Use our sync licensing fee calculator to estimate potential sync fees for different usage types.

Platform Features

• Five departments: Synchronization and Licensing, A&R, Administration, Label Services, and Artist Management
• Proactive pitching: Research-based approach targeting specific productions, brands, and supervisors
• Trailer music specialization: Epic and trailer music as a core catalog strength with Apple Music playlist curation
• Artist development: Sync revenue reinvested into developing signed artists
• European partners: Round-the-clock pitching coverage across time zones
• Publishing acquisitions: Catalog growth through strategic publishing deals
• 26-year track record: Founded in 1999, built through single-song signings and artist development

Related Resources

• Sync Licensing Companies Directory - Browse more sync licensing companies
• Sync Licensing Fee Calculator - Estimate licensing fees for your projects
• PRO Directory - Find your performing rights organization
• Music Licensing Agreements: Types, Terms, and Red Flags - Understand publishing deals before signing
• Visit Position Music for artist roster and company info