There's a version of sync licensing advice that gets passed around a lot. It's well-intentioned, generally accurate, and built almost entirely around studying the placements of artists who will never be in your situation. Sia. M83. The Black Keys. The Cinematic Orchestra. These are instructive examples if you're trying to understand why a piece of music works in a scene. They're not particularly useful if you're trying to build a production music catalog as a long-term business.

The NYT Magazine just ran a major piece on production music and sync licensing. Here's the perspective they couldn't get from the outside—from someone who sold a catalog to Extreme Music.

Proud of this unique album I made for The License Lab... with pedal steel and modular synths from Philippe Bronchtein (Mickey Guyton, The War & Treaty), drums and percussion from Jason McGerr (Death Cab For Cutie, Tegan And Sara).