Synchronizing Copyright and Technology: A New Paradigm for Sync Rights

Embedded in a copyright owner’s musical work or sound recording is the synchronization, or sync right, the exclusive right to use music in sync, or in timed-relation, with audiovisual works. Considerations about sync rights, one of the least discussed aspects of music copyright, have come to the fore as the world has increasingly moved from the real world to the virtual. The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred thousands of activities and events to go online. With many of these involving music, the shift to the virtual world has raised new questions about the extent of sync rights.