Sync Music for a Change:
Activism + Music Licensing Listening Session
Make a donation, share a song
Oct 6th Listening Session
with Morgan Rhodes
Submissions open:
Sept 19 - 26
Morgan Rhodes revolutionized the art of music supervision with her groundbreaking
work on the critically acclaimed Middle of Nowhere directed by Ava DuVernay. The
film not only captivated audiences but also earned a prestigious Sundance award,
marking the start of her remarkable career. Her impressive portfolio includes iconic
series such as Queen Sugar, Dear White People, Run The World, Young Love,
Unprisoned and Self Made, along with seminal films like Selma, Space Jam: A New
Legacy, Mixtape, Bad Hair, Thelma The Unicorn, and the latest adaptation of The
Color Purple.
Morgan’s celebrated work has garnered two Grammy nominations and accolades from
the Guild of Music Supervisors, the African American Film Critics Association, and the
NAACP Image Awards. From 2017 to 2020, she co-hosted the influential music podcast Heat Rocks, captivating listeners with her deep musical insight.
Starting her career as a programmer and DJ at the pioneering KCRW, she became
renowned for her unique ability to uncover musical treasures and champion indie
artists. As a founding member of the Black Women in Media Collective and the creator
of the inaugural music supervision Apex at Crosstown High School in Memphis,
Tennessee, she continues to shape the future of music supervision.
A proud native of Los Angeles and a distinguished graduate of Clark Atlanta University,
Morgan remains passionate about discovering and sharing exceptional music with the
world.​
​
WHAT TO SUBMIT: Soul, Hip-Hop, R&B and Pop are top picks but Morgan works on a range of projects and is open to hearing great songs from all genres!
​
​
SUBMISSION NOTES:
* Please read the ENTIRE WEBSITE for full instructions
​
1. Please don't submit songs that are signed exclusively to other agencies. Each song will be reviewed by Unicorn Sync for possible signing.
2. ONLY SUBMIT ONE SONG - If you submit multiple songs I will only listen to the first one.
3. Minimum donation is $20. If you are struggling and can't donate this, pay what you can and we'll still listen.
4. It's ok to submit a song that doesn't fit the brief - Elaine will consider it for signing by Unicorn Sync even if it doesn't get played during the listening session.
How it works (read all the way through before you submit)
​​
​​
1. Make a (minimum $20) donation related to this month's issue. Take a screenshot/photo of your donation.
2. Upload the screenshot and the song (ONE SONG ONLY) you want to share here. Please label it 'Oct SM4C [your name]' or something similar and be sure to include your name and email address! Feel free to comment on the FB announcement post (with the name of your song) to let me know you've submitted, and I'll like your comment within a couple of days to let you know I've received it!
3. Join our FB group for the zoom link (posted the day of the session) and to keep up-to-date on upcoming listening sessions & announcements.
4. We will email you if your song is going to be played and/or if we're interested in signing it. If you don't get an email you are still welcome to join the listening session and your song will still be sent to the music supervisor. Also, not getting an email does not mean that I think your song is bad; it often just means that I have too many submissions to be able to sign everything and I'm focussed on signing songs that seem like the best fit for the kinds of briefs I receive (other agents will receive other kinds of briefs and may be a better fit for you).
5. Do not email to check that your submission was received or to follow up. You can include the receipt in the upload form on or DISCO (or if you have Disco you can add it to your playlist in your account - yes, DISCO accepts all kinds of files, not just music files). Use your laptop to submit rather than your phone, for this to work smoothly!
By submitting your song and/or joining the zoom call, you consent to allowing us to play your song during the listening session, and to have it included in the replay (and show whatever is on your video on zoom during the replay) which will be posted in the FB group.
We will play 15 or so songs during the listening session, time dependant. Elaine will review all of the songs submitted before the deadline and the 15 songs that are of the highest quality and/or are the best fit for the supervisor's needs will be played. ALL of the songs will be forwarded to the supervisor in a playlist, regardless of whether or not they get played in the listening session.
DEADLINE for submission is Sept 26th 2025 AT 8PM PDT.
​
* for more info on knowing about who owns the rights to your song and to learn about the terms 'one-stop' and 'easy-clear', click here.
** to know if your song quality is good enough go to Spotify and look up the soundtrack to a show you like. Ask yourself if your song's sound quality is at the same level as the rest of the songs.
​
Current Focus:
Black Women for Wellness
THE ISSUE:
Black Women For Wellness is committed to the health and well-being of Black women and girls through health education, empowerment and advocacy.
​
We believe that good health is physical, spiritual, emotional, mental and financial well-being.
We believe in healthy communities where Black women and girls have the ability and resources to grow strong and soar. We believe that the lifestyles or financial and educational status of Black women and girls must not matter in our ability to implement health decisions or access to health services. We believe that good health involves an integration of western medicine and holistic health practices to create a better life. We believe in preventing illness through education, self-empowerment, access, appropriate treatments and interventions, and blending solutions that work for Black women and girls.
​
​​ACTION: Make a donation (minimum $20) to https://bwwla.org/
REMEMBER that you need to take a screenshot of your donation receipt and upload that with your song. If you have a DISCO account you can upload the receipt to your playlist on DISCO (please read that last sentence again! DISCO accepts ALL file types).
​
If you don’t live in the United States, you can still make a donation to the organization.
​
Submission Notes:
​
1. We are not looking for songs about the issue we're raising money for/supporting. This is an opportunity to share your music while supporting a good cause but the two are not otherwise connected. You may only submit ONE SONG. If you submit multiple songs I'll listen to the first and ignore/delete the rest.
​
2. Please include your name and email in your metadata. Look up how to add metadata to a song (more info here: https://youtu.be/gnt-UzfTXUA?t=892) if you don't know how to do this. Wav files do not store metadata. AIF files do. AIFs are the preferred option if you don't have DISCO (DISCO will hold metadata even if you uploaded wav files as they generate an mp3 for each track), otherwise mp3s are fine.
​
3. Please share how much you donated (please donate a minimum of $20), either in the screenshot or in the submission message box when you upload. How much you donate has nothing to do with whether or not your song will be played in the listening session and while of course generosity is encouraged, I understand that as a musician/human in this economy, you may be tight on cash. You will not be penalized for donating a smaller amount, even if it's not $20. At the same time, this is a fundraiser and it's nice to be able to tell the music supervisor how much we all raised and for that to be a healthy amount!
​
4. If you have a DISCO account, you can upload your screenshot into the playlist you make on DISCO (DISCO accepts all file types, not just music files). Otherwise just upload your song and screenshot to the upload box.
​
5. I won't be responding to emailed questions, FB messages or comments if the answer to the question is already available on this webpage or on the FB page. Other members of the FB group are a good resource if you have questions. This is a volunteer initiative; thanks for being considerate!
FAQ
1.. Will my song get played in the session for sure?
- We will have the music supervisor listen to as many songs as possible but not every song will get played. However the music supervisor will be sent a playlist of all the submissions.
2. Can I send a demo or worktape?
- No. Please only send songs that a music supervisor would be able to use immediately. Songs should be mastered and radio-ready. Send your best song!
3. Can I submit multiple songs?
- No. ONLY ONE SONG per submission, meaning only one song per listening session. Multiple submissions not allowed.
“Hope is not a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency. Hope should shove you out the door, because it will take everything you have to steer the future away from endless war, from the annihilation of the earth's treasures and the grinding down of the poor and marginal... To hope is to give yourself to the future - and that commitment to the future is what makes the present inhabitable.”
Rebecca Solnit
Respecting the Music Supervisors
We're not cool, but we try to be
Music supervisors are regular people with jobs to do who get flooded with email submissions on a regular basis. Of course it's cool to follow them on social media but please be discerning about reaching out directly. It's a great idea to research the projects they work on before contacting them. IMDB.com, Tunefind.com and ispot.tv are great resources. They may not respond to messages or emails and that's nothing personal. Consider looking into getting a sync agent to represent your music. If you're looking for more information on sync licensing, sync agents etc. we highly recommend checking out our friends' club Ctrl Camp and their bi-weekly meetings on Clubhouse!
Who runs this thing?
I'm Elaine Ryan, an activist, musician, sync agent with Unicorn Sync. During the pandemic I noticed that some of the most progressive people I saw on social media were music supervisors and figured why not harness that for good? I decided to see if music supervisors would share their time and expertise around music licensing in exchange for musicians helping moving progressive causes forward. It's been an incredible couple of years of activism, fundraising and connecting!
​
Contact Sync Music for a Change
You can reach us at unicornsync@gmail.com
​
We don't accept submissions of any kind outside of the listening sessions or unless specifically solicited. There's always another listening session in the works so the best way to share your music is to join the FB group (details above) and submit to a free listening session!
Sign up as a Music Supervisor
If you're a music supervisor, music coordinator or sync agent who'd like to support this initiative, let's connect! Send up an email at unicornsync@gmail.com if you're interested in being the featured guest on a future listening session.