Industry Insider: Chris SD Discusses Sync Songwriter & Artist Development

Over the course of a 30-year career in music, Chris SD has literally done it all. From playing in rock bands in the mid-1990s to now being a multi-JUNO Award-winning producer, he has carefully catered his career to his interests and how they have evolved over the years. Around the turn of the century, Chris left songwriting and performing behind and opted to work more behind the scenes. As a producer, he worked with artists such as the late Kris Kristofferson and Garth Hudson of The Band. Albums that he has worked on have collected five JUNO Awards and seven total nominations.

Working with both indie and major label artists opened Chris’s eyes to the realities of the music industry. It frustrated him that indie music often received very little attention. Despite the quality of indie music, it was often overlooked or ignored by labels, managers, and agents. This led him towards discovering sync licensing. This was his idea to help indie artists gather more exposure. By helping them get their music on television, in films, and in ads, indie artists could reach exponentially more potential fans.

Chris SD is the founder of Sync Songwriter, a music education platform for artists and producers. For those looking to succeed in sync licensing, Chris’s program helps creatives land placements and make valuable connections. Through his unique system, he has helped artists get placements on major outlets like Netflix, NBC, CBS, Hallmark, and on campaigns for Peloton, Meta, and global fashion brands.

Chris SD joins us today for our latest Industry Insider interview to discuss the music industry, navigating it, and artist development. Be sure to check out the free Music Supervisor Panel Chris is hosting in January 2026!

Do you think traditional artist development is a dying art, with labels more interested in viral potential than fostering long-term careers?

Chris SD: “Yes, it died a long time ago with labels. Nowadays, they want you to do the heavy lifting until you are a viable investment for them. Part of that is justified, because budgets for development just aren’t there anymore. The other side of it is everyone, and their dog has a record out these days, so it becomes easier to find an artist or band who is on the cusp of breaking big. The upside for artists is they don’t need label money to get going, but when the going gets tough, there is nothing to fall back on.”

What’s the most overlooked aspect of an artist’s development?

“I would say the songwriting. If you can write great songs, it doesn’t really matter as much how well you can play, sing or promote yourself. There is always a way to make it work in the studio with almost any artist if they have great songs. Some of the sagest advice I ever got was from the late Malcolm McLaren, ex-manager of the Sex Pistols. He told me, ‘Don’t go chasing the industry; instead, go home and write great songs and make them come to you.’”

Chris SD with guitar in 2024

What’s one hard truth about the music industry that no one prepares you for when you first enter it?

“I think how hard it is to be heard through the noise of all the music out there. Roughly 100,000 songs are uploaded to Spotify every day. If you are an indie artist, you may have dreams of being discovered, going viral, or if you can just get the right person to listen to your music, it will all work out. The first two almost never happen, and the last one is really, really hard to do.

“That said, at Sync Songwriter, I connect indie artists directly with top music supervisors for television and film through my program ‘The Art of the Song Pitch.’ So it certainly can happen, you just have to do it the right way.”

What’s the biggest mistake artists make when they first start building their team (managers, agents, publicists, etc.)?

“I would say starting too early or starting too late. What I mean is, there is no sense in paying someone who can’t move the needle because you are just starting out. On the other hand, if you can convince an established manager, agent, or publisher to work with you because they love your music, it might be a good idea to risk handing over the reins to them.”

How do you balance the commercial side of the industry with your passion for the music itself?

“Music is exciting for me when it reaches people. To reach people, you need a plan. A plan is just another word for business. Think of the business as a way to optimize your efforts, the same way an instrument optimizes music. A big, beautiful circle. The best advice I can give is that when you are in the industry, seek out and work with good people. Avoid temptations and focus on real relationships. That is what pays off in the end.”

What’s the most valuable long-term professional relationship you’ve built over your career, and how did you maintain it? What advice would you give for cultivating lasting relationships in the industry?

“I have many valued relationships in the industry, specifically with music supervisors for TV and film. The best way to maintain industry relationships is the same way you maintain friendships. Nobody is interested in being friends with someone who only asks for things. You have to offer something in return, which means being the best you can be at your craft, so they want to work with you. Think win-win.”

Chris SD in 2024

How has your definition of success changed over the years? Is it still about fame and financial rewards, or have other aspects become more important?

“I honestly have always been less interested in the fame and money than I was in the art. If you love what you do, you tend to do it a lot, which makes you good at it. Then the money and notoriety will follow. I think success should only be defined by moving toward winning. There are a lot of unsatisfied people who have won awards and made millions of dollars. It’s not about the stuff, it’s about the thing that brought the stuff. Focus on the thing.”

What’s one technological advancement you think artists should embrace to stay ahead of the curve?

“In the ’80s, when sample-based drum machines came out, everyone thought it was the end of drummers. Even now, with all the virtual drummer plugins, drummers are still in high demand. I would apply that to every technological advancement. AI is the hot one right now, and I say use it for what it’s good at without betraying your art. Computers have been able to beat the greatest chess grand masters in the world for years now. Did competitive chess go away?”

What’s the biggest challenge in breaking through the noise of today’s saturated music market?

“The sheer number of people making music who are all looking for listeners. It’s next to impossible to break through unless you have a path.

“A quick example: consider what your chances are of being offered a spot on the first rocket to Mars. Probably like most people on earth, one in about eight billion (current population of the planet). What are your odds if you are a trained astronaut? This is a parallel to making it in music and what inspired me to provide a proven path for indie songwriters to do just that.”

What’s the most unexpected lesson you’ve learned in your career?

“The music industry as a whole is a big place, and there are all kinds of people who work in it, but I have found that almost all the ones at the very top are actually really cool. I think this is because you have to be good at working with others to get to the top and stay there.”

How do you see the relationship between music and visual content evolving?

“I think the next evolution will come with the broad adoption of VR. A/V will no longer just be about movies, shows, and media, but will become more focused on sensory experiences. First with hardware and later piped into our consciousness with some version of a neural link. That is just my best guess.”

What’s your view on how artificial intelligence is shaping music production, creation, and marketing?

“I don’t see the current effects of AI on music being much different than how synthesizers, samplers, computers, auto-tune, etc, shaped it. It is a tool like the rest and should be used accordingly.”

How do you think the rise of AI-generated music will impact the careers of human musicians?

“AI will be woven into the fabric of music like every technology before it. Remember that orchestral music was cutting-edge at the time. Today, it’s essential to know that if you want to get your music into TV and film, music supervisors are still mostly only looking for human-created tracks. There will always be a big demand for artists’ songs, because the interesting thing about humans is, we inevitably rebel if things get too far away from our nature.”