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Today I have a special interview to share, none other than Outasight himself. He has built an immense career from touring for platinum records to having the official song of the NBA playoffs. Settle in for some real knowledge on how to build a music career and how sync can take you through the stratosphere.

Tell us a little about yourself and your career:

Hey, my name’s Outasight. Born and raised in New York, I came up in the New York City scene releasing mixtapes and doing shows building a buzz until I signed my first record deal with Warner. From there, my first single Tonight Is The Night would go platinum and I would spend the next few years touring non stop. I was then dropped from Warner and starting putting out music independently. Albums 2-4 were with my old management company and the last 5 years I have been running my own record label 83 Sound with my biz partner/producer Cook Classics (who also produced Tonight Is The Night and the majority of my other music).

Tell me about your first sync music experience and any challenges you faced getting there:

Well, my first single Tonight Is The Night broke because of a Pepsi commercial, which changed the entire trajectory of my career. At the time, my manager had a relationship at Pepsi and we were one of the few songs considered for this big campaign. I was still relatively unknown and had that song just sitting on my hard drive while I waited for the label to give me a shot. The opportunity meant everything to me, cause I was on the proverbial shelf. After that, everything changed.

Can you share your most memorable sync?

I’d say being the theme song for the NBA playoffs and being able to film my performance shots and have it be apart of the intro. I’m a huge NBA fan, and it was just surreal. It was for my song “The Boogie”, which I had no idea would do any of this kinda stuff. Next thing I know ESPN/ABC reaches out and they’re like if you go shoot some cool performance shots you can be in the intro too. I got my friend Brian, whose a fantastic videographer and ran around LA and put it together in 24 hours and they used it. I couldn’t believe it.

What are some guidelines you’d suggest for creating music that’s syncable?

Well, by now I think there are alot of talented folks writing specifically for sync and so to me, there is a formula everyone probably knows and lives by. I’m not super into that formula. I still get to play out live, and want to make songs I love and makes me feel something. I’m the kinda person that zigs when everyone zags. So I’d say, just make music that makes you feel something, something you’d play in front of your favorite artist, and that will cut through with time.

How do you approach collaborating with other artists, songwriters or producers?

I have the same tight knit crew I have worked with for over a decade, honestly. Now that we have a record label, we have brought a bunch of talented folks in to try and help them on their journey as well. I think collaboration is awesome though, and I do see it being a great way to just be around creative people and get inspired.

Can you discuss the financial aspects of sync licensing? How has it impacted your career? 

The music industry is an incredibly difficult business to make a living in, and I feel lucky to call it a job. I have been very lucky and synch has helped with that tremendously. Truthfully, all my most successful songs in terms of synch were accidents, happy little accidents, songs made without thinking if it makes sense for this or that, so I’m really lucky I guess.

What advice would you give to musicians looking to break into the industry?

Here’s how you break into creative medium IMO. Build a creative community of folks you get along with and like to work with. Push each other to be better, Make a ton of music and don’t be precious about it. And be clear about the business from the start.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about songwriting and production?

That all it takes is one song to change your life. Every song we make as creatives has its own life and universe, and frankly, we don’t have a ton of control as the artist in what that looks like. So, just keep making jams and push forward!

Key Takeaways:

• Create music that evokes genuine emotion rather than following a formula for sync-friendliness.
• Build and nurture a community of like-minded creatives who can support and challenge each other.
• Produce a high volume of music without being overly precious, as you never know which track might become a surprise hit.
• Understand the business side of the music industry from the start, including sync licensing and potential self-management.
• Be open to unexpected opportunities, as a single sync placement can change the trajectory of your career.