Scoring a Sweet Sync
Ever watch a film or an episode of a TV series and wonder how a given piece of music got there? Have you tried pitching to music supervisors unsuccessfully for years, only to be ignored or shot down? What should you be wary of if a sync offer comes your way? Join us as Walt Disney Studios attorney Andrew Carter answers the who, what, where, when and why to all of your burning sync questions in regard to the creation and delivery of new music while telling you what you absolutely need to know about the clearance and licensing of existing music.
Andrew Carter – Director, Music - Business Affairs & Legal Counsel, The Walt Disney Studios
Andrew Carter is an attorney at The Walt Disney Studios, where he handles a wide variety of agreements relating to original and licensed music contained in feature films. In 2025 the studio led the industry in global ticket sales for the ninth time in ten years, generating $6.58 billion in theatrical box office revenue from films released via Walt Disney Pictures, 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures, Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios. Before joining Disney, Carter worked in the film and TV music legal group at Sony Pictures Entertainment following a short period in private practice.
Prior to practicing law, Carter entered the music industry as a writer for Terrorizer Magazine in London, soon rising to Deputy Editor while also working as an A&R scout for Music For Nations and co-managing Iron Monkey. Carter subsequently relinquished his positions at Terrorizer and Music for Nations for a crosstown move to Green Island Records, where he was Head of Publicity and co-manager of Raging Speedhorn.
Carter is a contributing writer at Live For Live Music, a pro-bono volunteer for the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, an adaptive athlete and “retired” recreational ice hockey player. He holds the patent for the Carter Cuff exercise device for people with injured or missing hands and is a staunch advocate for people with limb differences and other disabilities. Carter is a dual US/UK citizen and currently lives in Los Angeles with his cats Paisley, Skye and Willow.