Acts have to do a lot of homework to find out which projects are appropriate to pitch their songs for. An exclusive publication with a variety of major listings is called The Music Report, but it is restricted to industry professionals. Once an act has placed a song, there usually follows a negotiation of the fee for the usage. Each project has a different budget, and each song can have a different usage. In most indie projects, filmmakers tend to pay lower fees for songs by unsigned bands, believing they are giving bands a break by just putting their songs in films.
Most bands are willing to accept lower fees in order to get exposure from the film.
Sometimes there are no fees paid at all, if the film's budget is particularly small. Hearing and seeing your music work in a creative, new context is rewarding unto itself.