June is always a busy month for us! Following our trip to MIDEM, there was time for a quick pit stop at Anara Publishing HQ before heading out to Los Angeles for the annual LA Sync Mission. Developing face to face relationships is key with music licensing, especially when you are trying to reach out to the other side of the Atlantic.
Hollywood is the place to be when you are looking to synchronise your music to moving image. So, as well as taking part in the LA Sync Mission, run by music industry trade bodies The BPI and The MPA alongside the Department for International Trade, we took the opportunity whilst we were in town to catch up with our sync network. This included visits to Lionsgate and Universal Pictures. We were also lucky enough to be invited to a private screening of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom whilst on the Universal Pictures lot, which features a sublime music score and is a summer blockbuster not to be missed!
There was time for a quick pause for us Brits to watch England in the World Cup, before embarking on the next week’s activities. The LA Sync Mission is dedicated to exporting UK music into the US market. It is attended by publishers, labels and managers from the UK to learn more about how music is used to picture and most importantly begin forming relationships with music supervisors. This includes in-depth panels, site visits to production houses and film studios as well as networking events. The highlight of this is the garden party at the Consul-General’s residence, providing the perfect backdrop to connect with the music and film industries in Hollywood.
Throughout the week, we heard from executives working on the likes of Atlanta, Better Call Saul and This Is Us as well as upcoming major films. There were also in depth case studies on advertising, video games, trailers and TV promos, which all come with their own nuances and approach to music. It’s important for us as a music publisher to stay on top of these trends and highlight the different opportunities for our songwriters.
The New TV
What is really exciting is there are more opportunities than ever before for independent music publishers. Almost 50% of adults 22 to 45 years old are watching absolutely no content on traditional TV platforms. This is where the likes of Netflix, Amazon, YouTube and Hulu all step in. With a constant flow of original content being created, there is a huge need for independent music in these projects.
There are also new technologies to consider, with influential platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat moving into longform video content. There are still many unknowns with exactly how music will be used in such content, but one thing is for sure is that it is an inspiring time to be a writer looking to get their music licensed and boost their income from the music that they write.