Episode Summary: In this episode, our guest we explore the complexities of the music licensing world with President of Songtradr, Bryan Biniak. We dive into the importance of artists understanding their rights, the power of community in the music industry, and the impact of AI on music creation and licensing. We discuss platforms like Bandcamp and Songtradr, which offer unique benefits for artists by giving them control, simplifying processes, and connecting them to engaged communities. Bryan sh...
Oct 29, 2024•50 min•Season 2Ep. 32
In this episode, our guest, Rick Clark takes us on a journey through his remarkable career in the music industry, highlighting the power of integrity and authenticity. He shares how key relationships, like one with a well-connected friend, opened doors to opportunities with filmmakers such as Jason Reitman, leading to his involvement in films like Juno . Throughout our conversation, Rick emphasizes the importance of owning his work and maintaining control over his publishing rights, even when fa...
Aug 13, 2024•55 min•Season 2Ep. 31
This episode offers a rich introduction of Marcy Bulkeley, a music supervisor and founder of Subtle Mother. We discuss the intersection of healing music and music used in media, while exploring Marcy's journey through music, addiction, and her spiritual and professional evolution. The conversation dives deep into the emotional and spiritual power of music, touching on boundary setting, authenticity, and how music can be a tool for healing and connection. Marcy's story is one of transformation, f...
Aug 06, 2024•57 min•Season 2Ep. 30
In this episode of the Music Licensing Podcast, host Sonnet Simmons explains the complexities of exclusive versus non-exclusive music licensing deals with sync agencies. She breaks down what each type of deal entails, discussing the pros and cons of each arrangement and how these decisions impact an artist's ability to pitch their music. Sonnet provides practical advice on negotiating contract terms and choosing the best strategy based on individual needs and goals. Additionally, listeners are i...
Jul 23, 2024•13 min•Season 2Ep. 29
In this solo episode of the Music Licensing Podcast, Sonnet from 2Indie shares invaluable insights into creating the perfect pitch for sync agencies. Responding to feedback from a sync agency overwhelmed by poorly crafted pitches, Sonnet announces a free, hour-long workshop aimed at helping artists refine their pitch emails to stand out and effectively communicate their value. She recounts her personal journey of learning to pitch while working at Catch the Moon Music under Kathy Heller's mentor...
Jul 16, 2024•8 min•Season 2Ep. 28
In this engaging episode, we delve into the creative processes and philosophies of Music Composer & Music Producer Dario, who emphasizes the importance of evolving with the ever-changing sync industry. Dario discusses the significance of constantly acquiring new instruments and plugins to stay inspired and invigorate his creative process. He highlights his preference for tactile interaction with real instruments, which often sparks new ideas and unique sounds that samples cannot replicate. T...
Jul 09, 2024•56 min•Season 2Ep. 27
In this episode, we sit down with Tim Bern from Disco, a cutting-edge music organization platform transforming the industry. Disco provides artists with a comprehensive toolset for managing and sharing their music effortlessly. Tim delves into the platform's functionality, emphasizing the importance of metadata, presentation, and accessibility. He shares insights on leveraging Disco to optimize exposure, streamline collaboration, and enhance professionalism in the music industry. With new featur...
Jul 02, 2024•44 min•Season 2Ep. 26
In this episode, we explore the world of sync licensing with a focus on the personal journey of our very own Sonnet Simmons. Sync licensing can be a complex and intricate field, and there's no one better to guide us through it than Sonnet. Known for her work as both a Sync Licensing Specialist, co-founding 2Indie and as this podcast’s host, Sonnet has a wealth of experience and insights to share. Sonnet’s journey into sync licensing is nothing short of inspiring. From her early days as a budding...
Jun 25, 2024•27 min•Season 2Ep. 25
This week, I'm thrilled to chat with Los Angeles-based producer, Billy Lefler. Billy has secured countless sync placements for his artists and collaborated with major publishers like Warner Chapel, Secret Road, and Position Music. We'll dive deep into the life of a highly successful producer and have a bit of fun along the way. In this episode, Billy and I reminisce about the iconic Death Star studio where we've both spent many nights recording. We explore what it's like to be immersed in LA's v...
Jun 18, 2024•26 min•Season 2Ep. 24
In this episode, I sit down with Julian Drucker, a seasoned music supervisor sharing his journey and insights into the world of music synchronization. Coming from a family of musicians and composers, Julian naturally gravitated towards a career in music supervision. We discuss the vital role of one-stop representation, the challenges of music licensing, and the importance of creating authentic music that resonates with artists rather than merely chasing synchronization trends. We also delved int...
Jun 11, 2024•44 min•Season 2Ep. 23
In this episode, we interviewed Rebecca and Jordan from Pandion Music Foundation, a non-profit supporting musicians with resources, education, and community. We discussed the Foundation's mission to help artists, their various programs, and their efforts to reach underserved areas. Rebecca and Jordan share their journey of starting Pandion in 2021, receiving their license in 2022, and launching workshops to educate independent artists. We discussed the challenges artists face, including industry...
Jun 04, 2024•30 min•Season 2Ep. 19
In this episode, we discuss the captivating world of songwriting with the renowned Liz Rogers. Drawing from her extensive experience in the industry, Liz offers invaluable insights into the art and craft of song creation. With a blend of passion and precision, Liz highlights the importance of authenticity in storytelling and the power of vulnerability in connecting with audiences on a profound level. Liz shares her wisdom on navigating the dynamic landscape of the music industry. She underscored...
May 28, 2024•34 min•Season 2Ep. 21
In this engaging episode, we're joined by Evangeline, the talented voice behind Jenna Ortega’s upcoming film, Winter Spring Summer or Fall. Evangeline shares her insights into the creative process, revealing the internal dialogue that drives her music. We discuss the profound impact of relatable lyrics and the gift of articulating emotions through songwriting. Reflecting on her journey as an independent artist, Evangeline opens up about her approach to music creation, emphasizing the importance ...
May 21, 2024•27 min•Season 2Ep. 20
In this episode, we welcome Steven Scharf, an industry icon with over 50 years of experience in record labels, publishing, and sync. Steven shares firsthand stories of working with artists like Tamiko Jones and James Taylor. He provides insights into his time at Muscle Shoals Studios, reminiscing about pivotal moments like encountering early recordings of The Rolling Stones and fostering emerging talent like Lynyrd Skynyrd. His anecdotes provide historical context and insight into the music indu...
May 14, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 19
In this episode we dive into the journey of one prolific music maker, Johnny Collier. Johnny shares how he stumbled into the music scene, starting from being a merch guy to fronting a band. His journey led him to where he is today, creating music and scoring opportunities left and right. Johnny's story is one of persistence and determination. Transitioning from being in a band to exploring music production, Johnny found himself diving into the world of sync and film music. He recounts how he too...
May 07, 2024•43 min•Season 2Ep. 18
In this episode, Amanda Levine joins us to pull back the curtain on the advertising world, offering a glimpse into its inner workings. From the dynamics of talent management to the evolving trends within agencies, we discuss it all. Join us as we contemplate whether most agencies opt for in-house talent management or outsource the role. We also touch upon the concerning trend of music-related positions gradually disappearing from agency rosters. It's a candid exploration of the advertising lands...
Apr 30, 2024•38 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Get your tropical fix in! You're going to love this interview where we talk sync with Jordan Young about what it was like working on the latest Love Island shows filmed and produced in Fiji. Jordan Young is a freelance Music Supervisor and Sync Agent based in Los Angeles, and is the founder of his company Fort Clearington. As a licensor, Fort Clearington specializes in one-stop Hip Hop and Electronic music, represents multiple Billboard-charting and Grammy-nominated artists, and has obtained doz...
Dec 19, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Sonnet Simmons and Chris Assaad have a heart-filled discussion about the unfathomable depths of creative potential in music and how to dive right in with clarity and purpose. Chris Assaad is a multi-talented artist, singer-songwriter, wordsmith and speaker. His songs are pure alchemy that open the heart and inspire, connecting us to our wholeness and joy. His music soothes and seduces with exquisite layers of acoustic and electric acoustic guitars falling over R&B, reggae and soul-infused gr...
Dec 13, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 15
This week Sonnet sits down with Tiff Randol, Founder of non-profit Mamas In Music. Learn how this non-profit brings needed resources and support to mom music makers around the world. Randol is a composer, writer, vocalist, producer, and performer with a background in jazz, classical, and theater. She got her start in an NYC punk band and went on to writing and producing folk, electronic, pop and scoring for film and immersive environments. Her diverse background lends itself to a unique artist w...
Dec 05, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Join us for an incredible conversation with wildly successful sync artists K808 & Khaldzou... MUNNYCAT! They prove that love, excitement, having a blast and making authentic music that works to picture are all possible in one team. MUNNYCAT shares their perspectives on collaborative etiquette, the creative process and we also hear about their music superhero origin stories. Hope you enjoy the episode! MUNNYCAT is made up of LA-based producers K808 & Khaledzou. They’ve joined forces to bl...
Nov 28, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 13
In the realm of music promotion, Jon Anderson stands as a beacon of guidance, empowering artists to amplify their voices and connect with their audience on a profound level. Through his company, Two Story Media, Jon delves into the heart of artistry, uncovering the narratives that weave through every note and lyric. He masterfully curates music reviews, transforming them into platforms for deeper engagement, and empowers artists to promote their music in ways that resonate authentically. In this...
Nov 21, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 12
This week we have an amazing talk with Kimera Morrell, singer and music entrepreneur extraordinaire based in the Los Angeles area. She has over 25 million streams, half a million in revenue, 20 revenue sources, 40 "storefronts," 100s of songs on TV shows, and over 1,000 private clients all from singing and recording her voice from home. The #1 female singer on Soundbetter shares some of the strategies she employs to make a lucrative living doing what she loves. Kimera is such an inspiring person...
Nov 14, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Today we sit down with John Newcomer , Creative of Sync Licensing at Bank Robber Music . Bank Robber Music is an iconic boutique music licensing company committed to their artists and labels they represent. John shares behind-the-scenes perspectives on how Bank Robber Music listens to music submissions and discovers talented new musical acts to sign for rep. He shares about the power of authentic music, walk us through how sync has changed over the years, and gives invaluable advice on how to st...
Nov 07, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In a little change of pace, the Music Licensing Podcast welcomes a deep-dive on a topic important to many in the sync space... The business of being a music producer! Producers Asher Condit and John Clinebell have a fun discussion about the journey each producer takes when they make a decision to start charging for their services. This is a must-listen for all the producers out there, as well as all the artists and writers who have thought about throwing their hat into the ring. Asher Condit is ...
Oct 31, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Farnell Newton is an accomplished jazz artist, composer and trumpeter who’s toured and played with stars like Jill Scott and Aretha Franklin. He works in A&R at the powerful music licensing agency Marmoset . Farnell breaks down with us what actually happens at a sync agency, and how they work directly with artists to meet the needs of their clients. He also keeps creating stunning music of his own - which we talk about!
Oct 24, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Ann Kline, iconic Music Supervisor who has helped craft the soundtrack of hit TV shows like West Wing, ER, Shameless, Reacher, and The Good Doctor to name just a few sits down to share how the licensing business has evolved over the years. We also dive into what indie artists can do to stand out when it comes to getting their songs synced.
Oct 17, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 7
6 time Emmy Award Winning Songwriter, Composer, Producer & Mixer Eddie Wohl joins us to discuss his incredible music career which has resulted in countless placements in TV, film, radio, and ads. His production credits include metal/hardrock greats Fuel and Anthrax. As an artist he was signed to Epic, Elektra, Mercury/Island. Syncs include Superbowl XLVII, The CBS Superbowl Pre-Game show, “CBS Super Bowl 50th Anniversary” spots on the NFL on CBS, NBA on NBC, The Rio Olympics, The NHL, NCAA B...
Oct 10, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Music Executive Rosie Howe from Netflix joins us to discuss her fascinating role on the original series team that has helped create the soundtracks to shows like Wednesday , Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities , Kaleidoscope , Cowboy Bebop , and Archive 81 . A member of the Guild of Music Supervisors, Rosie has been featured on the Behind the Music podcast, panels and workshops for The Grammy Museum, Billboard, The Guild of Music Supervisors, Synckeepers, Music Biz Mentors, and has contr...
Oct 03, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Los Angeles-based Music Supervisor Jennifer Smith of Rat Dance Party joins us to discuss her multi-faceted role in the creation of soundtracks to projects produced by Showtime, Netflix, Paramount+, Viacom, Shorts TV, Amazon, Pluto TV, NBC and so many more. Jennifer has a passion for education and teaching, and it's clear from how well she articulates about the business and creative sides of sync that she cares deeply about spreading accurate information about the industry to those interested in ...
Sep 26, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Producer/Composer Phoebe Danskin joins us to discuss her punchy percussive ad-pop that has taking the sync licensing world by sonic storm. She's absolutely killing it in the ad space as an indie artist, songwriter and empowered producer/mixer. Placements include Toyota, Six Flags, Coca-Cola, Apple Music, Maybelline, Instacart, Walmart, Meta, Snap, HP, Mattel, Ebay, GoPro, HBO Max, MTV and so many more. Find out how Phoebe "runs it back" on what works in her career, how she keeps focused in sync ...
Sep 18, 2023•47 min•Season 1Ep. 3
