UMA’s Music + Vision panel explored the role of music licensing in breaking new music

As part of ARIA Week 2017, Universal Music Australia hosted ‘MUSIC + VISION’ on Tuesday, a panel discussion on commercial music licensing for TV, Film & Advertising which explored the creative process behind music selection and placements.  

Now viewed as a prominent discovery tool for finding new music and breaking artists, the area of Synchronisation and Music Licensing has seen substantial growth over the past ten years. 

Subsequently, music licensing has been firmly established and regarded as an effective marketing tool for brands, whilst enhancing many TV and film productions. 

The purpose of the panel was to hear some key decision makers discuss and dissect how and when music becomes a part of the creative process and the most important contributing factors.

Speakers included: 

Karl Richter, CEO for Level Two Music, whose teamwork across Film (Lion, Dance Academy, Jasper Jones), TV and Advertising and have offices in Melbourne, Sydney, LA and Auckland.

John Watson, General Manager at label and artist management Eleven Music. The company manages includes Birds Of Tokyo, Missy Higgins, Dustin Tebbutt, Jimmy Barnes and Gotye.

Graham Donald, Creative Director at Seven Network, a key player in helping to break artists in the Australian market through music inclusion in promo trailers for Seven programs and continues to support both local and international music across the network. 

Emily Crews, Synchronisation and Licensing Director from Universal Music who has been with the company for close to 10 years in various Licensing roles, working continually with the broader sync industry from the music makers through to the productions using their music. 

Crews said, “It was a pleasure to be able to host and facilitate an open conversation around the roles and responsibilities of those who work with musicians, brands and productions and how music can play such a pivotal role. 

“With a broad audience and equally diverse panel to discuss and examine the decision-making process on both sides, it was an entertaining and informative morning.”

Following the panel discussion, Odette performed her latest single ‘Collide’ which was added to triple j off the back of her acclaimed debut Watch Me Read You. Odette is signed to EMI Music and Universal Music Publishing Australia.

In 2014, after realising the importance of sync activity to artists and labels in the Australian market, ARIA began calculating market share between the labels on behalf of their recordings with a monthly market share report along with traditional music sales across physical and digital partners.