How does music get into movies, series, adverts and video games?
Sync (or synchronisation) is a process where songs are combined with moving images – film, TV series, adverts, video games, trailers etc. Aside from widening their exposure to new audiences, music licensing is an important source of revenue for musicians.
How do production companies work behind the scenes? Let sync agents and music supervisors from the Nordic countries, mainland Europe and North America enlighten you.
In the panel:
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Hrefna Helgadóttir is the Marketing and Public Relations Manager at Iceland Music where she is responsible for the brand of Iceland Music and all of its associated brands such as UTON, Record in Iceland, and Tónatal, among others. Her expertise lies in providing strategic input into how creative projects can build and grow an audience working with Product, Marketing, and PR.
She has experience working in the US, UK, and her native Iceland markets. She both writes and gives lectures on the various areas of her expertise both at home and internationally. In addition, she runs the MakeWorkWork podcast and has been a mentor to artists and young professionals.
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Stephanie Rushton is a Music Supervisor and Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) based in Paris, France. Through her music supervision work at Seven Seas Music, The Rights Workshop and for her independent film clients, Stephanie specializes in sourcing and licensing authentic international music for her projects. Her accounting work intersects with her music work as her trusted clients include record labels, film studios, artist collectives, Burning Man camps and individual musicians. She shares her expertise by volunteering with global organizations to educate musicians on music rights, publishing, and the basics of synchronization. If you would like to connect with Stephanie, you can find her on Instagram @thedangerousaccountant
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Emilie is a music supervisor at Nordisk Film Production where she works with everything related to music. She’s involved in the whole process of finding and licensing music in film and series from early stages of script to final mix.
Nordisk Film Production has branches in Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo, and includes Nordisk Film Series and Creative Alliance. Emilie started the first music supervision department in the company in 2021, when she convinced them that it was a good idea to have an inhouse music supervisor. She’s passionate about making the film industry open and aware of all the possibilities of using music from a diverse range of artists.
She has worked on projects by a variety of directors amongst others Michael Noer, Paprika Steen, Milad Alami, Bille August, Ole Bornedal, Hella Joof, Anders Thomas Jensen and Malou Reymann.
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Founder of Access Film Music LLC
"Chicago" Mike Beck is an award-winning songwriter and recording artist who has toured throughout North America and Europe since 2001 as a solo performer and with his band Chicago Mike's InterGalactic Brother & Sisterhood of Big Eyed Beans From Venus. He is the American half of acoustic harmony duo Rahel n Beck, featuring Estonian violinist, vocalist and songwriter Rahel-Liis Aasrand.
Mike has toured Europe over 30 times, performing in Switzerland, The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France, Ireland, Belgium, Sweden, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg. In 2015, he completed his first tour of Asia, with shows in Japan and Thailand.
Mike launched Access Film Music in 2004 to help recording artists license their music to film and TV, presenting annual showcases during the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals in Utah and ÉCU Film Festival in Paris, France.
In 2007, in collaboration with Thomas Golubic, the music supervisor for Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Walking Dead among other hit television shows and feature films, Mike created and presented “Music, Movies & Money”, a workshop designed to give recording artists and songwriters actionable information on how to pursue sync licensing opportunities for their music. He has continued to present this workshop at AmericanaFest in Nashville, the Folk Alliance International Conference, songwriting retreats, music conferences and film festivals in Europe and North America.
Mike has been on the faculty of the Planet Bluegrass Rocky Mountain SongSchool in Colorado since 2005, has been a featured speaker at South-by-Southwest in Austin, Texas and the Music Business Department of UCLA, Berklee College of Music in Boston and Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey. In October 2023, Mike will host the inaugural Song Camp Italy, featuring some of the world’s most respected songwriting teachers and hit songwriters. Mike loves empowering and inspiring musicians to pursue their dreams and enjoys sharing practical ideas and information to help make them real.