Georg Bissen–owner, composer and sr. producer at MetaTechnik in New York and president of the AMP East Board–has been elected the new national president of the Association of Music Producers at the AMP National Meeting, held via Zoom conference last night (6/3). He succeeds Elad Marish, sr. producer and partner at Swell Music + Sound in San Francisco, who remains a member of the AMP West Chapter and National boards. In other AMP leadership news, Matt Phenix, director of audio branding and head of production at Elias Music, was elected president of the East Chapter, succeeding Bissen.
In addition, AMP has set the date for its upcoming virtual awards presentation, which will be moving online in keeping with current social distancing policies designed to protect people from the risk of contracting COVID-19. The date for the 2020 awards presentation is now Tuesday, July 14. Details for the show are being worked out and will be announced shortly, as will information on where to register for the online presentation, which will be offered to the industry free of charge. Judging of the AMP entries is now underway and will culminate in a special online meeting of its 2020 curatorial committee later this month.
Bissen joined the AMP East Chapter board in 2012, and became its president in 2018. He was also elected to AMP’s National Board in 2016. A graduate of Brown University, he launched MetaTechnik in 2001, creating music and sound design for such brands as Miller Lite, MTV, Sierra Mist, Wendy’s and others. The studio then branched out into composing for media companies, TV shows and promos, as well as for documentaries and entertainment venues.
The studio launched a licensing arm as well, and has since moved into the pop culture arena via Bissen’s prolific work as a dance music artist and DJ. Under this banner, Bissen has been building a reputation producing for pop artists and has created remixes for major labels and artists ranging from U2 and Madonna to Coldplay, P!NK and Ruth B.
Bissen said one of the biggest issues facing the advertising music industry in general, and AMP members in particular, is the monetization of digital/online performance royalties. “In the past we’ve not been paid for pre-roll advertising, and it appears we’re getting closer to finding a way to get paid the royalties we’re owed,” he pointed out. “As more and more of our content goes online and into streaming, making sure we’re able to capture this income channel properly is a huge issue for AMP and its members.”
Given the profusion of music options available for agencies and brands today, Bissen said AMP needs to focus on “educating our clients about the added value our members bring to the table, and why what we do is helpful to the brands and provides them with built-in equity. Aside from that, we’ll continue to focus on community growth and fostering a sense of camaraderie amongst our members. We will continue to be on the lookout for any issues that directly affect our members, and to be a megaphone for our cause and our craft. And of course, we’ll continue to grow and improve the AMP Awards.”
Bissen said AMP members can expect to see more town hall meetings, at which useful and actionable advice on coping with the financial pressures of the pandemic will be offered. The association is also extending its dues deadline for this year until September 30, without penalty. “And we’re offering immediate membership to any new members, for the price of one quarter of the yearly dues,” he noted.
AMP Awards
In announcing the new date for the virtual AMP Awards presentation, outgoing president Marish said the association is following the lead taken by its friends at sister association AICP. “We’re moving our awards show to a place where the virus can’t get us, which is online,” he related, “but it’s still going to be the AMP Awards: We’ll be recognizing and honoring great work in the area of music and sound for everything from traditional commercials to experiential events, and we’ll be bestowing trophies to our winners as a reward for their creativity and excellence in craft–just not in person.”
This year’s awards presentation will be a scaled-back version of the event initially scheduled to take place at Sony Hall on May 19. AMP will forego naming a brand to its AMP Hall of Fame this year–the honor will return for the 2021 AMP Awards ceremony–nor will it present a Best in Show winner. But music performances by up-and-coming artists, a hallmark of every AMP Awards presentation since 2013, will still take place, albeit from musicians’ bedrooms, garages, studios or musical hideaways.
“It wouldn’t be an AMP Awards without a healthy supply of great music,” added Bissen, “although we may have a little trouble living up to our billing as the loudest show in the industry this year. We just hope people watching at homes remember to crank up the volume to a safe level while wearing their headphones!”
