What lessons have you learned from 2021 that you will apply to 2022 and/or what processes and practices necessitated by the pandemic will continue even when the pandemic is (hopefully) over? (Remote work, use of Zoom enabling more people to be involved in the creative approval process, etc.)
The lessons I’ve learned from 2021 are that remote work has become fully acceptable in practice, and definitively incorporated into the normal flow of creative industries - and it works. I’m also seeing some clients stray away from their agency of record and do way more in-house work. That’s a bonus for experienced practitioners in the creative space.
How do new technologies, markets and platforms figure in your creative/business plans in 2022? For example, with NFTs gaining momentum, do you foresee related sound and music work resulting? Same for VR/AR? Will increased content spurred on by the emergence of additional streaming platforms open up music and sound opportunities for you? Any growth prospects in the advertising and/or entertainment industry?
They way I see it, tech and platforms that offer excellent ‘music for context’ will take the lead in 2022 and beyond - not only music that relates or resonates with NFTs, and VR, and AR, but music that aligns with contextual categories such as health, mindfulness, relaxation, or for an environmental context like a self-driving car or an airplane.
How has your role--or that of your business or company--evolved in recent years? What do you like most about that evolution? What do you like least?
My greatest value, as a consultant or advisor, is experience. As competition and and in-house activities increase, and profit margins decrease, in content creation, I like that experience has evolved into a low-risk, high reward asset. Back a few years experience meant high compensation and thus a limited career shelf life.
You see/hear this with music consumption - older great songs are resonating on streaming more than newer great music creation.
What I least like about the way culture has evolved is that Social Media is becoming too comfortable for consumers, yet it is arguably not actually/truly social. Additionally, because social media favors certain demographics, it doesn’t really reflect our collective social consciousness accurately, and of course, has wounded the attention span of humans as a whole.
How has your role--or that of your business or company--evolved in recent years? What do you like most about that evolution? What do you like least?
The biggest challenge to me recently was licensing a track that I was getting price gouged on by the rights holders, on behalf of my client. Seems to me that the price points have shifted upward on licensing existing tracks, mainly due, IMHO, to the fact that licensees aren’t necessarily engaging experienced music experts to negotiate their deals, and fees are thus going up, and making it more difficult for all that are procuring music to solicit appropriate licensing fees.
I stood my ground and was able to get a solid deal, but it was a travail.
What recent work are you most proud of and why? Or what recent work (advertising or entertainment)--your own or that of others--has struck a responsive chord with you?
I’m very proud of my role as a part-time professor at several Universities here in the US where I teach my course entitled “Music in the Media.” This year, several of my former students have gotten jobs in the creative music space - to me this is very satisfying and quite meaningful.
A growing number of superstar artists and songwriters have been selling their music rights/catalogs in megabuck deals. What will be the ripple effect of this on music creatively and from a business standpoint relative to the advertising, film, TV and streaming platform markets?
I believe that due to all of these rights acquisition deals that have gone down over the last 2 years, the price points for licensing said assets are going to go even higher, as the acquirers of these new assets need to get a major return on their investments.
Creatively, don’t be surprised to hear more Dylan, Springsteen, Neil Young and other former brand music holdouts ( formerly know as non-sell-outs) music used in ad campaigns.
“Born to Run” in a Nike ad? “Cowgirl in the Sand” in a Beach Vacation ad? “Shelter from the Storm” for Patagonia or North Face?
What are the implications of emerging dynamics such as the pandemic and relatively new markets like NFTs, podcasts, streaming platforms, etc., on the music library business?
These emerging dynamics will certainly benefit many of the royalty free music companies out there, and will continue the collective momentum of a race to the bottom regarding the price points on production, library and stock music offerings.