Interview with Music Supervisor Gary Calamar

We recently did a live webinar in our course, The Art of the Song Pitch, with music supervisor extraordinaire, Gary Calamar.

Gary has worked on a ton of shows including House, True Blood, Dexter, Six Feet Under, Weeds, The Man In The High Castle….and new shows like Alex Inc, Here And Now, and the soon to be released, Titans.

Here is a short snippet of the hour-long interview with Gary which included Q&As and live song reviews where our students got to pitch their music to Gary. 

Gary has some great stories & insights some of which he shares in this short video clip here:

From Zero To Full-Time Syncs

She had just lost her job.

Her dreams of making music for a living seemed like they were about to end.

She wondered how she would be able to make ends meet.

Then, with a simple change in her life, she suddenly started getting regular sync placements.

Megan's story is an amazing example of what can happen when you take the right steps... because it may turn out better than you expected.

Inner Circle Podcast Interview With Chris

Do you think there is too much competition out there to get your songs into TV & film? Sure there is a lot, but find out how to beat it. There is a reason the same songwriters keep getting their music synched over and over again, and it’s not all about who they know.

Check out Chris’ interview on the Inner Circle Podcast with Bobby Owsinski where Chris dishes on this and so much more.

*Please note this podcast was recorded under the name "Make Money From Your Music" before we changed to Sync Songwriter

TechMuze Podcast Interview With Chris

Chris was interviewed recently on the TechMuze Academy podcast. The host, Dezz Asante, asked him all about his online recording studio, Sundown Sessions Studio, and how he has helped so many indie artists get their songs into TV & film.

At the end of the interview, find out the 5 steps Chris teaches songwriters to get their music synced. 

Watch the video below for the full interview. And for more great tips & insights on all things music production & marketing related, check out TechMuze Academy.

*Please note this podcast was recorded under the name "Make Money From Your Music" before we changed to Sync Songwriter

3 Steps To Get Your Music Into TV & Film

Here are 3 proven steps that will help you get your music licensed in 2018. They will answer questions like these...

    - Why do some artists seem to succeed in sync over and over again?

    - Are you moving forward or getting ripped off?

    - Have you been trying to get your music licensed for a while?

I looked at the successes of people I've produced, and the wins of my students in The Art Of The Song Pitch course. I distilled it down the 3 things that will vastly improve your chances of getting your music into TV & film.

I am looking forward to hearing your songs on TV, in movies, and ads. May 2018 be your best year ever.

Happy New Year!

Chris

Christmas In July?!

When do music supervisors start looking for Christmas songs for the holiday season productions? In the summer! There is a saying we hear a lot in the music supervision world, that it's “Christmas in July”.

Have you ever tried to write a Christmas song in the middle of summer while you are spending time at the beach? It’s hard to get into the spirit when you’ve got your toes in the sand and a Mai Tai in your hand.

The smart thing to do is write your festive song during the Christmas season for the next year. You can really capture that feeling while the ornaments are on the tree, and the presents are wrapped. 

There is so much inspiration this time of year from the collision of spirituality and materialism to the importance of spending time with the ones you love.

There is always a need for new Christmas songs every year and they never get old. So pick up your instrument and challenge yourself to get one in your stocking for this summer’s licensing season!

Have a merry Christmas and happy holidays!

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How To Strategically Get People To Listen To Your Music

This week I thought I would post a super informative video by one of the most successful artists in licensing. It's an older interview but still such relevant information.

Moby explains why he started licensing his music and it may not be the answer you expected. The subject line of this blog is a good hint!

Thanks to BigThink.com for the video.

New Licensing Opportunity

I wanted to let you know about a great opportunity to license your music with the International Songwriting Competition. ISC 2017 is reopening entries for a special promotion called Screen Shot, running December 4 - 13, 2017. ISC is looking for songs that are appropriate for Film, TV, Ads, Video Games, and other licensing avenues.

We don’t lend our support to other companies lightly. I want to make sure that their values and commitment match ours before we email you about what they have to offer. ISC is not only recognized by ASCAP, but we have worked with them in the past and are proud to call them one of our close partners.

Ten Screen Shot finalists will have their songs made available to almost 1,000 industry contacts who are looking for music for upcoming projects. Additionally, one overall winner will get the opportunity to directly network with a group of high-profile execs who specialize in music placement. Included are: Lionsgate, Domino, Antfarm, The Sound Works, and more. Additionally, all songs will be entered into the overall music competition and be eligible to share in over $150,000 in cash and prizes. 

Here is what the ISC’s 2016 Screen Shot winner, Jordan Richman, said about winning the special promotion last year: 

"Shane, Candace, and Jim from the International Songwriting Competition have been among the most influential people in my songwriting career. They have helped open some of the biggest doors and they truly care about the music. Thank you!"

ISC's Screen Shot promotion will help to nurture the winners’ careers by obtaining contacts within this vital music community and helping them obtain licensing deals for their songs.

The Screen Shot promotion ends on Wednesday, December 13, 2017 so don’t wait to submit your song. If you’ve been thinking of getting into music licensing, this is a perfect opportunity.

For more information or to register, check out: https://www.songwritingcompetition.com

Still Time To License Your Christmas Song

Music supervisors are still looking for last minute Christmas songs to put in their upcoming holiday episodes and TV specials. Be it originals or covers of Christmas classics, holiday songs are always in demand because every year there are new Christmas themed movies, TV episodes, and specials being made. So if you have a Christmas song ready to go, then don't wait to try and squeeze in one last holiday sync. And if you don't have a Christmas song in your repertoire, now might be the time to think of adding one and get it licensed for next year's holiday search.

Last year, I produced an original Christmas song for Malcolm Lally, and he went on to win a national Irish radio song contest with it (and even got heavy rotation)!

Check out the video below to hear what Malcolm had to say about his experience recording with us. To celebrate the upcoming holiday season, our sister site, Sundown Sessions Studio, is offering 20% off any Christmas song you'd like to record.

Don't forget music supervisors also love covers of familiar songs with your own twist on it. There are lots of Christmas songs to choose from if you don't have your own. And if you missed my blog about the benefits of recording a cover song, check it out here.  

PS. If you want to record a cover of a classic Christmas song, CD Baby has a FREE resource guide with a list of Christmas songs that are in the public domain - that means you don’t have to get permission from the song’s publisher to record the song plus they’re royalty free. Check out the helpful guide here.