Meet the Music Supervisors: Musical company-dating at SPOT+
By: Max Bülow Lassen // Photo: Line Svindt
Today, music placement in tv-shows, films, trailers, games, advertisements, and more is a crucial source of revenue in the music industry. SPOT+ has therefore held once again held the popular event “Meet the Music Supervisors”, where industry professionals from near and far come together for SPOT+’s famous “speed meetings”.
In Radisson Blu’s meeting room 11, a sea of tall, round tables have been set up in preparation for this year’s speed meetings. The tables are sprinkled around the room with equal space between them. They’re all set up identically: Each table has a sign detailing the name and company of the music supervisor, a laminated itinerary revealing the supervisor’s scheduled meetings, and finally, there’s a small bowl filled with candy and other treats. The latter does a lot to retain the laid-back atmosphere in the room. Standing at each table there is a so called “music supervisor” – someone who places music in film, tv or advertisements, amongst others. In other words, the idea behind this session is to connect musicians and labels with film and tv productions. In a few moments, these music supervisors will meet with a plethora of industry professionals, who are eager to pitch their artist’s work to the supervisors.
As the clock strikes 1:30pm, the doors open and the guests, who’ve booked their place at this year’s session beforehand, burst into the room. Shortly hereafter, the hello’s and how-are-you’s begin, and a thunderous noise takes over. A tall, young man wearing a turquoise t-shirt with the SPOT-logo on its center stands up. With a simple ring of a small golden bell in his hand, he conquers the attention of the small sub-section of music industry professionals that have gathered in this particular room of Radisson Blu during this year’s conference. He explains that the rules of this session are as follows: ”When I ring the bell, you have eight and a half minutes to converse. When I ring it again, you have one and a half minutes to change places. And when I ring the bell again, you have eight and a half minutes again. And so on.” He ends his speech by ringing the small, golden bell. Demonstratively, he yells:
”Eight and a half minutes!”
And so the spectacle begins. Hastily, the participants find their way to exactly the music supervisor, they’re scheduled to meet with first. A minute ago, the room was somewhat quiet, but it’s now filled with an ear-deafening wall of chit-chat and musical pitches in both Danish and English. Similarly, the thermometer ascends five or so degrees, and it isn’t long before the first leather jackets hit the coat stand. “Are you my first visit,” someone asks and shortly hereafter once of Denmark’s young pop-hopefuls is being pitched to a music supervisor, whose dialect reveals she’s from USA. Elsewhere in the room, people are discussing exciting projects in film and television, while other music supervisors are wearing headphones while contemplatively listening to a track being pitched.
”One and a half minutes!”
A few people hurriedly move on the next meeting. Others continue chatting carelessly without paying much concern to the man’s yell. After a space of time that’s frighteningly reminiscent of exactly 90 seconds, the changeover is completed, and the speed meetings begin anew.
”Eight and a half minutes!”
Once more e-mails, phone numbers and private playlists are exchanged with frantic pace and passion. One participant has even brought a stack of CDs in the hope that this streaming thing is just a phase. A music supervisor says he’s not familiar with artist that’s being pitched to him. To this the pitcher replies, “she’s playing here at SPOT,” thereby unknowingly revealing how SPOT connects all sorts of industry professionals. Throughout the room buzzwords are frenetically being thrown about. It seems that in order to make it here, your music must be “syncable” or at least “trailer-friendly”. A table consisting of three Englishmen have barely gone beyond the initial pleasantries before the small, golden bell rings once more. Presumably, no deals were finalized at this table.
”One and a half minutes!”
And so, the dance continues in perpetuity (actually, 3:00pm). Again, the participants are pacing around to their next meeting. It’s clear to see why Meet the Music Supervisors is one of the most popular initiatives at SPOT+. In just two hours here, you can accomplish far more here in two hours than two years’ worth of e-mail or telephone correspondences ever could. Exactly which good ideas, innovative projects or exciting partnerships were forged at this eighth edition of the session remains to be seen. The only thing left to say is:
”Eight and a half minutes!”