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I hope those of you that celebrate had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday.
If you’ve been curious about the elusive ad world, I’ve got something special for you today. I had the pleasure of speaking with my good friend Jarred Causly, Senior Music Supervisor at Saatchi & Saatchi, one of the top creative agencies around the globe. He always has a unique perspective so I wanted to share that with you.
Jarred Causly (Senior Music Supervisor, Saatchi & Saatchi)
1. Tell us where you work and what you do.
I am Jarred Causly, Sr. Music Supervisor at Saatchi & Saatchi. I oversee all of the music needs and requests for Toyota North America. On a case-by-case basis, I also do music supervision with our sister agencies within Publicis Groupe. Because of this, I’ve had the opportunity to work on campaigns for clients like Norwegian Cruise Lines, Nerds Candy, Triscuit, Global Olympics ’24, Samsung Singapore and much more…
2. How do you go about finding artists?
I go about finding artists through the people, the community – the ever-breathing essence of the music creator. I lean heavily on the music conferences that I attend in person – conferences like the Durango Songwriter Expo, and What Up Pitches, etc. I find artists through the writing camps that I’m able to sit in on, not to mention shows and email blasts from my major and indie label affiliates. But the greatest source for me are the sync agents. Shout out to What Up Pitches, Milk&HoneySilo, Truly Music, Create Digital, Painted Face, United Masters, Madden Flow, Music Playground, Zync, Reservoir, Pen, Demolition, Primary Wave, Koze, APG, Rareform Audio, Secret Road, Elements and so many more!
3. What makes music for ads unique?
A WOW FACTOR! Because music for advertising is so right now it has to captivate the viewer. It has to captivate the audience – it has to elevate the brand. So the song is unique in it’s DNA because it possesses a sound that’s familiar, a sound that pops and a feel that WOW’s.
4. What opportunities are there for independent and upcoming artists in ads?
The opportunities are endless, but there are times that the creative team and the client want recognizable/top 40 music. But I’ve seen the opportunities even-out and bring the indie music request to a higher margin. I get requests from creative teams to find the next up-incoming [fill in the blank]. I love finding a track from an indie artist that’s killer. Tracks like Des Rocs’ “Dream Machine” that are so sick. Just make sure you’re repped by an agent that has E&O insurance and bring that Wow Factor!
5. Tell us the process of working with music houses for custom?
We have a ton of requests for original composition/custom work. The process is pretty straightforward. Creatives give us a brief/request and we lock-in a custom music house that can deliver. Now, the way that we get the custom music house to be seen is through their reel and stable of composers, bringing some of the houses that haven’t been given a shot to the forefront. It can be a tough sell at times…
6. General recommendations for musicians/composers starting out in sync?
- Be your authentic self
- Make music that possess a WOW Factor
- Make sure that every rights holder has paperwork signed off on
- Make sure that the clearance process is easy
- Get your music to sync agents
- Have fun dammit – it’s the music and entertainment business!!!
Key Takeaways:
- Conferences & writing camps are a great way to connect with music supervisors
- Working with a reputable sync agent is key
- Advertising music is the sound of right now with a touch of familiarity
- Indie artists have opportunities in advertising
- E&O (errors & omission) Insurance protects companies when mistakes are made. Another reason to work with a reputable, insured sync company to make sure you’re covered
- Most custom work is done by commercial music houses
- Go back and read #6!