ARTIST AND SONGWRITER REHYA STEVENS HAS LANDED OVER 40 SYNCS IN TV/FILM AND COMMERCIALS
Sync Licensing. It’s like an elite country club in the music industry that every artist wants to get invited into. We’ve all heard it all before, the tantalizing idea that “Artists can support their careers in music with sync licensing.” What could be better than that? Spend a few hours writing a song for a tv show and then it pays for your personal music projects. If only it were that easy.
So many artists ask the question, “How can we pitch my songs to tv/film and commercials?”, or artists are confident that their music is perfect for tv and film “…if only they could get it in front of the right people.”
When we had the honor of working with successful independent artist Rehya Stevens and Emmy-nominated composer Jamie Dunlap, we jumped at the chance to ask them the question…
“How does one even begin to get their music in front of music supervisors and publishers?”
1. Can you each briefly share your journey of how you entered the music industry and what steps you took to establish yourself?
I can’t begin the story of my journey without mentioning my Dad is a wonderful pianist and arranger. In the late 70’s, he was the arranger for Disney’s “The New Mickey Mouse Club.” He recorded a lot of music with Bobby Caldwell, and toured quite a bit. Within that wellspring of creativity, from the get-go, I’ve been captivated with songwriting. After years spent tucked away in my bedroom trying to write good songs, I went to The Musician’s Institute for their keyboard program. I recorded an EP with an awesome band of Danish colleagues I met there. We recorded 6 songs at Steve Tyrell’s studio off of Sweetzer – for the price of tuning his grand piano for $80. With that EP, I made the rounds to the labels and managers – and one by one – they told me that with the impact of streaming, they had no idea where budgets were going to come from for new artists. A few told me to save myself the heartache and find an easier career. I’m pretty relentless by nature, so I started sitting in at every club in town, nearly every night of the week. Eventually I landed some well paying in-town gigs as a top 40 singer for weekend party bands. Within the live circuit I met some brilliant arrangers and we started recording what has become a vast catalog of songs. Not yet having an agent, I looked up email addresses and phone numbers for music supervisors and pitched my music directly – and diligently – just praying for a YES. It wasn’t until I found my first agent (Mike Noma) that I finally got my first placement. From there, I just kept on keeping on – never taking “no” too seriously.
Rehya
In 1988, I did a year at The Musician’s Institute and wound up staying. Realizing I wasn’t going to be a rock star, I landed a job in a film tape vault for 5 years. Later inspired by the dub room, I made my first (very crappy) demo and sent out many before finally getting a response from a little Latin boutique jingle company looking for a gringo. Over the span of 4 or 5 years, I was able to get hands-on experience learning to engineer, compose, get coffee ect. Then sometime around 1998 my old partner Scott Nickoley and I started our own little production company taking whatever we could get to pay the lease. His skills in the music publishing world gave us a clear shot at pitches working with Master Source. The Music library thing was just starting to take off. After 10 volumes with them, the landscape changed as several music libraries popped up and saturated the market thus cutting down on any upfront fees, relying on the back end. And once again one must adapt. Persistence landed us a few TV gigs leading to Disney, The Osbournes, ect.. and then like lightning in a bottle, we were able to grab the composer chair for South Park (Season 5 to present).
Jamie
2. How did you build connections and relationships with industry professionals, such as music supervisors and licensing agents?
It’s really important to be prolific, to have your legal agreements in place, and if possible – make your tracks one-stop. Early on, I did not understand the importance of music clearance, so it was a deal breaker with music supervisors. Once I got my i’s dotted and my t’s crossed on the business side, it was much easier to build trust with music supervisors and agents. If you don’t know what you don’t know, you’re a headache at best, and a potential liability at worst. My advice is – take care of your business first. Then start building relationships in the biz. The relationships are the best part! Yet in any relationship, if you start on shaky ground, it’s tough to move forward in good faith. Build a solid foundation by providing the music they need, and by having your business in order.
Rehya
By reaching out to clients on a consistent basis. Be willing to do long shot pitches with thick skin.
Jamie
3. Could you provide examples of the first sync placement you each secured and share the story of how the opportunity come about?
My first sync placement was through Mike Noma, of Noma Music. He secured one of my songs in the TV show “Hawthorne” starring Jada Pinkett Smith. I believe it was for a love scene. I was so excited, I hosted a listening party with close friends on the night it aired. Thankfully, the track wasn’t played so far beneath the dialogue that we couldn’t hear it. That happened on the second placement – at my second listening party. After that, I never hosted another listening party. Haha!!
Rehya
My first sync placement was a fairly low fi dance track with a cool vocal riff – being blasted on the stereo while a couple was going at it on the couch.. I’m trying to recall the movie, sorry ..lol.. Anyways, because Master Source’s approach to having full-on songs with vocals garnered more lucrative sync fees… Even if you can hardly hear it sometimes.. Example: We got a song in the Sixth Sense playing on the maid’s headphones barely audible.. A small little piece of lightning.
Jamie
4. Did you actively seek out sync placements, or did they come to you through networking and word of mouth?
I still pitch my music independently, and I have a sync agent I work closely with. I have some long standing, beautiful relationships with music supervisors who place my music, and who often refer me to their colleagues. Usually it’s, “Hey! Meet my friend Rehya… She has the Christmas music you’re looking for! Or, check out her dance tracks – fun stuff!” I’m so grateful to them, because without their support, I’m not sure I would be able to sustain as an independent artist.
Rehya
This is where you must develop solid relations with the publishers, music supers and show runners because if they’re worth their salt, they will have a better shot at getting it out there leaving you more time to make coffee, answer the phone and make music.
Jamie
5. What advice would you give to artists looking to proactively pursue sync opportunities?
Learn the business! Know what master shares are. Know what mechanicals are. Have all of your writer/publishing split sheets in order. Meta-tag all of your music. Know the lyrical themes and production styles that music supervisors are looking for. Be appreciative of everyone on your musical team, and express it! Be persistent. Reach out every 6 to 8 weeks with new music. Attend music supervision panels, and make an authentic impression – try not to be a goober. Keep in mind that your workflow will often be 50% music, 50% business. Remember that business is as much of an artform as music. Be gracious – know that you are not entitled to anyone’s time or energy. Be a problem solver for them – they are not a problem solver for you – you need to be their solution. Don’t take “no” too seriously. Keep following up. Be a persistent pain in the arse. Don’t keep your head in the sand for too long when you feel discouraged. You will become an undeniable force when you keep getting up – over and over and over again. Have FUN making music with your team, because it goes such a long way towards morale. When your soul bank account is overflowing, your vibe will be too.
Rehya
6. How do you approach creating music that is suitable for TV and film sync? Do you have any specific tips or techniques for crafting songs that are more likely to resonate with music supervisors?
There are themes that are continually needed – songs about togetherness, swaggery empowerment themes, songs about home. Take those themes, go deep into your life experience and recall personal scenarios that resonate with those themes. Write songs from your perspective, but like you’re writing it for a friend, to a friend, or to yourself – but in an empowering way. Be authentic. Write from experience, FOR the human experience as a whole. If you’re a producer, reference production styles and sound design of successful songs in tv/film/ads. Notice where the builds are, where the breakdowns are, what the instrumentation is, and what sound libraries you’ll need. That being said, I’m always a fan of hiring live musicians in addition to programmed tracks. It just brings it up multiple levels – and I love hiring friends to play! We need to keep musicians in business. They are golden.
Rehya
There are many tools and tricks with the software these days allowing us to stretch our imaginations and beyond. But the basic rules are the same. Music needs to be non obtrusive while getting the point across under dialogue. For me the dialogue is like a singer, helping to establish the mood. It’s also about frequencies of your music not colliding with the film’s audio. Less is more as they say.
Jamie
7. Have you worked with music libraries or publishing companies to increase your chances of getting sync placements? What was your experience like, and would you recommend this approach to other artists?
Yes, absolutely. Just make sure you feel really good about the deal. Don’t sign bad deals! Try to work with an agent who communicates with you every 3 to 6 months, and lets you know what’s going on with your music.
Rehya
8. How important is it for artists to have a clear understanding of the licensing process and the legal aspects of sync placements? What steps did you take to educate yourself on these matters, or do you rely on entertainment lawyers and agents?
It’s VERY important. Have writer split sheets, master agreements, work for hire agreements and producer agreements drawn up for you by a reputable attorney. Read ALL of your contracts, and have an attorney review them if they seem questionable. I’ll say it again – don’t sign bad deals!!
Rehya
I would think it’s even more crucial to wear as many hats as you can these days… For instance, sometimes I get to put on my music editor hat and actually pitch songs to replace the temp when they don’t always get the sync fast enough on bigger songs.
Jamie
9. Do you have any concerns regarding the emergence of music created by AI and if it may take work away from artists who compose original music?
I know AI is already here, and already having an impact. Just last week, a producer I work with all the time used an AI vocal on a track. Scary times! My hope is that people will hear the difference and feel the difference. If I think about all the “what if’s” I’ll be in a creative wasteland. I do love singing to my cat and the horses I care for – so if all goes to hell in a handbasket, they’ll still come running for a concert – as long as I have treats in my hand:)
Rehya
We are in for some strange weather ahead. A.I. Deep Fake, all of this new technology will have an effect on us all one way or another. If you would have told me a few years ago I would need an internet subscription to use Pro Tools, I would say you lost it… Start collecting books and information. Turn it off every once in a while… I think our own evolution hasn’t kept up with the machines.
Jamie
Check out some of the music that Rehya and Jamie have created and landed syncs for such as “It’s All In Your Head” for the Southpark video game:
“A Prince for Christmas” was featured in Hallmark Channel
Their upcoming single “Love Party” will be featured in the Lifetime Movie “Secrets of a Celebrity Nanny” (directed by Lance Robbins and Dylan Vox), starring actress Yolanthe Cabau, coming soon. The single will be available on all digital music platforms on Friday, June 30th, 2023.
About: Jamie Dunlap writes and produces scores and source cues for film and TV. Recent clients include South Park, MTV, Supernatural, The History Channel, and Dark Angel. Dunlap was nominated for two Emmy Awards in 2005 and 2015 and awarded the BMI Film/TV Awards in 2012. Jamie has scored a diverse range of music for the Disney XD TV shows PAIR OF KINGS (3 seasons), earning the 2012 BMI award, CRASH AND BERNSTEIN (2 seasons), MIGHTY MED (Two seasons) Kirby Buckets (Season One) and several History Channel features, including RWANDA: DO SCARS EVER FADE?, which earned him an Emmy Award nomination. In 2007, he scored the HBO documentary SAND AND SORROW (narrated by George Clooney) which details the events that led to the rise of Darfur’s present government. Most recently, Dunlap finished season 19 of SOUTH PARK and worked on the sequel to the highly successful South Park video game The Stick Of Truth.
To date, Jamie and his co-writers have licensed over 1,200 original songs and compositions for television and film including songs for SEX AND THE CITY, SUPERNATURAL, THE WOLVERINE, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, SECRETARIAT, WALK THE LINE, WEDDING CRASHERS, HOT ROD, THE SIXTH SENSE, and LAKEVIEW TERRACE to name a few.
About: Rehya Stevens is an LA-based composer who has landed over 40 sync licenses in tv/film and commercials, with a focus on holiday music. Rehya’s exceptional talent has been recognized by the industry, earning her prestigious accolades. In 2019, her standout track “JINGLE JANGLE” received the esteemed Hollywood Music in Media award for ‘Best in Holiday.’ Furthermore, her smooth jazz single “HAPPY HOLIDAY” reached an impressive #2 position on the Billboard charts in 2018.
