‘With manufacturing music, there are not any limits on the alternatives we will carry rising expertise’

Manufacturing music kinds an integral a part of the huge international media panorama and sits on the intersection of a number of booming industries, from promoting and movie to TV, UGC content material, and video video games.

Taking a macro view of the profitable leisure and advertisements sectors, it’s clear to see that there’s a large international alternative for corporations specializing in offering music for audio-visual content material.

In keeping with a report from the Movement Image Affiliation of America for instance, with pay TV included, the mixed international theatrical and residential/cell leisure market was worth $328.2 billion in 2021, a 6% YoY improve.

Media house owners’ promoting revenues, in the meantime, are predicted by MAGNA, a ‘international media funding, and intelligence firm,’ to develop 9% in 2022 to $816 billion. 

Amongst the companies vying to get their music and sounds utilized in numerous types of media embody the likes of the key music corporations, royalty-free music companies reminiscent of $1.4 billion-valued Epidemic Sound and KKR-backed Artlist, and unbiased manufacturing music homes. 

West One Music Group is without doubt one of the most distinguished gamers within the unbiased manufacturing music area, housing over 1,500 artists and composers, and a catalog that includes over 80,000 tracks.

Co-founded by International CEO Edwin Cox, together with Tony Prior and movie composer Richard Harvey, West One Music has been thriving within the manufacturing music enterprise for the previous 20 years.  Based in 2002, the corporate says that over 40,000 minutes of music from its catalog now seem on TV each day.

Cox tells MBW that when the corporate launched 20 years in the past, the manufacturing music enterprise “was nonetheless very a lot behind the scenes – an unknown and mysterious world”.

“It definitely wasn’t within the public eye or on boardroom agendas as it’s right this moment,” he provides. “That mentioned, it was a buzzing neighborhood. London, particularly Soho, has a robust historical past of library music and subsequently a number of the greatest gamers are nonetheless based mostly there right this moment.

“There was enormous competitors to any new corporations launching on the time in London. We have been instructed on quite a few events that it wouldn’t work and that there have been already too many catalogues out there.”

Cox says that the manufacturing music area remains to be “vastly aggressive”.  Right now, West One’s personal international footprint consists of workplaces and manufacturing studios in 15 nations, a group of over 70 folks, and a customized music division spearheaded by the agency’s group in Los Angeles. Cox additionally notes that West One Music is eyeing an growth into India.

The corporate affords manufacturing music by way of 13 devoted labels, starting from retro 60s and 70s recordings to EDM. In 2020, West One Music expanded in Latin America with the creation of SOMOS, a “devoted and regionally produced Latin American label” that includes Grammy award-winning producers, composers, artists and rising expertise from the broader Latin America area.

Through its customized music division, West One Music works on tailor-made music tasks for the whole lot from movie trailers and theme songs, to sonic branding and TV exhibits. A number of the agency’s current purchasers embody the likes of Lego, BBC, Disney, BBC, A&E Networks, Netflix, WarnerMedia, VIACOM CBS, Telefonicia, SVT, Apple TV, Jamesons, Hulu, FX, Samsung and Citroen.

“Typically it’s the identical writers, artists, producers engaged on manufacturing music and business music.”

Edwin Cox

West One Music additionally says that it makes it a precedence to showcase the artists, musicians, producers and composers behind the music.

Cox explains that there’s been a “optimistic shift” over time from the “earlier days of extra nameless manufacturing music” to purchasers now eager to know who the artists and composers behind the music are. This shift, explains Cox, has “impacted the popularity of manufacturing music globally”.

“It’s now a way more numerous and dynamic trade with music that may stand as much as something within the conventional charts,” he says. “Typically it’s the identical writers, artists, producers engaged on manufacturing music and business music.”

Right here, West One Music’s International CEO Edwin Cox tells us extra in regards to the agency’s origins, the evolution of the manufacturing music area, and the way the globalisation of media has modified the best way the corporate licenses its music…

How did West One Music Group’s co-founders come collectively to launch the corporate in 2002? 

The origin of West One Music goes again a number of many years. Within the 80s and 90s our two founders, Tony Prior and Richard Harvey produced music for the EMI catalogue, KPM. This proved to be a particularly profitable relationship which noticed the discharge of over 120 albums from a number of the greatest composers in TV and Movie of the time. As they reached the beginning of the 2000s, it grew to become clear that having direct relationships with the tip customers of the music was actually the subsequent step for the event of the enterprise and their musical aspirations.

On the time I used to be a Music Producer at Boosey & Hawkes and collectively we set about creating a brand new firm and catalogue, West One Music Group.

The actual focus after we began, which remains to be the case right this moment, was all the time to make the most effective and most related music attainable and to all the time stay a music-first firm. 

What state was the manufacturing music panorama in again then, and the way a lot has it developed since?

Musically, there was a a lot higher deal with background and supportive music, and positively a lot much less of a necessity for songs. Within the early days, I keep in mind being instructed that an amazing manufacturing music observe was one which didn’t get in the best way or stand out. 

Right now we’re way more centered on music that makes an influence, that’s additionally what our purchasers need now too. The motive force for us is to carry one thing distinctive to our purchasers to assist their manufacturing standout. 

Clearly, the globalisation of media has modified the best way we license music, too. Now not is it territory-by-territory or media-by-media, it’s extra joined up as we search to reflect how the leisure trade has expanded around the globe.

West One Music Group has remained unbiased all this time. Inform us in regards to the significance of this for the corporate, on your purchasers and the expertise you’re employed with?

The unbiased mindset of West One Music is significant to us. It retains us energized and motivated because the underdog to all the time do higher and supply a tremendous expertise for our composers, artists and purchasers. It signifies that we retain our inventive freedom throughout the catalogues and that we will all the time stay true to our ethos and objectives. 

It additionally allows us to be in contact with our neighborhood and take a lot larger dangers creatively. This helps us to evolve the enterprise and all the time discover new inventive concepts and methods of working. Our unbiased spirit is what drove us to open that first workplace exterior of the UK in Germany! 

What do you assume the largest challenges within the wider media trade are, and the way are these challenges impacting corporations like West One Music Group?  

There are nonetheless very massive ripples created by COVID, lockdowns, price of dwelling, the record goes on! A lot of that is impacting client spending patterns, which is impacting our bigger purchasers most particularly. We are able to see that they’re flexing their enterprise fashions and merging to get as massive as attainable! Extra international consolidation means much less competitors and extra shopping for energy, so I’d say the largest problem stays upholding the worth of music. 

Nonetheless, regardless of our purchasers’ challenges, our mission stays the identical and we’re regularly adjusting our catalogue and licensing options to greatest match the place the media trade is heading. Extra content material is made right this moment than ever earlier than, and that development is about to proceed. It would simply be that the quantity is in barely cheaper and extra environment friendly productions than it was in recent times.   

How aggressive is the manufacturing music panorama at present? 

There at the moment are many extra enterprise fashions being supplied to purchasers around the globe be it royalty-free, subscription-based, or PRO-free, alongside the extra conventional majors and indies — the record is endless. This makes it a aggressive area, and this continues to maintain us on our toes. That’s factor, in my ebook! 

There may be all the time extra to be taught and new methods of doing issues. We’re all the time exploring a number of disruptive initiatives to maintain us shifting ahead and I don’t assume that may ever cease. However the aggressive nature of the market is a useful driver for us all!

What developments are you seeing out there that we should always learn about? 

Musically, as I discussed earlier than, there was a shift in recent times to songs and artists-led music, significantly pushed by the wave of recent TV manufacturing however we’re seeing it throughout the board in film trailers (together with cowl songs), TV promos and commercials too. 

“There was a shift in recent times to songs and artists-led music, significantly pushed by the wave of recent TV manufacturing.”

A vastly optimistic a part of this development is that our purchasers additionally need to perceive the background and experiences of the expertise concerned in creating the music, it isn’t nearly music.

This allows us to showcase and have a good time the vastly various expertise from everywhere in the world that now we have the pleasure to work with each day. That is the beauty of manufacturing music, there are actually no limits on the alternatives we will carry underrepresented or rising expertise. We are able to share their music with our purchasers all around the globe.

West One has a big international presence. During which markets/territories are you seeing a rise in demand on your providers? 

Comparatively talking, we’re nonetheless new gamers in a number of the key international markets, significantly North America and Australia/New Zealand. We launched our personal workplaces in each areas previously decade, so there’s nonetheless a lot alternative for development. We’re persevering with to see elevated demand and utilization as purchasers uncover West One Music for the primary time.

Are you planning additional international growth and in that case, the place are you seeking to develop your presence? 

We speak about this internally, however we’ve simply established the foundations of the enterprise over these first 20 years. With workplaces all around the globe and dealing with all of the administration internally by means of our personal community, we’re now on the level the place we will deal with rising inside the current footprint now we have. With that mentioned, that unbiased spirit is all the time there, so we’re engaged on our subsequent steps into India as one instance. Watch this area!

What are the largest challenges within the international manufacturing music area and what’s West One Music Group doing to beat these challenges? 

I’d say the largest problem within the indie manufacturing music area is the globalisation of shopper agreements. It’s changing into increasingly difficult for an indie to function in a single market with the wants of many consumers being both multi-territory or international. 

We’ve already addressed this core problem by establishing a standalone international community and by not representing music that we don’t have the rights to globally.

For us although, I’d say the largest problem is to proceed creating efficiencies throughout the enterprise. As a comparatively small indie with a big international footprint, coping with enormous volumes of information is the principle problem. Our continued funding is in creating system efficiencies and simpler methods of working, that are very important for a wholesome enterprise and to allow us to proceed specializing in the principle occasion: the music. 

There are at present reviews of a possible promoting recession subsequent yr – what influence may this have on the manufacturing music market? 

If our media purchasers generate much less cash from promoting, then that may have an effect on royalties in particular markets. However that’s provided that these predictions come true! Much less cash within the TV market from promoting isn’t ideally suited however given the SVOD markets consideration on ad-funded fashions, I actually can’t see the variety of commercials declining. It could be that promoting productions must be extra cost-efficient however that’s not a detrimental for us. Manufacturing music is commonly the proper resolution in a cost-conscious market. 

Is the rise of AI-generated music a chance or a menace for the manufacturing music area? 

I don’t assume it’s a menace in any respect. There are lots of methods during which AI might help us. For instance: correct tagging of metadata, creating automated playlists, or serving to our purchasers discover the fitting music.

These are all alternatives the place we’re beginning to use AI to create a greater shopper expertise. Musiio lately introduced a partnership with us the place we’ve began utilizing their know-how to assist a few of these areas to enhance our search and browse expertise on-line.

I’m positive AI music will discover a place, however for us that’s the previous world of library music. Our focus is on uniqueness and individuality, which you simply don’t get from a pc.

West One Music Group is house to 1,500 artists and composers, why would artists and composers need to work with the corporate?

We hope that artists and composers need to work with us as a result of we offer a tremendous platform for his or her music to be heard around the globe. We additionally respect and have a good time the superb creativity they convey each to our catalogue and to our purchasers. 

We’re a comparatively small group, however the manufacturing group are very hands-on with the inventive course of, offering orchestras, musicians, arrangers, engineers and extra. Something we have to do to assist the artists and composers in creating the most effective music, we’re more than pleased to offer.

What have been a number of the greatest highlights this yr throughout your customized and manufacturing music choices, when it comes to tasks/success tales/purchasers?

Up to now yr, we’ve had an album nominated for a Latin Grammy, which is by a tremendous Colombian artist named Diana Burco. We’ve been working and producing music throughout central and South America for about 10 years now, so this was an enormous milestone for us and exhibits the continued development of manufacturing music into merely music. 

We’ve expanded partnerships with a few of our key purchasers together with Netflix, Paramount, A&E Networks and WarnerMedia and have licensed music into commercials by the likes of Samsung, Walmart, LEGO, Jameson, Spotify. We’re in campaigns for an enormous variety of films and in exhibits together with the whole lot from Residence and Away to Ms. Marvel to Love Island and even the final season of Higher Name Saul.  

Out of your expertise over the previous 20 years of West One Music Group, should you might change one factor in regards to the music enterprise, what would it not be and why? 

If I might change only one, I will surely have ‘transparency of royalty stream’ within the record. Even the place we’re right this moment, with all of the instruments and know-how out there, it continues to be a mystical science to make sure that royalties because of our composers’ and artists’ music are processed by means of the customarily advanced and opaque international community.

“This lack of transparency signifies that we have to proceed to combat for the worth of music even inside our personal music trade.”

This lack of transparency signifies that we have to proceed to combat for the worth of music even inside our personal music trade.  Music Enterprise Worldwide