RECORDED MUSIC REVENUES FROM TV, FILM AND ADVERTS TOP £19 MILLION IN 2013

29 May 2014 - Press release

UK Music Industry Embarks on a Mission to Sync Up with Hollywood

 

Revenue from music placed in TV programmes, blockbuster movies, and adverts rose by 3.2% in 2013 providing the UK record industry with income of almost £19 million, announced the music organisation BPI today.  The business of “sync” was last year boosted by the likes of Rudimental whose Feel The Love was the soundtrack to the Visit Britain TV advert, Ellie Goulding’s Explosions which was used to promote ITV’s Where Drama Lives promo, and Tom Odell’s Another Love placed in BBC’s trailers over the Christmas period.

The numbers are released as leading figures in the UK music industry prepare to embark on a week-long trade mission to promote British music in the US.  The selected British music businesses will be meeting with prominent Hollywood music, TV, film, and advertising executives – all of which will be aiming to strike deals Stateside to place music from the UK’s established and emerging artists in forthcoming TV programmes, movies, video games, commercials and trailers.

The export-focused Los Angeles Sync Licensing Mission – organised and supported by UK Trade & Investment and the music organisations BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) and MPA (Music Publishers Association) – this year marks its tenth anniversary in the entertainment capital of the US.

Held in the heart of Hollywood at the iconic Capitol Tower from 2-6 June 2014, individuals from independent record labels and publishing houses will join songwriters and composers in meeting with media giants, including NBC Universal, Comcast Entertainment Group, Electronic Arts (EA), Lionsgate and CBS Television. 

BPI Director of International, Chris Tams, spoke of the importance of the annual trip,

“A huge part of the BPI’s role is to create opportunities for British music and the businesses behind the artists to flourish in overseas markets. 

“In the absence of national radio in a large country like the US, it can be incredibly difficult for an artist to raise their profile.  Therefore having your music placed on a cult TV show, blockbuster movie or catchy commercial can open a world of opportunities for a musician.  Given that the priority for the sync business is to find the perfect music to match a Director’s vision, it’s an open market where established and emerging artists can compete on a level-playing field. 

“The Los Angeles Sync Mission gives individuals and businesses the chance to find out first-hand what Hollywood is working on and has notched up numerous successful business deals and lasting partnerships over the years.  Ten years on and it’s going stronger than ever!”

Kully B, Founder of independent media company Kully B Productions, spoke of his experience on the mission,

“As a small independent music company, Kully B Productions has benefitted immensely from the trade mission to Los Angeles organised by BPI, MPA and UK Trade & Investment.  The opportunity to talk to supervisors and producers who were already using our music and also network with top music, TV and film execs in Hollywood has been invaluable.  

“On the back of the mission I have secured sync deals with 90210, the trailers for the movie Battleship and video games Assassins Creed 3 & 4,  as well as the TV trailer for Oblivion and more.  As a result, business has boosted and the company has become a competitive player in the international market.”

The line-up of speakers will feature Hollywood royalty who work with Directors such asRidley Scott, Quentin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg and have enjoyed music credits on The Hunger Games and Star Trek as well as cult TV shows NCIS, Blue Bloods andThe Hills.  Topping off the bill will be one of the music industry’s most influential figures,Miles Copeland – founder of Copeland International Arts and former manager of The Police.    

Sue Hantsch, Head of Member Services & Events at the MPA said,

“Over the course of its ten years the LA Synch Mission has become firmly established with UK music companies for its impeccable organisation, friendly support, enjoyable atmosphere and most of all for the unrivalled access it grants to the most important entertainment market on the planet.  The value of the Mission for UK companies is not limited to the opportunities laid on over the course of a few days in LA, but are felt long after the return flight has landed.

Music publishers were always welcome to join the Mission since its creation by BPI and UKTI. Given that synchronisation deals are often a triangulation between publisher, label and licensee it makes perfect sense for UK publishers and record labels to land in LA side by side, representing as they do, two sides of the same coin.”

In total, almost 50 delegates from companies who have supported the careers of London Grammar, Chvrches, Wretch 32, Blitz Kids, Marilyn Manson, Alt-J, Shirley Bassey andThe Prodigy will make the trip across the Atlantic next week.

Phil Patterson, Sector Specialist (Music) for UK Trade & Investment, said,

“When we first began discussions with the BPI to run a Sync Mission to Los Angeles, I don’t think that any of us would have thought that nine and a half years later we’d be preparing for the tenth anniversary edition of this highly successful event.  Including this mission, it will be 348 UK companies that have participated in this programme, which has resulted in some great business outcomes with many tracks being placed into movies, television programmes, advertising campaigns and computer games that are seen and played across the world.

“The programme and success of these missions has inspired many quotes, but a couple that describe it well are  “it’s like a diploma in sync!” and “it provides a fantastic grounding in the US sync business and I’m sure we will be still benefitting from this mission for many years to come.”

“It’s quotes like these and the business that develops from the connections and education that the companies receive that make everyone here at UKTI in the UK and Los Angeles and our partners at the BPI and MPA want to continue to improve the mission each year and I’m sure that 2014 and our tenth edition of this mission will be no exception.”

Organisations attending include Cooking Vinyl, Faber, Ministry of Sound, Amazing Radioand the London Symphony Orchestra as well as many small and independent businesses and individual composers from Huddersfield, Cheshire, Bath, Birmingham, Devon, Nottingham, Brighton and Gateshead.