Volume 1, Issue 4 |
| Jerome Spence |
Licensing music to TV and Film can be a very rewarding way for D.I.Y. artists to make a living off of
their music. Thanks to industry veterans like Jerome Spence, the Director of Film & TV Creative
Licensing at Position Music, indie artists who have the right music can make a living without a
major record label deal.
Jerome sat down with I Am Entertainment Magazine over lunch to discuss music licensing and
publishing. In this interview he explains the importance of the music versus the artist’s image, and
how to get into his line of work.
IAE: Please tell us where you are from and what inspired you to get into the music?
JS: I’m originally from Oakland (CA). What got me interested in music was the fact that my father sang in our
church choir and was a jazz musician who played the trumpet and piano. So at an early age I was introduced to
music.
IAE: How did your internship at RCA Records help you land your first job in the music business?
JS: I interned at RCA for about 4 months before I landed my first job. That internship taught me that hard work
pays off. In 1999, the pay off came in the form of me landing a gig at Arista Records as a Film & TV
Coordinator in the Soundtracks Department. There I was responsible for assisting the manager and director’s
of soundtracks. This is where I learned about Film & TV Music Licensing. I fell in love with music in movies.
IAE: As the Film & TV Creative Licensing at Position Music, what are you responsible for?
JS: While it’s not easy to place music in film, TV, and video games, I creatively pitch our catalog to networks
and music supervisors. My job entails sales, negotiations, creative pitching and contract administration.
IAE: For artists and producers/musicians who want to have their music considered for licensing in
TV & Film; how do they submit to Position Music?
JS: We have an A&R Department that listens to all of the artist submissions we receive at Position Music.
While I enjoy listening to new music by new artists, time doesn’t allow me to research artists that aren’t signed
to our company. Any new music that I am listening to, comes from recent acquisitions we’ve made.
IAE: For the individuals trying to get into the line of work you do, what should they do to get
started?
JS: I suggest they look into internships at publishers, record labels, or music libraries. They should also look
into interning on the other side of it; working with music supervisors at the TV network level or major film
companies. Truthfully, it’s all about hard work. If you’re willing to do the work, you’ll be successful at whatever
you do. That goes for anything in life. If you work hard it eventually pays off.
IAE: What are some of the most recent successes you’ve had in licensing music to film and TV at
Position Music?
JS: We have music running in several movie trailers and commercial campaigns. Some of the most recent
placements have been in trailers for the films ‘The Losers,’‘Cop Out,’ ‘How To Train Your Dragon,’ and ‘The
Karate Kid,’ while on the commercial ad campaign side there’s P Diddy’s Ciroc Vodka and Day’s Inn Hotels.
Some of our other placements include ‘Star Trek (the movie),’ ‘District 9,’ and also this season of ‘American
Idol.’ So we’ve had quite a few placements.
IAE: If you could change anything about the music business, what would it be and why?
JS: Specifically in licensing, I would want to help educate independent artists about licensing. There are so
many independent producers and artists who are coming up in this business who don’t really know anything
about licensing. It’s actually one of the only avenues left to really make any money off your music, other than
touring and merchandising. It’s really not about becoming a superstar anymore, but rather about generating
income. If you want to eat off of your music, then learn the game of licensing and network to establish
relationships in Film & TV.
their music. Thanks to industry veterans like Jerome Spence, the Director of Film & TV Creative
Licensing at Position Music, indie artists who have the right music can make a living without a
major record label deal.
Jerome sat down with I Am Entertainment Magazine over lunch to discuss music licensing and
publishing. In this interview he explains the importance of the music versus the artist’s image, and
how to get into his line of work.
IAE: Please tell us where you are from and what inspired you to get into the music?
JS: I’m originally from Oakland (CA). What got me interested in music was the fact that my father sang in our
church choir and was a jazz musician who played the trumpet and piano. So at an early age I was introduced to
music.
IAE: How did your internship at RCA Records help you land your first job in the music business?
JS: I interned at RCA for about 4 months before I landed my first job. That internship taught me that hard work
pays off. In 1999, the pay off came in the form of me landing a gig at Arista Records as a Film & TV
Coordinator in the Soundtracks Department. There I was responsible for assisting the manager and director’s
of soundtracks. This is where I learned about Film & TV Music Licensing. I fell in love with music in movies.
IAE: As the Film & TV Creative Licensing at Position Music, what are you responsible for?
JS: While it’s not easy to place music in film, TV, and video games, I creatively pitch our catalog to networks
and music supervisors. My job entails sales, negotiations, creative pitching and contract administration.
IAE: For artists and producers/musicians who want to have their music considered for licensing in
TV & Film; how do they submit to Position Music?
JS: We have an A&R Department that listens to all of the artist submissions we receive at Position Music.
While I enjoy listening to new music by new artists, time doesn’t allow me to research artists that aren’t signed
to our company. Any new music that I am listening to, comes from recent acquisitions we’ve made.
IAE: For the individuals trying to get into the line of work you do, what should they do to get
started?
JS: I suggest they look into internships at publishers, record labels, or music libraries. They should also look
into interning on the other side of it; working with music supervisors at the TV network level or major film
companies. Truthfully, it’s all about hard work. If you’re willing to do the work, you’ll be successful at whatever
you do. That goes for anything in life. If you work hard it eventually pays off.
IAE: What are some of the most recent successes you’ve had in licensing music to film and TV at
Position Music?
JS: We have music running in several movie trailers and commercial campaigns. Some of the most recent
placements have been in trailers for the films ‘The Losers,’‘Cop Out,’ ‘How To Train Your Dragon,’ and ‘The
Karate Kid,’ while on the commercial ad campaign side there’s P Diddy’s Ciroc Vodka and Day’s Inn Hotels.
Some of our other placements include ‘Star Trek (the movie),’ ‘District 9,’ and also this season of ‘American
Idol.’ So we’ve had quite a few placements.
IAE: If you could change anything about the music business, what would it be and why?
JS: Specifically in licensing, I would want to help educate independent artists about licensing. There are so
many independent producers and artists who are coming up in this business who don’t really know anything
about licensing. It’s actually one of the only avenues left to really make any money off your music, other than
touring and merchandising. It’s really not about becoming a superstar anymore, but rather about generating
income. If you want to eat off of your music, then learn the game of licensing and network to establish
relationships in Film & TV.
| Jerome Spence, Film & TV Creative at Position Music |
Copyright © 2009-2011 I Am Entertainment Magazine, a publication of NFluential Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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