Interview with Rachel Menzies: The Role of a Music Supervisor

Rachel: Welcome to Talia. Thank you so much for having me.

Sue: First of all, could you start off by telling us who you are and what you do?

Rachel: Sure! So, my name is Rachel Menzies, and I am a music supervisor. I work for a company called Native Music, and I also have my own company called Hookline, which is a small publisher representing independent artists for sync. We have a real focus on TV and film placements.

What is Music Supervision?

Sue: Let's talk a little bit more about music supervision. What is that? What does a music supervisor do, and how did you get into it?

Rachel: Music supervision is essentially providing an impartial source for finding music. Native Music specifically works with advertisements. You can be a music supervisor for film and other types of usage, but we specifically focus on advertising.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

Rachel: It's our job to find music for our clients. Personally, I got into it because it's something I've always wanted to do. I've spent the last 12 to 13 years gaining experience in various areas, such as:

• Publishing
• Representing composers for sync

This broad understanding of the music industry is vital to being an effective music supervisor.

Sue: So what would your day-to-day involve?

Rachel: Depending on the project, it could involve:

• Meeting with advertising clients and discussing their budgets and needs
• Analyzing briefs to dissect what the client wants
• Conducting searches for suitable music

We work with various types of music, not just library music.

Understanding Music Needs

Music Specifications

Sue: Music advisors deal with all sorts of music, right?

Rachel: Yes! It all depends on the budget and the specific type of music that the client is looking for. It's our job to translate their brief into musical terms.

Traits of a Music Supervisor

Sue: What traits do you think are needed to be a good music supervisor? Do you have to be musical?

Rachel: Absolutely! A thorough understanding of music is essential. You need to be able to describe music in technical terms. It definitely helps if you're a musician; I'm a violinist myself.

In addition to musical knowledge, you need:

• An understanding of licenses, contracts, and intellectual property
• The ability to read and negotiate terms in contracts
• A network of rights holders to expedite processes

Networking and Relationships

Sue: Who do you usually deal with? Composers, libraries, labels?

Rachel: It's a bit of everything! Currently, we're probably doing about 50% composition and 50% direct sync, licensing existing tracks. Lately, I've found we work more with labels and publishers than libraries.

The Business Side of Music Supervision

Sue: It sounds like you need to have good business acuity along with musical knowledge. Would you agree?

Rachel: Definitely! A common misconception is that music supervisors only listen to a lot of music, which isn't true. Much of our work involves the business side, such as:

• Negotiating deals
• Clearing rights
• Ensuring fair agreements for both the agency and rights holder

Most Favored Nation (MFN)

Sue: I've heard the term MFN mentioned regarding rights clearance. What does that mean?

Rachel: MFN stands for "Most Favored Nation." When licensing any track, traditionally, the master rights are owned by the label, and the composition is owned by the publisher. It's crucial to clear both rights during negotiations.

Payment Structures

Sue: Regarding payment, how does that work when you get a job?

Rachel: It varies. If it's a straightforward music supervision job, you might receive a percentage of the clearance fee. Other options include:

• A salary as a full-time supervisor
• Independent supervision fees or demo fees

Getting Into Music Supervision

Sue: If someone wanted to break into this business, what advice would you give?

Rachel: First, it's crucial to understand what a music supervisor does. Many people email me expressing interest because they like music, thinking it's similar to A&R. It's quite different.

To break into the field, I recommend:

• Shadowing a music supervisor
• Gaining experience in related areas (publishing, rights holders, and sales)
• Spending time understanding how the industry operates

Listening to Music

Sue: Do you receive many demos, and how much music do you listen to daily?

Rachel: Yes! We receive a lot of demos from independent writers and rights holders. On top of that, we have various playback sessions and personal music collections.

I listen to music during my commute and often attend live events. You really have to love music and understand its context in the sync world.

Favorite Briefs and Experiences

Sue: Do you have a preference for the type of briefs you work on, such as ads, TV, or film?

Rachel: Ads are our specialty. Many briefs involve well-known tracks, like "Uptown Funk" or "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit. However, I enjoy working on more obscure briefs, like discovering an independent artist's hidden gem.

Trends in Current Music

Sue: How important is current music and trends in your work?

Rachel: Very important! About 70% to 80% of my briefs involve music that's about to break. Our solid relationships with rights holders help us stay ahead.

Live Music Attendance

Sue: Do you attend many gigs?

Rachel: Yes, a lot! I go to three or four gigs a week. For example, I'm looking forward to a playback for De La Soul tonight!

Memorable Projects

Sue: What's been the most rewarding project you've worked on?

Rachel: One project that won several awards involved licensing a track for Thatcher Cider. It was an independent band called the Miley Macambos.

I also recently worked on a Pepsi Max commercial with one of my artists, which allowed for creative flexibility with the music.

Sue: What current projects are you working on?

Rachel: We recently finished an exciting project for the BBC Olympics, where we collaborated with Jamie and Commons to create a track specifically for the event. We helped add instrumentation, giving it a true Olympic feel.

Concluding Thoughts

Sue: It sounds like music supervision requires a multifaceted skill set.

Rachel: Absolutely! There's a myth that this job is all glamour, but there's so much more to it than meets the eye.

Sue: Thank you very much, Rachel!

Rachel: Thank you for having me! I appreciate it.