On 6 February, the Sync’ Day was held during the industry segment of the Filmfestival Oostende, organised by Sabam in collaboration with the Belgian Music Publishers Association. The day began with a keynote by Michelle Stoddart, founder of Stoddart Music, who has 25 years’ experience in the music industry, with a particular focus on music synchronisation. Belgian screenwriter, presenter and comedian Britt Valkenborghs moderated the talk.

Canadian-born Stoddart lives and works in London, across film, TV and commercials. She described how working in music sync involves an unpredictable list of deadlines, as different pitches come through with varying levels of urgency. “People will either email us with written briefs explaining what they want, or send the advert we need to work on, or film clips. The visual elements always help. Sometimes it might just be through a phone call or a meeting. My partner and I work with clients from all over the world, including the US and Australia, but our main focus, for practical time reasons, is Europe.”

“One thing people probably don’t think about when they hear about music sync is data entry. If someone wants to use a track, we’re negotiating all of the rights, and you have to keep a record of that. There’s also data entry within the track itself, as we need to log information about moods and themes. That part is a little more creative,” Stoddart explained.

The founder then described another part of her role, explaining that her team reaches out to artists to ask whether they could represent them, while many artists, labels and publishers also make contact directly. Stoddard said there was a significant amount of opportunity in sync representation, and actively encouraged people to enter the field, noting that much music remains unrepresented.

Nonetheless, she noted that if approached by someone whose music is already well represented in their catalogue, or if they feel unable to pitch the material effectively, they will choose not to take it on. This, she explained, is because they are careful not to grow too large, ensuring they have enough time to focus properly on the catalogues they already represent. “It’s wonderful getting big songs placed, but it’s particularly exciting doing that with an up-and-coming artist, because it can make such an impact on their career. If I’m honest, I’m not really actively looking for new material to take on, so the way I discover new artists is usually through referrals.”

Stoddart suggested that a key element of their work is having music on file, as they maintain a database in which tracks are stored. This includes instrumental versions, which are frequently requested, particularly where voiceovers or other audio elements may conflict. The team then pitches the music, and if there is interest, follows up. “There are various guidelines, and if we know an artist is for or against certain things, we will avoid pitching that music for those specific projects. It’s not ideal to put something forward only to be told it can’t be approved for that reason.”

During the discussion, the question whether films can exist without music arose: “There are many classic films that don’t have music at all: The Birds by Hitchcock, No Country for Old Men, or even The Blair Witch Project. All these examples rely heavily on sound rather than traditional score or music. I’d like to think a film can’t exist without music, but clearly it can. Music’s role in a film is mostly to elevate certain moments.” During the discussion, the question of whether films can exist without music arose: “There are many classic films that don’t have music at all - The Birds by Hitchcock, No Country for Old Men, or even The Blair Witch Project. All these examples rely heavily on sound rather than a traditional score or music. I’d like to think a film can’t exist without music, but clearly it can. Music’s role in a film is mostly to elevate certain moments.”

Stoddart noted that, in film, it is ultimately the director’s vision that prevails, meaning decisions around music are also theirs, whereas in corporate environments there are inevitably more people to convince. “We do our very best to put one or more tracks into the mix that we think will work, in order to convince everyone involved in the decision,” she said. She added that they rarely have direct contact with film directors and producers, although it is not impossible.

When asked what she sees as the biggest misconception among film and advertising producers about sync, she said it often comes down to expectations around budgets. Too often, she noted, they assume they can secure any track they want, which is simply not the case. “From my perspective, having worked extensively in the UK and Europe, it’s often about managing expectations. You might be dealing with a North America–based manager who’s used to higher fees.”

Sometimes, however, emergency situations can be resolved. On Killing Eve a few years ago, the team were unable to secure the song they originally wanted and were due to shoot the following day: “There was a scene with Eve, the main character, singing in the kitchen, and they needed a track they knew could be cleared quickly but still be instantly recognisable. We put something forward, it got approved, and it ended up being Kim Wilde’s Kids in America”. Finally, Stoddart added that some of her favourite collaborations were on the series Slow Horses, as well as on several films by Gerard Johnson, including Odyssey.