Selling That New Sound with Kathryn Rodger

With nearly 20 years of experience across labels and publishing, working with leading catalogues and composers. Currently at Wise Music Group, pitching and clearing music for film, TV, and trailers. Recent highlights have included working on ‘Goodbye June’, ‘H For Hawk’, ‘Black Mirror’ and ‘The Iris Affair’.

In the first edition of the series, Kathryn sat down with LBB to discuss her process for finding and promoting new talent as well as her advice for all emerging artists.

LBB> Where are you currently finding your most exciting independent or emerging artists in a way that beats the algorithm?

Kathryn> We always have 6 Music on in our house. I love the ‘New Music Fix’ show in the evening as they always seem to play something that I’ll then seek out to listen to later on.

Also, friends and colleagues recommendations are the best. It turns out I know a lot of music nerds and I love it when someone says ‘I’ve found a band you’ll love!’

LBB> In your view, what is the single biggest creative advantage an independent or emerging track offers over a well-known, established hit song when scoring a commercial pitching music for film and TV?

Kathryn> I love how creative it is, that the supervisor is willing to take a chance and give someone an opportunity to be discovered by people that wouldn’t necessarily hear their music.

LBB> When you bring an unknown artist to a creative team or client, what is your most effective strategy for getting them to trust and embrace the new sound?

Kathryn> By playing them a key track that I think stands out or would work in sync, giving them a backstory or more information about the artist, such as where they’re from or work they’ve done before.

Then I’ll follow up by sending them the whole album to listen to in their own time, or often even taking them to see the artist perform live.

LBB> Does working with independent artists mean a more streamlined licensing process? Or is it more idiosyncratic and tricky? Can you describe an instance where dealing directly with an artist or a small label made the clearance process surprisingly smooth and fast?

Kathryn> I think generally it’s much easier to speak to the artist about the use, get a response and clear the track. In some instances we can also help clear the master too so the client only has to deal with us for the clearance.

Recently we had a brief that we pitched for and they picked one of the tracks which we could clear as one-stop, and we had cleared and approved it all within the day.

LBB> What is the most rewarding way you've seen a sync placement directly and positively impact the career of an emerging artist you've worked with?

Kathryn> Sometimes it’s just the injection of cash that gives them a little bit of breathing space. I’ve also seen a few where the money has helped the artists invest in themselves, be it for building studios, buying instruments, taking time off their day job, or the ability to pay for their own recording without having to rely on a label.

LBB> If you could give one piece of advice to an emerging artist hoping to get their music sync’d what is the most important thing they need to have ready from a business or clearance perspective?

Kathryn> Boring as it sounds, do the admin! Make sure your master is registered with the PPL and publishing with the PRS. When you send and share music with supervisors make sure you include any edits, remixes and the instrumental, that it’s all tagged properly with the metadata and include your contact details for clearance.

Indie artists that I’m loving at the moment are Olan Monk, Chalk, Slag and Dry Cleaning