On Cleod9: Where Music and Sound Is More than Business

In 2014, at the age of 22, composer Ian McLeod founded Cleod9 Music, a music and sound company. It was an unconventional path he candidly describes as challenging, but perhaps essential to the longevity of the business now a decade into the industry.

“In your 20s, you’re still trying to find out who you are, let alone figuring out how to start and define a company,” he says, explaining that founders of other music and sound shops often have years of industry experience and strong existing ties to generate a steady stream of business from the get-go. For Ian, it took half a year before his first paid gig – a $100 track for a local realtor. “That's a long step away from us now, working with global brands such as National Geographic, Toyota, State Farm, Frito Lay, etc.”

Cleod9 today is a boutique music and sound house with roots in New York and Washington D.C. For over a decade, they’ve partnered with agencies and brands to elevate storytelling through sound: composing original music, customising their own library tracks and delivering full-service post-audio, from voiceovers to sound design and mixing.

“We really consider ourselves a sound partner, working intimately with filmmakers, agencies, brands, production companies and edit-houses to handle all things audio.

^{Above: Ian McLeod, founder of Cleod9 (photo credit: Melissa Maas)}

In the early days, no job was too small, and without a sales rep or agent ‘pounding the stone’, Ian would scour credit lists for directors, editors and producers to cold-call. Eventually, that led to small but key opportunities, like his first collaborations with director Bud Force. “At first, we worked on small commercials and product videos. As time passed, we earned his trust enough to score his feature film, ‘Cowboys: A Documentary Portrait’. Now, we work together in the Taylor Sheridan universe (see their latest Super Bowl spot). No matter the size of the project, we prioritised our relationship with Bud and worked our tails off to deliver whatever he needed.”

This relationships-first philosophy is one that has come to define Cleod9. “I look back on the decade and think, wow, we've built this sweet little niche for ourselves. People come to us because they know they’ll get an intimate, collaborative experience… and have some fun along the way.”

Ian believes that building deeper relationships with clients leads to longevity – in contrast with the “transactional” relationships he often observes in the wider industry. “That's never been part of our ethos, and personally, I’m not a fan of that approach. I want to offer solutions, but I think the whole point of making art is that human interaction and connection.”

^{Above: Cleod9 in the studio (photo credit: Melissa Maas)}

Most of the Cleod9 team comes from early connections in Ian’s life – meeting Evan Hulehan (composer) in middle school, Matt Sedivy (composer) in a college songwriting class, and sound engineer Scott Avery at a summer internship with SiriusXM. “We've all known each other for more than a decade. There's a real synergy that comes from working together that long… we have a shorthand that can’t be replicated.”

Despite significant growth in their film and commercial arm of the business, remaining boutique and nimble has proven to be a real advantage in maintaining these relationships. “There's a lot of power in staying small, tight knit and leaning into your circle,” says Ian. “We’ve endured minor recessions, a pandemic and a rapidly changing industry. I think it’s fair to say that success isn’t always related to scale.”

With a team of five and no middlemen between the client and Cleod9, the communication is kept streamlined and direct. “Music is an incredibly subjective thing and not everyone speaks the music language… so talking directly to us, the musicians, helps mitigate potential miscues and confusion,” he explains.

“Music conversations can be really hard and are often juggled between other demands of the project. Right now, we’re working on an ESPN series about the National Women’s Soccer League, and our music discussions are happening while the director is still in production. In those moments, I think it’s important to be a gentle guide, creating a welcoming space to talk about music in a way that feels simple and relatable. People have enough stress on their plates, why add more?”

^{Above: Cleod9's 10-Year Reel}

To do this, Cleod9’s process begins with a simple concept board, asking the client to describe ‘instrumentation, pacing, genre and overall vibe’. Next is emotion - ‘How do you want the viewer to feel when they're watching this?’. And lastly, music references – scores, soundtracks, artists and albums.

“I’ll give an example,” says Ian. “When we scored Bud Force’s film ‘Cowboys’, he was particular about the string sounds. He didn’t want anything too modern or spaghetti western, instead something more classical in nature - think ‘The Big Country’ or ‘Legends of the Fall’ – grand cellos, violas and violins. That was a key description that helped us shape the bigger moments of the score.”

^{​Above: ‘Cowboys: A Documentary Portrait’ - Original score: Cleod9}

Building string arrangements is just one of Ian’s many talents. Having roots as a jazz pianist, he paid his way through college by making hip-hop beats for D.C.-based artists. And Cleod9’s other composers all bring something different, musically and culturally, to round out their expertise.

“In the commercial space, the music briefs are so wide ranging, you do have to be a jack-of-all-trades,” he says. “Sometimes we're doing something comedic akin to ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’, where you might hear a bit of brass. Then we'll turn right around and tackle modern/electronic/pop – think Charli xcx, Jungle and others."

^{Above: Ian in the studio (photo credit: Melissa Maas)}

“We always have our finger on the pulse of culture and what’s vibing musically in the moment,” he adds. “But we've also stayed true to who we are naturally as musicians.”

When Cleod9 was launched, they focused primarily on scoring docu-style films with a cinematic flair. But they weren’t yet seeing that style in commercial advertising. “At times it made me question whether or not we were suited for the ad world, I just didn’t know if our music would translate,” says Ian.

But that didn’t stop them from pursuing commercial opportunities. “In the past five years, docu-style work seems to be everywhere… We never lost our North Star, so it's been nice to bridge the gap between both worlds.”

The Cleod9 team has also adapted over the years. Ian says that continuing to grow is essential for all composers, bucking the industry’s tendency to specialise. “I never wanted to be limited musically or stay in one lane. I’m interested in a lot of different subjects and stories.”

This sometimes means working on projects ‘totally out of their wheelhouse’, like the feature-length TV special ‘Smithsonian Presents: Miami Wild’. For the film, Cleod9 created over 40 original music cues, pulling sounds from Miami's rich musical heritage: reggaeton, salsa, merengue, hip-hop and more. The project won Cleod9 ‘Best Original Score’ at the 2022 Jackson Wild Film Festival – “the wildlife industry’s Oscars” – an award previously earned by Hans Zimmer and his team.

“During that project, we were researching, calling other musicians and listening to crates of records for inspiration. For me, that's so fun. It's like a masterclass. You get to go learn, challenge yourself and work outside your comfort zone.”

Environmental justice and sustainability have always been part of Cleod9’s make-up, with Ian’s first-ever client being National Geographic. “From the beginning, impact storytelling has been a part of our DNA. You’ll see we’ve done a lot of work with brands that share similar values - Patagonia, PBS, The Nature Conservancy, etc.

“When we choose to dive into a feature film, that's a big undertaking – sometimes three months of our time. It makes you think long and hard about that commitment. But, if we can score something that changes somebody's perspective, consumer behaviour, or moves people, to me that's a nice legacy to leave.”

In a way, Cleod9’s unconventional beginnings helped the company forge its own path. “If I had previously worked at another music house or ad agency, maybe I would have gone a more traditional route – but we’ve built this thing our way and have carved a unique niche in a crowded industry.

“As I’ve said before, we want to be a true ‘sound partner’, working with agencies on a deeper and more collaborative level. That means coming in earlier in the process, helping shape a music brief or integrating music and sound design – all under one roof. That model has proven to make the work transformative.

“I know our industry is going to look very different in 10 years,” he adds. “I’m not worried about the change. We’ve got strong values and have proven to be adaptable. We’re going to continue to pursue films and commercials that push us creatively, and make some good friends along the way.”