Two Production Strategies for Music Synchronisation As Speculative Entrepreneurship.

This presentation of ongoing research explores two production strategies for music creators interested in developing their work in the area of music synchronisation. Music synchronisation can prove to be a viable source of income revenue (TV & Radio global publishing EUR 3.29 billion - IMPF 2020: 13), for the right song. Popular song use in TV came to prominence during the 'second golden age of television' circa 1981 (Thompson 1996). 'Grey's Anatomy' (1,947 songs, 380 episodes) and 'The O.C.' (697 songs, 92 episodes), have done much to cement the role of songs underpinning televisual narrative drama, building upon earlier examples such as 'Miami Vice' (611 songs, 112 episodes). These production strategies are grouped under an overall heading of speculative entrepreneurship. Speculative due to the volatility of a highly competitive marketplace, identified as 'risky business' (Hesmondhalgh 2018: 31), where risk could be reduced by 'producing goods that can be easily categorised' (Jones 2012: 24). Entrepreneurship relies upon three ideas. First, music creatives are also audience members. They 'consume' visual media, and that this 'consumption in context' takes the form of reflexive action, paramount to developing production practices. Secondly, music creators must have an understanding of problems encountered by music supervisors, and tackle these at an earlier stage of the production process, ideally leading to intriguing and novel solutions of arrangement style and production approach. Lastly, that audio tracks can be edited to generate a number of supporting underbed tracks, created from individual parts, themes and stems, packaged to create a coherently themed music library. This research makes a contribution to Hesmondhalgh and Baker's research problem 'to what extent is it possible to do good work in the cultural industries?' (2010), underpinned by Jone's formulation that musicians 'must somehow make their own efforts complement rather than conflict' (Jones 2012: 59). The research output enhances existing approaches and is applicable to any music style, from any location in the world, and, more importantly, by practitioners at any level of competence. For music production creatives understanding music use with the moving image, coupled with an understanding of the narrative and cultural underpinning music provides, is of vital importance. Ideally, this understanding should lead to more of a 360 degree approach to Music Synchronisation production activities, requiring novel solutions informed by reflexive responses, and sector practices in making symbolic goods. References Hesmondhalgh, D. and Baker, S. (2010). Creative labour: media work in three cultural industries. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Hesmondhalgh, D. (2018). The cultural industries, Fourth edition. Los Angeles : SAGE Publications. IMPF. (2020). INDEPENDENT MUSIC PUBLISHING GLOBAL MARKET VIEW 2020. Available from http://www.impforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Global-Market-View-2020-Independent-Music-Publishing.pdf. Jones, M. (2012). The Music Industries: From Conception to Consumption, 1st ed. 2012. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. Thompson, RJ. (1996). Television’s Second golden age: The quality shows. Television quarterly., 28 (3), 75–81