In this episode, we sit down with Tim Bern from Disco, a cutting-edge music organization platform transforming the industry. Disco provides artists with a comprehensive toolset for managing and sharing their music effortlessly. Tim delves into the platform's functionality, emphasizing the importance of metadata, presentation, and accessibility.

He shares insights on leveraging Disco to optimize exposure, streamline collaboration, and enhance professionalism in the music industry. With new features like AI auto-tagging and multi-Disco search, Disco continues to revolutionize music discovery and distribution, offering artists unprecedented opportunities for visibility and success.

Tim emphasizes the platform's origins in addressing the needs of music professionals, particularly in the sync industry. They delve into the importance of metadata in music organization, stressing its role in facilitating smooth transactions and fostering positive relationships with music supervisors.

Join us for an illuminating conversation on navigating the digital landscape of music with Disco.

Guest Bio:

Tim is Head of Education at DISCO (http://disco.ac/), a music and media industry platform for catalog management, discovery, and promotion.

Tim was the first boots on the ground to launch DISCO in Los Angeles in 2016, and has onboarded and trained thousands of businesses from indie to major labels, publishers, film studios, tv networks, sync agents, artist managers, radio promoters and more.

Tim’s experience has provided him with a wealth of practical knowledge from the frontlines of the industry, which he spends his time regurgitating for anyone who will listen. He built DISCO’s new education hub The School of DISCO (https://school.disco.ac) which features a wide range of articles, video courses, and live online classes.

Tim has a few side projects - he is a founding partner at Koze Music Publishing - a sync agency and pub admin service based in LA and Nashville. He also runs Familiar Strangers, and creative industry relationship building collective.

In a previous life, Tim was a professional jazz musician, artist manager (The Checks), Brooklyn restaurant owner (Mominette), and music supervisor at Level Two Music.

About the Hosts:

We’re Sonnet Simmons and John Clinebell, 2 indie artists who have found success and creative fulfillment through licensing our music for ads, TV shows and films.

We were once so disheartened and discouraged that our music wasn’t being noticed or valued through traditional methods. So we both started on a journey to find another way. For us, that “third door” was sync! And what we discovered is a lot better than we could have ever even imagined…[Find out more here]

Resources From This Episode:

• 2Indie - Visit our website for more resources and information on how to get YOUR music signed
• Sync Society - Want to join our exclusive online sync community, with weekly LIVE networking and coaching calls?
• @2indieofficial - Follow us on Instagram
• Sync It! Music Licensing Community - Follow us on Facebook
• Tim Bern - Learn more about our guest and their work

In this episode, we explore the world of sync licensing with a focus on the personal journey of our very own Sonnet Simmons. Sync licensing can be a complex and intricate field, and there's no one better to guide us through it than Sonnet. Known for her work as both a Sync Licensing Specialist, co-founding 2Indie and as this podcast’s host, Sonnet has a wealth of experience and insights to share.

Sonnet’s journey into sync licensing is nothing short of inspiring. From her early days as a budding musician to becoming a leading figure in the industry, she shares the pivotal moments and challenges she faced along the way. Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance and passion in carving out a successful career in a competitive field. She talks about her early life, including being born in Athens, Greece, and moving frequently as a child, which fostered her early love for singing.

Sonnet recounts her experience on the ABC TV show "Rising Star" with Josh Groban, Kesha, Ludacris, and Brad Paisley and the impact it had on her career, leading to a pivotal shift towards sync licensing. She discusses the heartbreak of realizing the show's focus on ratings over genuine artistic expression and how this led her to pursue sync licensing more seriously. She credits her mentor, Cathy Heller, with guiding her into the sync world and teaching her the importance of writing music that resonates with broader audiences, beyond personal heartbreak themes.

This episode is a rich source of practical advice for indie artists looking to break into the sync licensing industry, offering a blend of personal anecdotes and professional insights.

Guest Bio:

One of the top contestants on ABC’s Rising Star with Josh Groban, Kesha, Ludacris, and Brad Paisley, singer/songwriter Sonnet Simmons’ heart-opening voice has been heard by millions around the world.

Her original music has landed placements with major brands like Coca Cola, GoDaddy, Nivea, T-Mobile, and Microsoft, and TV shows like Younger, Riverdale, Katy Keene and many more. Former VP of music licensing company Catch The Moon, Sonnet helps thousands of indie artists, singers, songwriters and producers around the world find success in sync. She co-founded music company 2Indie. 2Indie is on a mission to make career fulfillment possible for all music makers. Sonnet is a mom of two adorable toddlers and a Los Angeles native.

About the Hosts:

We’re Sonnet Simmons and John Clinebell, 2 indie artists who have found success and creative fulfillment through licensing our music for ads, TV shows and films.

We were once so disheartened and discouraged that our music wasn’t being noticed or valued through traditional methods. So we both started on a journey to find another way. For us, that “third door” was sync! And what we discovered is a lot better than we could have ever even imagined…[Find out more here]

Resources From This Episode:

• 2Indie - Visit our website for more resources and information on how to get YOUR music signed
• Sync Society - Want to join our exclusive online sync community, with weekly LIVE networking and coaching calls?
• @2indieofficial - Follow us on Instagram
• Sync It! Music Licensing Community - Follow us on Facebook
• Check out Sonnet’s latest releases
  

This week, I'm thrilled to chat with Los Angeles-based producer, Billy Lefler. Billy has secured countless sync placements for his artists and collaborated with major publishers like Warner Chapel, Secret Road, and Position Music. We'll dive deep into the life of a highly successful producer and have a bit of fun along the way.

In this episode, Billy and I reminisce about the iconic Death Star studio where we've both spent many nights recording. We explore what it's like to be immersed in LA's vibrant music scene and how it fuels creativity and opportunities. Billy shares invaluable insights on collaborating online versus in-person and the magic that happens when artists and producers can vibe off each other in the same room. We also discuss his approach to making music that resonates authentically, aiming for sync success without compromising artistic integrity.

Tune in to learn from Billy's experiences and get inspired by his journey in the music licensing world.

Guest Bio:

Billy Lefler's journey through the music industry is marked by the accolades he's received and the platinum success of his projects. At the heart of his career lies a dedication to storytelling through sound, facilitated by his diverse roles predominantly as a producer, alongside being a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

From the indie pop charm of Ingrid Michaelson to the rock anthems crafted for Dashboard Confessional and the dynamic beats for Gym Class Heroes, Billy's adaptability shines through. Working with artists like Avril Lavigne, Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, and America's Got Talent standout Mandy Harvey, he has showcased his capacity to excel across various musical landscapes.

Billy’s contributions have not only garnered industry accolades but have also made a lasting impact on the music scene. His production work on Ingrid Michaelson's hit "Be Ok" is a prime example of his talent for creating catchy, emotionally resonant tracks that connect with audiences far and wide. Moreover, his production efforts helped propel Laura Jansen's album Bells to platinum status in The Netherlands, solidifying his role as a pivotal figure in music production on an international scale.

Beyond his collaborations with individual artists, Billy's skills and vision have been recognized and sought after by leading record labels and publishers, such as Warner Chappell, Secret Road, and Position Music. Billy Lefler’s knack for sync licensing underscores his unparalleled ability to weave music into the fabric of popular culture. His success in securing placements for the artists he works with in TV shows, advertisements, and movie trailers include: Ad spots for McDonald's and Evian Water, episodes from "The Blacklist," "Grey's Anatomy," and "The Vampire Diaries," “Pretty Little Lies,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” “One Tree Hill,” “Switched At Birth,” “Smallville,” various movie trailer campaigns, and a significant highlight was the placement of Daniel Blake's cover of Dido's "Here With Me" in the season finale of the CBS show "Roswell."

About the Hosts:

We’re Sonnet Simmons and John Clinebell, 2 indie artists who have found success and creative fulfillment through licensing our music for ads, TV shows and films.

We were once so disheartened and discouraged that our music wasn’t being noticed or valued through traditional methods. So we both started on a journey to find another way. For us, that “third door” was sync! And what we discovered is a lot better than we could have ever even imagined…[Find out more here]

Resources From This Episode:

• 2Indie - Visit our website for more resources and information on how to get YOUR music signed
• Sync Society - Want to join our exclusive online sync community, with weekly LIVE networking and coaching calls?
• @2indieofficial - Follow us on Instagram
• Sync It! Music Licensing Community - Follow us on Facebook
• Billy’s Website - Learn more about our guest and their work