Warner Chappell EVP Global Sync and Media Original Music Rich Robinson has been building up his department of late, most recently by adding Christine Belden in the newly created post of VP Global Head of Film, TV and Media Music. The goal is to extend opportunities for WCM writers all over the media landscape. Robinson is so excited that he didn’t even mind answering our dunderheaded questions.
As the first Global Sync Leader for Warner Chappell, what was your vision for this role? Over the last two years, the world has changed so much. In some ways this has really helped us accelerate our strategy and evolve our culture, but it’s also slowed us down a bit. We never had a dedicated global sync department before, so one of my first actions was to set a shared vision and reposition our team as valued music experts in the media market and trusted partners to our songwriters. For us to achieve this aspiration, we needed to communicate more effectively with each other globally. With the pandemic, we had to embrace this change quicker than anticipated, and I’m proud to say the team rose to the occasion. We've created a culture centered on collaboration across borders, which has led to more shared music and ideas, stronger relationships with our clients, and new opportunities for our songwriters.
What does the addition of Christine signify for the WCM sync department? It’s an indicator of our dedication to creativity and partnership in the film and TV space. Christine’s expertise and relationships in the entertainment industry will create new areas of focus that are largely untapped in the publishing world. In her new role, she’ll connect creators, studios, and broadcasters with our incredible songwriters and amazing catalog of songs to develop music that helps tell compelling stories.
How has the sync landscape changed in recent years? The most significant change is speed – how quickly content is made, how quickly it’s available and how fast it can be a hit. Audiences are extremely hungry for new content, yet arguably as discerning as they’ve ever been. There are also more ways for sync placements to be brought to life – the length, tone, and format can all be adjusted to fit the idea and that’s great news for creators. It opens a world of possibilities for songwriters and musicians because music is an essential component when creating emotion in visual media. A TV writer/producer recently said to me, when it comes to film and TV, “Music is everything.”
What are the most promising new sync opportunities? The good news is, there are lots. I think the diversity of opportunity is what’s most exciting – in terms of style, genre, and artists, but also in discovery of new music, or an old classic. It could be through placements in games like FIFA or Madden, television shows like Euphoria, or big brand campaigns like Hummer, which recently re-imagined a Led Zeppelin classic in one of its ads. In an extremely cluttered music landscape, sync placements really cut through and connect with audiences more now than ever before.
