B2B

After concluding at Westway LAB in Portugal, the Europe in Synch project presents its findings, insights and recommendations with the aim of improving opportunities for  European artists and composers.

An initiative of Music Moves Europe, the Europe in Synch project was set up to create an optimized synch business for all artists, composers and European SME’s, working towards territorially bespoke synch-business scenarios by bringing together the “Music” (European rights owners and composers) with the “Opportunities” (advertising and film production).

The Findings
The findings revealed that Europe in Synch could play an important role in the development of the synch business and that there was a great demand for knowledge building, curated networking, educating the advertising industry and a permanent organisation of senior professionals to provide a forum for advice and brokering.

The project also highlighted the need for permanent networking and a visible initiative rather than one-off events for professionals on the music side, due to the lack in follow ups after the sessions. The curation of these events was also an important factor with a wide and varying range of professional levels from basic to advanced, which meant the content and approach had to be adapted individually for each session. Recurring feedback and requests also included networking between film and music at an earlier professional stage, i.e. film schools.

Says project manager Markus Linde:
“What we definitely can deduce from the analysis of our work over one year, is that across borders, there is a big demand for an initiative like Europe In Synch.”

“On one hand, it is the educational aspect aimed at the young and less experienced professionals and markets. On the other, we will have to see our role as much more complex: grey-eminence-diplomatic, where we generate professional dialogues between the industries in the different territories, and definitely business-focused, when it actually comes to brokering synch-related deals and cooperations.

“In fact, the potential cultural relevance of Europe in Synch lies in the systematic bringing together of knowledge-building AND business-generating. Europe in Synch laid the groundwork to becoming a permanent institution rather than a one-off-project.”

Europe in Sync so far
So far Europe in Sync has prepared and hosted one-day workshops in co-operation with and at European music conferences (Westway Lab PT, SPOT+ DK, Live at Heart SWE, Sonic Visions LUX, MENT SLO) bringing together some 40 participants from the music side with selected senior experts from the world of advertising. As a follow-up on the next day of the conferences, the project and the findings of the sessions were presented in public panel.

During the 2019 Reeperbahn Festival, Europe in Sync initiated and co-hosted a proto-type Meet&Mingle event bringing together for the first time synch professionals from the music side with creatives and producers from the advertising sector – some 80 guests in total. A panel discussion introduced the parties and the EinS project and diagnosed the need and willingness for a creative dialogue.

The film/TV sector was addressed in a proto-type Film Brokering event digitally staged in Lisbon in September in partnerships with ICA, the Portuguese Film Institute. For the first time in Portugal, this film-music brokering-session brought together film-makers with music-professionals creating film-music or representing music catalogues and music supervisors.

The Future
The next step will be to analyze the findings thoroughly which will become the foundation and the framework for a larger long-term project. The three managers of the project have announced that reactions, input, demand and encouragement have been such, that it is safe to say that EinS will resume its mission beyond 2020.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

For more information contact:
Nikki McNeill | Global Publicity
nikki@globalpublicity.co.uk

Europe in Synch are;

Nuno Saraiva PT
Project Supervisor, SCL Lda. / Europe in Synch

With  over 25 years music industry experience in Canada, UK, and Portugal,  Nuno Saraiva is the founder of SCL Agency and its group of companies.

Saraiva is the Executive Director of the WHY Portugal export office and music exchange platform, founded in 2016. Saraiva is also co-founder of  Portugal’s first PRO conference and showcase Festival Westway LAB, which  started in 2014, and is also the founding President of the AMAEI, the  Portuguese Independent Trade Association, founded in 2012. 

He is a Board  Member of IMPALA, the European Music Companies Association in Brussels;  and also Board Member of EMEE – European Music Exporters Exchange, in representation of WHY  Portugal.

Markus Linde D
Music Supervisor / Project Manager, Thag’s Agent / Europe in Synch

With a long professional history in the record business, publishing and artist management, Markus Linde has been running his music-supervision thag’s agent imprint for some 16 years. 

His services including music rights research, clearances and creative consultancy, Linde has a track record for music placements in national and international advertising campaigns and he also contributes to films and TV productions.

Markus Linde is founding member and Project Leader of Europe in Synch, he conducts a personal consultancy and contributes to international conferences, work-shops and panels.

Nis Bogvad DK

Music Supervisor, Copenhagen Film Music

With 27 years experience as music professional, Nis Bogvad has worked in all aspects of the business.

From Multi-Platinum selling Songwriter, EMI signed recording Artist and Producer to A&R director at EMI, Creative Director at Music Sales Group, Executive TV Music Producer to Music Supervisor.

Nis has synchronized music to more than 200 commercials, TV series and Films.

The Announcement last week from the Government on Departmental Task Forces working with Industry to find solutions has been received well, but there is a big question on what the government’s expectations are in terms of public health measures, and much scepticism from the sector as to how this will be managed, both operationally and through the licensing regulators.

The sector has already experienced operators being asked to close takeaway services based on the Public Safety Licensing Objective, with reasons cited as encouraging people to not socially distance. But how far is the responsibility of the Operator going to stretch?

What if some of these businesses are unworkable under the expected conditions, There must be some consideration for Government financial support for businesses unable to comply, allowing them to survive until they are able to re-engage the market place?

Says NTIA CEO Michael Kill:
“Will the Government take a more pragmatic approach and allow businesses to generate their own guides to mitigate the risk presented to us, as is the case with current Health & Safety measures? Without clarity, no one can plan, prepare, understand the viability. Our Industry wants to open, we don’t want to open and put people at risk, and the last thing anyone wants is for us to re-engage the market for us to be closed ⅔ weeks later following another spike in transmission and deaths.” 

Across Europe many countries are considering reducing the 2m social distancing guide inline with the World Health Organisations 1m recommendation, which has been re-enforced by many academics across the country as ‘sensible’. The bigger question is how will this work in Pubs and Restaurants and are Nightclubs, Venues and Events able to even consider these measures given the very premise to their existence.

The Night-time economy and events sector is built on social engagement and while many operators have been working tirelessly to find a solution, many businesses across the sector feel this is not an option, and that with the reduction in business capacity, enforced spacing, queue management, staff and customer safety and PPE brings into question not only the viability, but whether this is something that can be managed in many spaces. Even before we account for the public perception of safety within our businesses.

When lockdown is lifted many businesses feel they will only return at 40-43% of capacity for the first three months, with 64% of businesses not being financially viable. With an estimated start up cost of over 31K for the initial period, and an estimated 55% of staff returning to their roles across the sector. 

The NTIA continues to raise concerns over the impact of Covid – 19 on the Night-time economy and events sector. This has been recognised by the Department of Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) and the NTIA is now invited to join the Task Force working groups alongside other key organisations to draw on industry knowledge and experience to assess whether there are safe and workable solutions for the industry to return to business after the lockdown.

Katharine Khan, Village Underground &  EartH, London
“With 13 years experience running the 700 capacity Village Underground live music & club space in Shoreditch, London, we already know how many people we need to come through our doors to cover our costs.  Working on a regular basis at the much reduced capacities that would be required by social distancing will not enable us to cover our overheads, in fact it would run us into a financial hole pretty quickly.  We will need to find something else to do with the venue, either instead of running socially distanced events, or alongside them, otherwise we won’t exist by 2022. Our newer venue, EartH in Dalston is already covering the costs of a massive restoration project as well as overheads so the situation is similar if not more difficult.  Our best options at the moment seem to be to find something else to do with the spaces until we can reopen at ‘usual’ capacity, and to pursue live streaming.  If we are successful and can protect the businesses and the leases on the venues through temporary alternative uses we may be able to run some events under the new rules alongside but they would all be likely to lose money in themselves.” 

Dan Perrin Studio 338, London
“Nightclubs, festivals and music venues are taking on a huge financial burden in order to do our part in fighting COVID-19. This is our moral and civil duty. We have remained shut,  followed all guidelines and understand that we need to be patient and responsible at this critical time. It cannot, however, be fair, or right, to rush our industry into reopening with restrictions and conditions which will inevitably lead to financial ruin for the vast majority. 

Many of our overheads are fixed and cannot be scaled to make lower capacities viable. Not only that but the entire experience of going to enjoy music in a social, worry free environment, will be severely compromised and could cause permanent and terminal damage to live music in the U.K. – this is an issue which is unique to our industry……bringing people together is at the centre of what we do and have always done. 

It seems to me that we should be sensible with the reintroduction of events. Do not rush to reopen them, but repay our support by protecting us until it is safe to reopen in a way which will bring London’s music scene bursting back into life rather than seeing all of the heritage and culture we are so famous for become a victim of the virus. 

We do not expect to be making money right now, we are just about getting by and that is ok…..but to ask us to lose everything we have worked for seems grossly unfair. One thing is very clear: if clubs like Studio 338 are required to open at a vastly reduced capacity, with squares to separate dancers etc….that will mark the end of something very important to this city 

With the exception of outdoor events….let’s wait a little longer, support us just a little longer, let’s not lose the soul of London for the sake of a few months. Venues like ours are the colour in many people’s lives and our reopening will be the ultimate sign of the world becoming recognisable again. 

It’s important for everyone, venues and the public that it is done correctly with due consideration to what is possible, feasible and ensures people can actually enjoy themselves. That is the most important thing  after all.”

Mike Grieve – SubClub. Glasgow
“Fundamentally I don’t see how social distancing can work in a nightclub setting, regardless of the size of the space. The very essence of club culture is about sharing emotion and excitement as a crowd in close physical contact with each other. That’s not to mention the practical difficulties of managing bar service, toilets, security searches etc. or the fact that most clubs need 90% + capacity to break even financially. Until we can reopen to 100% capacity I think clubs like ours will remain closed.”

Contact:

Nikki McNeill | Global Publicity
Email: nikki@globalpublicity.co.uk 
Mobile: 07957 434517