Jonny Amos speaks with Phil Simpson, founder of First Original Music, about independent music publishing, sync, and why human relationships and taste remain at the heart of the business.

Phil explains how First Original Music works with songwriters across publishing, administration and sync, what he looks for in a writer, and why a strong first approach can make such a difference.

The conversation explores what makes a song genuinely useful for sync, how production and arrangement can affect opportunities, and why metadata, stems, instrumental versions and good presentation can improve a songwriter’s chances of being discovered and placed.

• First Original Music’s approach to publishing, administration and sync.
• What Phil looks for in songwriters beyond simply making great music.
• Why personalised emails get attention while generic industry outreach is often ignored.
• What makes a song sync-friendly, including production, pacing and lyrical flexibility.
• How recording and arrangement choices can make a great song harder to place.
• The role of publishers as sounding boards in a writer’s long-term development.
• The growth of streaming content and the increasing competition for sync opportunities.
• Why metadata, stems, lyrics, instrumental versions and clean presentation matter.
• First Original Music’s move from global administration towards a network of independent international publishing partners.
• Why human taste and relationships remain crucial as technology and AI develop.

00:00 — Introducing Phil Simpson and music publishing
01:00 — First Original Music’s deal models and sync focus
03:06 — What Phil looks for in a writer
05:36 — Why personalised emails get read
07:52 — What makes a song work for sync
08:22 — Production, pacing and lyrical ambiguity
10:44 — When recording choices affect sync opportunities
11:14 — Publishers as sounding boards
12:30 — More opportunities, but more music competing
13:26 — Metadata, stems, lyrics and codes
15:12 — Using stems for an editorial brief
16:34 — Specific songs for brands and shows
17:26 — Taste, timing and interpretation
19:54 — Why First Original moved away from global administration
21:48 — Building international indie publishing relationships
23:11 — Why smaller publishers can respond faster
24:44 — The future of independent publishing
26:09 — Human judgment and the limits of search tools
27:50 — AI, taste and human connection
28:31 — AI, attribution and provenance
29:36 — Building genuine publisher relationships
31:17 — Alignment, values and the importance of a strong first email

Don’t Write “For Sync” — Write Great Songs
The strongest sync opportunities often come from authentic songs that are emotionally flexible and can be interpreted in different ways.

Independent Publishing Is About Adding Value
Great independent publishers bring taste, relationships, industry knowledge and hands-on support — not simply rights administration.

Presentation Matters
Good metadata, lyrics, stems, instrumental versions and organised assets make music easier for publishers and music supervisors to discover and use.

Human Taste Still Matters
Technology can improve discovery and attribution, but human judgment, instinct and relationships remain essential.

“What can we do to add value here?”

“The fatal flaw in AI that will always be there is taste.”