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.”

This episode delves deeply into the evolving role of music supervision, exploring its historical context, current challenges, and future trends. Jonny Amos discusses the dual nature of music supervisors as both creative and business-oriented professionals, the impact of social media and AI on music discovery, and the increasing importance of independent artists in the sync landscape. The discussion also highlights the rise of production music and the need for music supervisors to act as cultural tastemakers in a rapidly changing media environment.

Keywords

music supervision, future of music, music licensing, AI in music, social media impact, independent artists, sync placements, production music, cultural tastemakers, music industry

Key Topics

History and role of music supervisors

Impact of social media on music discovery

AI's role in music licensing and search

Changes in sync licensing economics

Independent artists and media opportunities

Future trends in media and immersive experiences

Sound Bites

"Music supervisors can break an artist's career"

"Music is crucial for storytelling in media"

"Independent artists can influence media discovery"

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to music supervision and its importance

01:47 Historical evolution of music supervision in film and TV

03:53 Key partnerships: Directors and music supervisors

05:59 Economic factors influencing sync licensing fees

07:59 Social media's role in music discovery and culture

10:00 AI's impact on search, clearance, and creative prompting

12:04 The shift towards independent artists in media use

13:57 Proactive relationships between artists, managers, and supervisors

15:59 Production music and new media experiences

18:08 The future of music supervision in immersive and interactive media

19:58 The human element and integrity in music supervision

21:54 Understanding the evolving role of music supervisors

22:49 Conclusion: The future of music supervision and collaboration

I speak with hit producer Jamie Sellers about how music creation has changed now that artists can get a demo most of the way there on their own, but still need experienced ears to finish a record. Jamie explains why his role has shifted from building songs from scratch to acting more like a finisher and exec producer, and why that experience gap is still the difference between a good demo and a release-ready record. We also get into Jamie’s new label, Caledonia, including why he started it, what kind of artists he signs, and how he is thinking about ownership, licensing, publishing, and building a catalogue of assets for the long term.

Key topics

• Jamie argues that technology and tutorials can get artists about 60 to 70 percent of the way to a solid record, but the final 30 percent still comes from experience, instinct, and nuance.
• He describes his production role as becoming more like a finisher or exec producer, helping artists bring projects to release-ready standard.
• The conversation covers the shift in artist economics, where a more efficient model is to let artists build a strong demo first and then bring in experienced help to complete it.
• He says a senior label contact encouraged him to stop waiting for a label job and instead build his own imprint, using his producer background and network.
• Caledonia is designed to feel artist-first and music-first, with the values of older label eras but a 21st century approach.
• He shares that he has signed two artists so far and both came through existing creative relationships.
• Jamie and Jonny talk through deal structures, including licensing versus assignment, and the long-term goal of building a catalogue of assets through both Caledonia Sound and Caledonia Songs.
• They finish on the importance of trust, artist motivation, and making sure the label relationship works both creatively and commercially.

Timestamps

(00:00) Demo-to-record mindset

(01:15) Why experience still matters after the first 70 percent

(03:11) The final 30 percent only comes from time in the studio

(04:36) Why Jamie is moving toward a more selective, finishing role

(06:50) Why starting a label made sense

(09:12) Interviews, A and R conversations, and the advice that changed everything

(14:01) Why Jamie chose to start his own thing instead of chasing a label job

(15:26) The need for infrastructure after the studio session ends

(17:12) Caledonia’s ethos - heritage label values with a modern approach

(19:09) Working artist-first without big advances or big marketing budgets

(20:38) Imposter syndrome, then confidence from experience

(24:18) Signed potential versus evidence of momentum in modern music

(26:46) What Jamie looks for in artists he signs

(28:27) Producers as early-stage investors in artist development

(30:13) Why trust and work rate matter before signing

(31:09) How Dia Day became a key example of the label’s direction

(33:34) What her independence and momentum proved

(35:46) Balancing artistic instinct with market reality

(37:09) Why Jamie still thinks like a producer first

(38:08) Picking battles and keeping artists excited enough to promote

(40:30) Artists as CEOs of their own careers

(41:43) The future shape of the label and possible scaling options

(44:20) Assignment deal versus licensing deal

(45:19) Why one release was licensed and one was assigned

(47:16) Building a catalogue and the Caledonia Sound and Caledonia Songs structure

(49:22) Why the name Caledonia felt right

(51:13) Scotland, the song Caledonia, and the label identity

(52:43) Legacy, ambition, and what comes next

(53:16) Closing praise and plans to revisit the label in future