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Charlie Davis has spent nearly two decades at the forefront of music sync, building partnerships that connect BMG’s artists and songwriters with some of the world’s biggest brands. In this interview, he reflects on his journey into sync, the art of finding the perfect song for a campaign, why the best music choices often come from taking risks, and what he’ll be looking for as a Music+Sound Awards judge.
MASA: How did you first get into the music industry and what led you towards sync specifically?
CHARLIE: In 2007, I started at Downtown Music Publishing as their very first intern (the company had 3 employees at the time!) and was immediately drawn to sync. At the time, sync felt like an exciting new lane in the music industry and I was immediately smitten with how it required a unique combination of sales, creativity and music knowledge.
MASA: How would you describe the main day-to-day responsibilities of your job at BMG?
CHARLIE: It’s usually a blend of the proactive and re-active. I help my team create advertising-sync opportunities for BMG’s artists and songwriters, while servicing our existing client base of music supervisors, ad agencies and brands – and finding new partners along the way.
MASA: When you’re matching music to a brief or brand, what’s your process and how structured is it?
CHARLIE: I started DJ’ing at bars and nightclubs in Manhattan around the same time I started working in sync. I didn’t realize it at the time, but they’re highly comparable skill sets where you’re essentially trying to find the right song for whatever crazy situation is thrown your way. Hearing a song can be one of the most deeply subjective experiences ever, but you do your best to put yourself in the shoes of the listener and read the room.
MASA: Can you share an interesting recent sync project or campaign that stood out to you, and what made it effective?
CHARLIE: My favorite campaigns are when a pre-existing piece of music reveals the emotional arc of a spot entirely on its own. It still feels like a magic trick. One of my favorite examples that I was lucky enough to work on is the Apple ‘Fuzzy Feelings’ holiday ad using “Isn’t It a Pity” by George Harrison. At almost 4 minutes long with zero voiceover or dialogue, the song effortlessly carries you through every twist and turn of the story.
MASA: What qualities do you think separate good sync work from great sync work?
CHARLIE: Great sync work often takes risks, doesn’t go with the obvious / expected choice and finds a way to feel genuine.
MASA: How has the role of music in advertising evolved in recent years?
CHARLIE: The cultural cache of a big recognizable song still plays an important role, especially for brand categories like pharma. We’re also seeing more requests for songs from the 90’s and 2000’s.
MASA: What’s one industry change you’d like to see next?
CHARLIE: I would love to see a return to more in-house music departments (both at agencies and at brands). The sooner music gets discussed and considered in almost any given project, the better the result!
MASA: What advice would you give to people trying to build a career in sync, music supervision or advertising music today?
CHARLIE: On the networking side of things, I usually encourage folks to actively participate in culture, whatever it may be (create music at home, play in a band, learn to DJ, go to shows, write about music, read obscure music books, hang out at record stores…). These types of shared passions are what brought most of us here in the first place, and it really makes for a sincere and lasting connection with others.
MASA: And lastly, what will you be looking for when judging? What makes a piece of work worthy of a Music+Sound Award?
CHARLIE: I’ve always been a fan of the completely left field song selection that somehow lands perfectly (in light of agonizing hours spent combing through hundreds of songs of course) – but I think any music execution that elicits an authentic and visceral feeling from the viewer that stays with them is worth considering.
MASA: Many thanks, Charlie, for sharing your perspective on the craft of sync and the power of bold music choices. We’re delighted to welcome you to this year’s jury and look forward to seeing the work that stands out to you.
MASA: How did you first get into the music industry and what led you towards sync specifically?
CHARLIE: In 2007, I started at Downtown Music Publishing as their very first intern (the company had 3 employees at the time!) and was immediately drawn to sync. At the time, sync felt like an exciting new lane in the music industry and I was immediately smitten with how it required a unique combination of sales, creativity and music knowledge.
MASA: How would you describe the main day-to-day responsibilities of your job at BMG?
CHARLIE: It’s usually a blend of the proactive and re-active. I help my team create advertising-sync opportunities for BMG’s artists and songwriters, while servicing our existing client base of music supervisors, ad agencies and brands – and finding new partners along the way.
MASA: When you’re matching music to a brief or brand, what’s your process and how structured is it?
CHARLIE: I started DJ’ing at bars and nightclubs in Manhattan around the same time I started working in sync. I didn’t realize it at the time, but they’re highly comparable skill sets where you’re essentially trying to find the right song for whatever crazy situation is thrown your way. Hearing a song can be one of the most deeply subjective experiences ever, but you do your best to put yourself in the shoes of the listener and read the room.
MASA: Can you share an interesting recent sync project or campaign that stood out to you, and what made it effective?
CHARLIE: My favorite campaigns are when a pre-existing piece of music reveals the emotional arc of a spot entirely on its own. It still feels like a magic trick. One of my favorite examples that I was lucky enough to work on is the Apple ‘Fuzzy Feelings’ holiday ad using “Isn’t It a Pity” by George Harrison. At almost 4 minutes long with zero voiceover or dialogue, the song effortlessly carries you through every twist and turn of the story.
MASA: What qualities do you think separate good sync work from great sync work?
CHARLIE: Great sync work often takes risks, doesn’t go with the obvious / expected choice and finds a way to feel genuine.
MASA: How has the role of music in advertising evolved in recent years?
CHARLIE: The cultural cache of a big recognizable song still plays an important role, especially for brand categories like pharma. We’re also seeing more requests for songs from the 90’s and 2000’s.
MASA: What’s one industry change you’d like to see next?
CHARLIE: I would love to see a return to more in-house music departments (both at agencies and at brands). The sooner music gets discussed and considered in almost any given project, the better the result!
MASA: What advice would you give to people trying to build a career in sync, music supervision or advertising music today?
CHARLIE: On the networking side of things, I usually encourage folks to actively participate in culture, whatever it may be (create music at home, play in a band, learn to DJ, go to shows, write about music, read obscure music books, hang out at record stores…). These types of shared passions are what brought most of us here in the first place, and it really makes for a sincere and lasting connection with others.
MASA: And lastly, what will you be looking for when judging? What makes a piece of work worthy of a Music+Sound Award?
CHARLIE: I’ve always been a fan of the completely left field song selection that somehow lands perfectly (in light of agonizing hours spent combing through hundreds of songs of course) – but I think any music execution that elicits an authentic and visceral feeling from the viewer that stays with them is worth considering.
MASA: Many thanks, Charlie, for sharing your perspective on the craft of sync and the power of bold music choices. We’re delighted to welcome you to this year’s jury and look forward to seeing the work that stands out to you.
MASA: How did you first get into the music industry and what led you towards sync specifically?
CHARLIE: In 2007, I started at Downtown Music Publishing as their very first intern (the company had 3 employees at the time!) and was immediately drawn to sync. At the time, sync felt like an exciting new lane in the music industry and I was immediately smitten with how it required a unique combination of sales, creativity and music knowledge.
MASA: How would you describe the main day-to-day responsibilities of your job at BMG?
CHARLIE: It’s usually a blend of the proactive and re-active. I help my team create advertising-sync opportunities for BMG’s artists and songwriters, while servicing our existing client base of music supervisors, ad agencies and brands – and finding new partners along the way.
MASA: When you’re matching music to a brief or brand, what’s your process and how structured is it?
CHARLIE: I started DJ’ing at bars and nightclubs in Manhattan around the same time I started working in sync. I didn’t realize it at the time, but they’re highly comparable skill sets where you’re essentially trying to find the right song for whatever crazy situation is thrown your way. Hearing a song can be one of the most deeply subjective experiences ever, but you do your best to put yourself in the shoes of the listener and read the room.
MASA: Can you share an interesting recent sync project or campaign that stood out to you, and what made it effective?
CHARLIE: My favorite campaigns are when a pre-existing piece of music reveals the emotional arc of a spot entirely on its own. It still feels like a magic trick. One of my favorite examples that I was lucky enough to work on is the Apple ‘Fuzzy Feelings’ holiday ad using “Isn’t It a Pity” by George Harrison. At almost 4 minutes long with zero voiceover or dialogue, the song effortlessly carries you through every twist and turn of the story.
MASA: What qualities do you think separate good sync work from great sync work?
CHARLIE: Great sync work often takes risks, doesn’t go with the obvious / expected choice and finds a way to feel genuine.
MASA: How has the role of music in advertising evolved in recent years?
CHARLIE: The cultural cache of a big recognizable song still plays an important role, especially for brand categories like pharma. We’re also seeing more requests for songs from the 90’s and 2000’s.
MASA: What’s one industry change you’d like to see next?
CHARLIE: I would love to see a return to more in-house music departments (both at agencies and at brands). The sooner music gets discussed and considered in almost any given project, the better the result!
MASA: What advice would you give to people trying to build a career in sync, music supervision or advertising music today?
CHARLIE: On the networking side of things, I usually encourage folks to actively participate in culture, whatever it may be (create music at home, play in a band, learn to DJ, go to shows, write about music, read obscure music books, hang out at record stores…). These types of shared passions are what brought most of us here in the first place, and it really makes for a sincere and lasting connection with others.
MASA: And lastly, what will you be looking for when judging? What makes a piece of work worthy of a Music+Sound Award?
CHARLIE: I’ve always been a fan of the completely left field song selection that somehow lands perfectly (in light of agonizing hours spent combing through hundreds of songs of course) – but I think any music execution that elicits an authentic and visceral feeling from the viewer that stays with them is worth considering.
MASA: Many thanks, Charlie, for sharing your perspective on the craft of sync and the power of bold music choices. We’re delighted to welcome you to this year’s jury and look forward to seeing the work that stands out to you.