Carolyn Richardson has over 15 years experience in the music industry including 10 years of music supervision, licensing, administration and clearance. She has worked for Live Nation, Sony Music and CBS Studios as well as countless independent production companies. She is also a mentor and artist consultant who helps independent creatives realize their vision and build their careers in music and scenes. She is a member of the Guild of Music Supervisors and The Television Academy.
What transpired in your life that prompted the thought of selecting music for projects and that it was something you could do for a living?
I started my career at a label, specifically in the distribution space. As label jobs dried up, I sought out where the industry looked to be expanding at the time, radio, film and TV. I never got that radio job, had a horrible interview at Recording Academy, but ended up at a TV show on the iconic Paramount lot and the rest is history.
Is music supervision your ultimate calling? Is it a step in a bigger equation? What are you working towards?
My mission statement is to serve creatives, thinkers, and change makers through music, words, and social experiments in beautiful places through human interest stories. Creating music, doing music supervision, and consulting on other’s recording projects allows me to do all of these things. I also write about parenting and travel, sing, and dance. Anything that fulfills my mission is my calling, so I’m open to anything that helps me live out my mission.
Are there any specific projects you have contributed to or companies you have collaborated with that some of us may be familiar with?
I’ve done a number of Toyota and Ford campaigns for influencers lately, as well as worked over 10 years at the reigning news show, Entertainment Tonight. I’m now at Fox Sports, where I get to support producers working on stories placed in NFL, MLB, NASCAR, and other major sporting events. It’s been a dream to see music in these spaces, after always working in scripted TV.
Do you recall the first song you were successful in finding placement for? How did you make it happen? Who’s song was it and where did it go?
Technically my first placement was for one of my own songs. Sitting in my dorm room many moons ago, I wrote a song after a breakup called Breakin’ the Rules. It’s still paying me every quarter after over 10 years after its release. As far as through my career as a music supervisor, one of my first placements was for a guy named Peter Hanna. He was working with my husband at the L.A. Film School at the time, and had a song called “Hollywood Girl.” We were looking for a new theme song on The Insider, a sister show to Entertainment Tonight that no longer airs. It was for Lara Spencer’s turn as host(she’s now on GMA). I got it to the executive producer and he immediately said yes. That feeling of helping a creative launch their career is priceless. Peter is now a multi-platinum selling songwriter who’s worked with The Chainsmokers, Audien, Rosez, Nick Jonas, and Lady Antebellum just to name a few.
Are there any projects you are currently involved with that are looking for music?
Fox Sports is always looking for music. Anything that’s great for Sports, that helps tell athletes’ stories, and motivates people to watch I’d love to hear!
Is there any advice or strategy you feel indie musicians could stand to use during the journey of getting their music placed?
Build relationships, master storytelling, and do more than you talk about. I wrote a 10 Tips to Market and License Music for Film and TV for NARIP and it can be found here: https://www.narip.com/top-ten-tips-to-market-and-license-music-for-film-tv/