UK music company opens its doors to China

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TheWorks.jpgFollowing a recent trip to the region, and months of research, by managing director Nick Payne and his team, The Works Music and Sound has successfully begun providing both original and copyright music to advertising agencies and production companies in Shanghai and Beijing. The Works Music and Sound is a leading creative music and sound design agency based in the heart of Londonʼs West End, specializing in the creation of sound tracks, sound design and audio post production alongside music searches, licensing and the acquisition of rights for brands.

“The business model had to be carefully worked out” said Payne, “We had an idea of how we might be able to offer the talent we have in the UK to the Chinese market, but it had to be discussed in depth with prospective clients to develop a way of executing projects both efficiently and cost effectively.”

The biggest difference in commercial production between China and theUK is money. Budgets are much smaller in China, especially for servicessuch as music and sound design: “Having met with a large number ofproduction companies, directors and advertising agency creatives andproducers I think this is simply because the majority of brands do notyet prioritize high quality music and sound and perhaps underestimatewhat it can do for a campaign”. He goes on to say “the agencies andproduction companies are keen however to explore quality ideas in anyway they can but seem to be held back by their clients who are puttingcost ahead of creativity.”

In order to work with clients in China and accommodate their budgets and time difference of seven hours The Works Music and Sound will be open twenty four hours a day with their creative staff working through the night on projects for the Chinese. “The only way to accommodate the budgets and deliver work to a high standard alongside our European work is to be open around the clock.” Nick continues “our studios would normally be closed at this time and not making any money at all, therefore we can accommodate the lower budgets by working during what would normally be our down-time”.

The Works Music and Sound represent more than twenty composers and sound designers, employing music researchers who also handle license negotiations and producers to over see each project. Nick says, “The people we met in China appeared to be very keen to work with us, in fact, they were actually quite surprised that we could make our companyʼs services accessible to them. The message I got from everybody I met was that work coming from London is the best in the world, but it is also the most expensive. When I illustrated a way that enabled them to work with a London-based music company I was overwhelmed with the response. On a couple of occasions I arrived at a meeting not knowing how my ideas would be accepted only to find myself leaving an hour later with a script in my hand having been asked to supply them with a sound track.”

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