Specialising in licensing music for ads, TV and film, The Music Soups are Australia’s only women-owned music supervision company supplying adland. Is that wildly disappointing? Yes. Is it also exciting that its co-founders Kaitlyn Pearce and Emily Norton are blazing a trail for women in this space? Double ‘yes’! In our last interview of 2024, Mavens looped in with the two experienced Music Supervisors – Kaitlyn (‘KP’) in the UK and Emily (‘Em’) in Sydney – to learn more.
Tell us a bit about your respective career journeys. How did you end up doing what you do?
Em: KP has worked within music licensing for over a decade across both APAC and EMEA.
Her career started in the mailroom at Universal Music Australia while she was still studying, before joining the ranks in their publishing business. She then worked across both sides of the industry at labels and publishers including BMG, Sony and Audio Network. Now heading up a team focused on advertising and brands in the UK, she still gets a kick out of seeing the final version of a spot on TV. A career highlight would be placing a Ringo Starr song in Red Dog – as a kelpie owner this was special!
KP: Em has a strong background in music rights and licensing, starting her career at APRA AMCOS, which provided a solid foundation of the music industry landscape and music copyright. She then moved to Peermusic, an independent American music publisher, where she managed copyright and royalties. For the past five years, Em was Head of Film and TV for the Asia-Pacific region at Audio Network, negotiating major broadcast licensing agreements across the region. She is now focused on The Music Soups, bringing her extensive expertise in music supervision and licensing to the business.
We both have a passion for music and seeing it linked with amazing visuals takes it to the next level.
What has been your experience as women working in the music industry? What do you think needs to change?
We love what we do! Working with creatives and being a small part of what they create is exhilarating. While the industry is filled with talent and opportunity, there’s still much work to be done when it comes to increasing diversity. The music industry (much like other creative industries) has made great strides in the right direction in the last few years, but we have a long way to go. This was one of many reasons why we started The Music Soups.
Greater representation at the top will help create a more inclusive and innovative industry, benefiting everyone involved.
How did The Music Soups come about?
KP: We first met on the phone; Em had been tasked with convincing me to take a role at the company she was working at. While she made a great business case, the real clincher was the rooftop pool. From then we were thrust into figuring out how to work through a global pandemic. We didn’t get sick of each other with hours-long Teams calls and in fact balanced out each other's worries. So, we thought there was something here.
Em: We each had a desire to step out and create a business doing what we love, but it was the idea of doing it together that gave us the final nudge. We had both spent a long time doing what we do and saw some opportunities to bring a fresh approach to the market. Being women, being based in two global hubs and coming from a music background set us apart, and from there The Music Soups was born.
Why is it important that agencies and organisations aim for gender balance when it comes to their suppliers/collaborators?
By ensuring gender balance, agencies and brands are better equipped to represent the full spectrum of their audience’s perspectives and needs.
More diverse voices at the table can only benefit the brand at the end of the day.
Who should work with you and how can you help?
Music lovers. Content creators. Everyone in between. If you are making content and want to use music, we are here to help.
If you’re looking into licensing, brand partnerships or re-recording tracks, reach out...
The Music Soups combine over two decades of experience in music licensing. They have a strong worldwide network within the industry, and understand the ins and outs of music clearance from all sides, possessing the negotiation skills to get you the best deal. Based in both Sydney and London, they keep the job moving around the clock, ensuring your music proje
ct stays on track.
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