My First Year In Advertising: Music Company Edition

What’s it like breaking into the world of music for ads? In this edition of ‘My First Year in Advertising’, we’re hearing from composers, producers and music supervisors about their first 12 months navigating briefs, brand worlds and production schedules.

Here, 11 talents from MassiveMusic, Barking Owl, Jungle, Level Two Music, Squeak E. Clean, WithFeeling, SOUTH Music, Rumble Studios, Syn, Two AM Music and SIREN open up on learning the ropes, building confidence, and finding their sound in adland.

Rae Carneiro, junior account ​manager at MassiveMusic

In my first year working in advertising, I’ve learned that things often don’t go to plan. Timings change, needs evolve, and you quickly learn to adapt and think on your feet.

What surprised me most was how influential music can be in storytelling. A shift in tempo, a subtle reverb, one piano note held a second longer can change the entire meaning of a scene. You start to notice the invisible details that shape emotion, mood, and message. Music doesn’t just support the story but, just as much as the visuals, it is the story.

What I didn’t expect was to become so intrigued with the creative construction behind each track. Or how often we’d translate vague feelings into sonic decisions and find language for things people usually only feel. Music is as much about creating meaning as it is about contextualising it.

Another thing that became clear to me in these first years is how much the people around you shape the process. I’m lucky to be surrounded by colleagues who care, not just about the work, but value creativity, fairness, and a sense of humour, which makes even the chaotic moments a reason to have fun.

Turns out, working in sonic branding isn’t just about notes and melodies. It’s about people, timing, and being brave enough to believe your taste matters. And if you can navigate deadlines, briefs, and the occasionally overwhelming sense that you have no idea what you are doing with your curiosity intact; just know that's a solid place to start.

Jenna Pangilinan, producer at Barking Owl

“So what exactly do you do?”

Almost three years into my first Big Girl Job, it’s still a question I struggle with. Producer is such a vague term.

To put it plainly? It’s calls and emails and constant jigsaw puzzles of colour-coordinated calendars while sitting in a studio prettier than my NYC apartment.

To put it realistically? My first year was learning how to interpret and translate the words “bright and happy” in 57 different ways. It was figuring out how to make something sound cool without making it sound like you’re trying to make it sound cool. It was shedding some tears while looking at myself in the preview window of a Zoom meeting for a job with a delivery date that couldn’t come sooner. It was corralling children with gummy bears and buying peanut butter and jelly ingredients for Tina Fey, and shaking hands with the Sopranos. It was realising and accepting that my personal music taste might not fit the industry’s standard.

I’m still learning what it means.

And when did it first feel real? Hearing my voice in a spot knowing it was just a 20-something girl with a theatre minor having fun in the booth trying to meet her client’s brief.

Sean Mahoney, sound composer at Jungle

Moving into the world of music for advertising has been great. Unlike sound design, which often focuses on enhancing visuals, music has the unique power to evoke emotion and shape the overall tone of the work.

When you create music, a little part of yourself goes into it – it’s hard not to get personally invested.

The biggest highlight so far was seeing my first proper composition on TV. It was a labour of love and hearing it out in the world felt surreal. That moment really confirmed this was something I wanted to do more of.

Navigating different briefs keeps you on your toes, you never really know what’s coming next and every project brings new challenges. But those shifts have helped me grow and become more adaptable. We’re also lucky to have a great team at Jungle, where I’m always able to bounce ideas around with talented people in the building.

As we continue to grow Jungle Music, I’m genuinely excited for what lies ahead – and I can’t wait to see where the next project or pitch takes me.

Marcus Brooke-Smith, head of supervision - advertising at Level Two Music

I went into music supervision straight out of uni in 2012. I had no idea what supervision was until I saw the ad posted by Platinum Rye looking for an intern for their music team in London and I've been learning about it every day since then.

The supervision industry wasn't brand new at that point but it was a lot different than it is today. On my second day at Platinum Rye I was given a desk in the TBWA\London office assisting David Bass. It was alongside him and Tom Stanford that I took my first steps in supervision and fully immersed myself in adland.

My first license was an extension of a campaign featuring a bespoke track by Sandbank (AKA Alex Banks) and my first successful pitch of an existing track for a campaign was ‘Surfin Bird’ for bookmaker William Hill.

Those first 12 months were a steep steep learning curve, I did a lot of coordinating across a lot of work (both supervision and otherwise). The pace of adland and the volume of work was the biggest thing that struck me.

The next biggest thing was the thrill of being able to do this for a job. What I didn't realise at the time was how valuable it was to be seeing the machinations of adland first-hand. Rather than being an occasional e-mail away from the action, as a lot of supervisors often are, I was sitting alongside the agency producers, suits and creatives day in, day out. It gave me a lot of context for where our work fits into the creation of a campaign.

Another thing that became super apparent very early on was how different every piece of work was from one another. Some jobs you'd be playing tracks in a lift to a panicked account director on his way to a last-minute client meeting. Other times you'd be in a packed boardroom of agency and client C-suite execs explaining the months-long process involved in strategising and executing their prized Christmas campaign for that year.

Being prepared for as many eventualities as possible and also being as creative as possible in every aspect of the job (not just music suggestions) are some necessary supervision skills that became very apparent very quickly.

There have been several pinch-me moments where I realised I never wanted to do anything other than matching music with ad campaigns. I shadowed our creative director, Arnold Hattingh at a couple of sessions at Abbey Road Studios which blew my mind completely but I think the most significant one was getting to work with Walter Campbell who I knew from my favourite ad of all time, Guinness ‘Surfers’.

We did a spot for Lidl supermarkets with the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme tune on it which I loved and then a couple years later we won an award for a truly outrageous Coco De Mer campaign. He offered me some invaluable advice when I worked on my first feature film and while I'm barely a footnote in his career he's had a big impact on mine.

Emma Dufault, producer at Squeak E.Clean

After working at a bar/venue in Brooklyn where my brother and I performed, I landed a job as a studio assistant at Squeak E. Clean Studios. I wasn’t totally sure what I wanted to do, just that music was in my blood. Sitting in on client calls and eventually writing briefs, I slowly realised I was on my way to producing.

Breaking into music for ads has been equal parts chaotic, creative, and fulfilling. Every project varies. One day I’m singing for a fried chicken ad, the next I’m pricing out a live orchestra. Sometimes I’m the vocal talent; other times, I’m facilitating a VO record. Some clients bring you in early, others drop the music brief days before delivery. It’s a constant balancing act of creativity and logistics.

One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that it’s OK to fail. Actually, it’s necessary. You need to take the leap, try new things, and allow yourself to mess up. It only makes you a better producer in the long run. Having studied advertising in school, it’s been cool to merge that background with what I love most. Music is the thread that ties everything together. It’s not just what you hear, it’s what you feel, what sticks with you, and what brings the whole thing to life.

Karam Aloran, junior producer at WithFeeling

I graduated in 2022 and landed a job in sonic branding right after. It was something I was aware of, but I didn’t know there was an entire industry built around it.

The minute I stepped into this field, I knew I never wanted to leave. As a music lover, I’ve always paid close attention to the kind of sound brands use to elevate their image, and many consumers don’t realise how much sound influences perception. Being part of a team that helps brands discover their sound is incredibly rewarding.

Working in sonic branding is very different from other industries I interned in. There’s a strong focus on sound, which means diving into its many layers; through countless trials, rounds of feedback, and hours spent perfecting a brief. But once the sound clicks, it all falls into place.

This is exactly why I do what I do. I love the adrenaline rush of intense creative work, and being part of this industry is so fulfilling that I wouldn't consider any other. I’m optimistic about the future of sonic branding, with more brands evolving and embracing the power of sound.

The journey has only just begun and I’m excited to help shape what the future sounds like!

Alina Inez Fox, producer at SOUTH Music

I’m not sure what I expected, but I definitely didn’t realise how complex and creative music for advertising would be. Sound is essential to emotional impact – think about a horror film without a score; it could easily turn into a comedy. That nuance translates directly to ad work.

Seeing an edit transform once we’ve splashed our magic on it reminds me how vital our role is. I love being a part of that.

One of my first projects was a massive Samsung campaign involving multiple animated short films with VO, original composition, sound design, and mix. I was thrown into the deep end as a new producer, and it helped me learn quickly – how to digest briefs, manage schedules and budgets, and problem-solve on the fly.

But more than anything, I love when we work with creative teams who care about music as much as we do – when we get to bring people into the studio and collaborate in real time.

What’s struck me most is how different every project is. Music for ads is fast, competitive, ever-evolving. I’ve honestly learned the most from just listening – to tracks, collaborators, clients, and culture. That’s where I’ve grown the most.

Rino Darusman, composer at Rumble Studios

Coming from a background of producing music for artists and performing my own music live, working in the advertising industry has been a shift in mindset. This industry is all about collaboration. From your colleagues in the studio, to creatives and brand clients, everyone is a part of the musical decision making process, not just the composer.

It made me think hard about what makes certain musical elements highly recognisable and stand out as a unique piece of music. For example, if the brief requires you to make country music, what makes the music ‘country’ to a general listener? But what else can I do to make this country track unique to the spot and not generic?

It’s really pushed me further into considering every detail of production, not just writing a great melody. And as the work often comes with fast turnarounds, I’ve learnt to streamline my creative process and sharpen my composition skills.

The music is there to serve a purpose. To emotionally support the story. I have loved the challenge of learning these new skills and it has pushed me to become a better musician.

Antonio David, production assistant at Syn

I compare breaking into music for advertising to confidently joining a conversation that began long before I arrived – and in a language I don’t yet speak. I remember being so excited for my first chance to pitch, thinking I’d written the perfect track, only for it to be cut in the first round. Or submitting a piece that the client said they loved – only to ask for most of it to be changed.

It’s a humbling game of setting your ego aside and making music that acts like an adjective. It has to be beautiful, but it also has to serve a specific purpose, which unlocks a completely different part of your brain. It’s not just about what the music says, it’s about what it supports.

Landing my first sync still feels surreal. I kept rereading the approval email like it said I’d just won the lottery. I still don’t fully believe it, and I couldn’t be more grateful to the people who helped me get there: mentors, collaborators, and kind clients.

I still have a lot to learn, and that’s something I genuinely look forward to. Every project has taught me something new about sound, people, and myself.

Sek Hao, composer at Two AM Music

Music for ads is an entire ballgame on its own as the expectations and requirements differ from consumer music or even film scoring.

It’s different in the sense that music now is required to fit a picture (quite often) with punctuations of certain scenes in mind, while keeping everything rather concise and impactful.

When it comes to creating a sonic identity, brands look to us to birth unique and ‘unheard of’ amalgamations of sounds – which can be difficult but simple if tapped into with intuition and confidence.

The moment that took the theory behind sonics and made it real for me was when we stepped over the finish line for the Grab app’s sonic logo. Hearing it at countless food outlets and delivery-related personnel is surreal even today.

A lot of times, catering to clients is daunting in nature but, coming to terms with the fact that everyone is just trying to get to the finish line with the best representation of their product is key to good communication and actually achieving that goal.

Awkward calls are inevitable, especially with creatives of a different medium. All in all, finding the balance between personal and professional is how I would approach the music.

Alice Benton, associate music supervisor and producer at SIREN

I’ve been associate music supervisor / producer at SIREN since November 2023. Having started my career in library music and then spent the following five years in publishing, A&R, and artist management, my first year in advertising has been a fun and exciting return to the world of sync!

I’ve loved connecting with a whole new network of producers and creatives, seeing new and innovative approaches to creativity across a whole host of different productions, and above all, finding new ways of thinking about music and sound.

As a supervisor, projects move quick but it’s amazing to get your teeth into so many different ideas, briefs, and genres of music, from country to metal to orchestral (sometimes all in the same week!). I think it’s fascinating to see how brands are using music as more than just a track, whether that’s working alongside an artist to develop the brand, helping to break a new artist with a sync, or creating completely musical products.

I had previously worked in library music so I had a good understanding of sync from that perspective, but what really helped me settle into the industry and build my confidence was working alongside the rest of the SIREN team, shadowing and assisting them on various jobs. Their support has really helped me find my feet and my network in this industry.

It’s definitely been a learning curve combining my previous experience with everything I’ve learnt about production and how adland works over the last year and a half, but I’m looking forward to many more years doing the best job in the world!