New company Fold has unveiled its curated production music library of new material from leading contemporary artists.
With partners including Warp Publishing, Mute Song, Domino Publishing, Hyperdub, Morr, Erased Tapes and more, Fold is “creating a forward-thinking and innovative production music catalogue, making new music from established artists available to music users for the first time”, according to the statement.
“All of our music is new and unique to Fold – it is either unreleased music from artists that hasn’t found an outlet yet or it is new and specially composed directly for us,” said director Paul Sandell, formerly of Domino, EMI Production Music, EMI Music Publishing and KPM.
Sandell launched Fold with music supervisor and director Chris Shirt (Pitch & Sync, Because Music), and the director Gavin O’Shea, co-owner of Lo-Editions and independent label Lo Recordings.
The composition of music for libraries has provided opportunities for composers and musicians to experiment without the pressures of writing a hit.
“The roots of electronica are arguably found in early library works, as the first synthesisers were so expensive composers only had access to them when hired in for a library session,” said Gavin O’Shea.
The Fold library allows music users to explore and license music from labels and artists, providing independent artists with a consistent revenue stream.
“We want to see the catalogue get used in a multitude of places,” said Sandell. “From brands wanting to find great independent music to showcase their products, films looking for the right music to needle drop, TV series wanting to add authenticity, podcasts, radio, everything. From A24 movies to YouTube videos of cats – from Burberry to Hollyoaks – it will all work.”
In its launch announcement, Fold contended that the production music market that has become “monopolised by major labels and production music companies, who generate huge catalogues through in-house composer teams, creating generic and uninspiring music libraries”.
“Fold’s catalogue will be varied, original and contemporary, precisely because it is the product of varied and original contemporary artists,” added the statement.
We are offering royalty splits to composers that are the best in the industry
Paul Sandell
The company also noted that artists and composers will retain copyright.
"We are offering royalty splits to composers that are the best in the industry and, in trying to make the industry a fairer place, are going against production music tradition and norms by not taking copyrights away from the artists who create the music,” said Sandell. “It is a tough economic world right now for artists and we want to do our bit to make it fairer.”
“We also believe that a more artist-friendly and ‘conscious’ approach to the production music model can help brands, ad agencies, content makers and music supervisors to have peace of mind when working with music and the artists within this space to help ensure their projects, from top to bottom, can be constructed in a mindful way,” added Chris Shirt.
The Fold library aims to be a platform for contemporary artists to create for the expanding production music market.
Paul Lambden, from Fold partner Domino Publishing, said: “Domino Publishing has always sought out diverse and interesting music and to offer our writers equally diverse and interesting ways to help them grow creatively in particular among the film & TV community. Now together with the independent-minded folks at Fold, we hope to offer them additional opportunities in that area.”
David McGinnis, of Mute Song, said: “The Mute repertoire has been used to exceptional effect in film, television and advertising for decades. Mute Library brings a further dimension to Mute artists' ongoing contribution to the world of moving pictures and working with Fold provides us and our roster with the perfect platform to create vibrant, intriguing and compelling production music for use everywhere imaginable."
The Fold roster is expanding and already includes music from the rosters of All Centre, DMY, EPM, Fat Cat Records, Hyperdub, Morr Music, Mute Song, Domino Publishing, Warp Publishing and Tummy Touch. Artists include Steve Mason (pictured), Laraaji, CID RIM, James Ruskin, Yerosha, Laura Cannell, Alyss, Daniel O’Sullivan, SHE Spells Doom and more.
New labels/publishers to arrive soon on the Fold site are Moshi Moshi, Erased Library Tapes, Minds On Fire, Disco Texas, Fractal Fantasy, Friends of Friends, Slow Dance, Prah, Def Presse, Clue Records, Fire Talk, Ba Da Bing, Untitled (Recs), Saffron and more.
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