Production music library Fold launches

20 September 2023 - Press release

* A new production music library with contemporary commercial artists, writers & producers.

* Catalogue from Warp, Mute, Domino, Hyperdub, Morr, FAT CAT, All Centre and Erased Tapes.

* Featured artists Steve Mason, Laraaji, Red Snapper, CFCF, CID RIM, Yerosha, Manni Dee & Yaoundeboxingclub

 

Working exclusively with cutting edge labels and publishers, new company FOLD are curating a production music library of new material from leading contemporary artists whilst also offering a fairer, industry best, deal.

With partners including Warp, Mute, Domino, Hyperdub, Morr, Erased Tapes and more, FOLD are creating a forward thinking and innovative production music catalogue, making new music from established artists available to music users for the first time. 

“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” explains Paul Sandell (Director) formerly of Domino, Sony and KPM, who 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.

Library and production music has a rich, expansive and largely untapped music history, the composition of music for libraries has long provided opportunities for composers and musicians to experiment without the pressures of writing a ‘hit’. Gavin says “The roots of electronica are arguably found in early library works, as the first synthesizers were so expensive composers only had access to them when hired in for a library session.” While library music long predates TV, today whether it is TV, film, games, Ads and beyond, the potential usages for production music have ballooned.  The FOLD library allows music users to explore and licence exciting music from labels and artists they love, providing independent artists with a consistent revenue stream from an industry worth billions, and hopefully in the process, making music across media that little bit more interesting.  

“We want to see the catalogue get used in a multitude of places.” says Paul, “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.”

FOLD will take on a 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. 

The FOLD model is pushing against old and out-dated ways to behave in the music industry.  Where traditional production music libraries took copyright ownership away from artists, FOLD  will be the first 100% artist/label/publisher led production music platform, offering higher royalty splits to composers than anyone else. 

"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.” says Paul, “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.” Says Chris.

Pioneering musicians have a storied history creating music for the screen through production music catalogues; from electronic music visionaries Delia Derbyshire and Daphne Oram (and the rest of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop) to people like folk troubadour John Renbourn making records for the classic KPM library, from 1960s psych rock band The Pretty Things making records for the De Wolfe library (under the name Electric Banana) to dub and lover’s rock legend Dennis Bovell and not to mention Brian Eno’s super rare library record for the Standard Library.  In recent history Paul worked with Hannah Peel on her ‘Fir Wave’ record for KPM which was later nominated for the 2021 Mercury Music Prize. The FOLD library represents a platform for contemporary artists to create for this unique and expanding market. 

Paul Lambden from FOLD partner Domino, “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 says “"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 & compelling production music for use everywhere imaginable"

The FOLD roster is expanding fast 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.  With artists as diverse as Steve Mason, 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…