DALLAS - Stephen Arnold Music (www.stephenarnoldmusic.com), which specializes in sonic branding, has added two music industry veterans to its licensing team. Jeff Ryan joins the agency as director of music licensing, while Kevin Richards assumes the role of director of creative licensing. They will report to Noelle Fowler, VP of licensing and sales.
Photo (L-R): Kevin Richards and Jeff Ryan
Ryan and Richards will manage licensing agreements with clients of The Vault, Stephen Arnold Music’s award-winning production music library. The Vault features a catalog of more than 300,000 tracks, which have been used extensively in broadcast, film, television, advertising, gaming and other media. They will also develop new clients and revenue streams in custom music and sonic branding.
Ryan is based at the SAM headquarters in Dallas, and will focus on networks, television and other media accounts. He will also work to increase the studio’s footprint in travel and tourism, experiential and other growing markets.
In Los Angeles, Richards takes charge of creative synchronization for film, streaming, in-show programming and other entertainment media. He'll focus on building relationships with music supervisors, studios, production companies and picture editors.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jeff and Kevin to our team,” says SAM president, Chad Cook. “They fit perfectly with our culture. They bring experience in the music industry spanning creative, production, management, marketing and performance. They understand our clients and can speak to them from an authentic musical perspective. One of the hallmarks of Stephen Arnold Music is our focus on long-term relationships. We expect Jeff and Kevin to continue that tradition through their skills as relationship builders and communicators.”
“Jeff and Kevin’s unique backgrounds align with our growth plans,” adds Fowler. “As we mark our 30th anniversary, we are exploring new opportunities in experiential, immersive, travel and tourism, enterprise and product sonification. We are excited about our future with our expanded team.”
Ryan’s background includes a stint as A&R manager at independent record label State Fair Records. He also headed an independent music management consultancy, and has worked as a music journalist and professional musician. As a stage and studio drummer, he has performed with St. Vincent, the War on Drugs, Daniel Johnston and Sarah Jaffe, as well as with his band Motorcade and solo project Myopic.
Richards previously was a freelance music consultant for clients that include Walt Disney Imagineering. He conducted research and curated music for Disney theme parks, cruise ships, hotels, clubs and environments. He also has extensive experience in placing music in film and television. He served for six years as director of film/television, copyright administration for Sony Music Publishing Canada.