Peer Review: Kayla Monetta

Who are some contemporaries that you admire, and why?

Since my job is a mix of Music Supervision and A&R, I find myself working with a lot of sync licensing companies, labels, and publishers. A company I really admire is an independent sync licensing company called Low Profile. In my opinion, they are one of the most progressive companies when it comes to A&R signings, and the very artist-friendly deals they have with their artists. I hope that other companies will follow suit. 

In terms of music supervision, I really look up to supervisors like Zack Cowie (Master of None), Brienne Rose (Russian Doll), and Mat Biffa (End of the F***ing World), to name a few. The music they selected for all three of these shows (for example) acted as almost another character itself in each episode. When music is able to take the place of dialogue successfully, you know that it works.  

Please share 3-4 pieces of work that you think best embodies excellence in your profession, and explain why? 

Aside from the above TV show standouts, there are a few memorable ads that had outstanding supervision recently. I think we can all remember Facebook’s Never Lost ad featuring Kae Tempest, with music supervision from Droga5. It serves as a perfect example of how music steps in as the main form of dialogue. 

This might be an obvious pick, but it’s important to note that the Apple iPhone X commercial featuring Sofi Tukker pretty much changed the sound of advertising. To this day, brands are still looking for Sofi Tukker soundalikes due to this ad. I used to work at the band’s publishing company and saw first-hand how much this commercial changed the trajectory of their careers. A huge win for everyone. 

What do you like most about the work that you do?

Right now my Music Supervision work is primarily rooted in commercial advertising. My goal is to always try to steer a client in the direction of licensing a track from an unknown or smaller artist so they receive enough money to keep them going, record another album, etc. 

There are artists I have worked with in the past who have told me that a commercial I helped place their music in allowed them to quit their day job. That’s the best thing to hear for someone in a role like mine, and is ultimately why I do what I do.  

What is the process for becoming a Music Supervisor/Head of A&R?

When I was younger and had dreams of becoming a Music Supervisor, I remember reading interviews exactly like this in hopes that it would help me navigate this often misunderstood and - at times - cliquey industry. My path to becoming a Music Supervisor and Head of A&R was definitely not conventional. I started my career interning at record labels, music PR companies and booking agencies. My early roles in the music industry included writing about music for Vice’s music channel Noisey, label marketing at Downtown Records and Cult Records, and doing PR for bands. I loved music and wanted to have well-rounded experience across multiple parts of the industry to understand the bigger picture. 

There are artists I have worked with in the past who have told me that a commercial I helped place their music in allowed them to quit their day job. That’s the best thing to hear for someone in a role like mine, and is ultimately why I do what I do.  

I think it’s really important for people in roles like mine to have had industry experience on the artist or label side of things. There is a level of exploitation I have seen artists, unfortunately, have to endure due to working with people who have no idea what an album release actually entails. You hear this a lot, but for me, it really is all about who you know. I was able to shift into the world of licensing and supervision through my years of work and experience in the industry, and the trust I earned by working in various roles over the years with managers, labels, artists, etc. Also, a lot of cold emailing :)