Synch City is a new independent synchronization agency based in Montreal and managed by Niccolò Fransolet and Florian Gay. We got curious about this new initiative and went for a Q&A to know a little more about them.
illustration by @chien.champion
How did Synch City come to be?
It all began when my partner Florian and I met at school where we were studying music. We started talking about all the various paths and careers, and we both expressed a huge interest in the music used in films. Sometime in June 2020, amid the global pandemic, Florian called me to share his idea to establish a non-exclusive agency that would represent indie artists and try to place their work in movies, advertising, video games, etc. After a couple of meetings, we agreed on the structure of the company, and how we would operate. Just like that, Synch City was born.
With many other synchronization agencies in Montreal, how is SC different?
We believe the way Synch City differs from the other agencies is that we only work with non-exclusive contracts and that most of the content we represent is entirely original. By this, I mean that the artists we represent created their art for their fans to listen to it, rather than creating for the sole purpose of sync licensing. At Synch City, we don’t focus so much on the overall popularity of the music. Representing a wide range of genres, from pop to metal, created by industry-shaking artists, like Yes Mccan, to local indie groups, such as Blaise Rival, has allowed us to reach newer markets as well as audiovisual mainstays. Furthermore, we want Synch City to be seen as a platform for artists to discover new music, different sounds, and potential collaborative opportunities.
How do you choose your roster?
The first thing we focus on is the quality of the music itself. We only accept music that has the potential to get placed. Then, we seek projects that we consider would fit well on different audiovisual media. For example, when I approached Mountain Dust, a local (Montreal) metal band, they shared that they write their albums as if they were creating a movie. They seek to create a mood for the listener to live dynamically through the music, from the first track to the last. This type of project is particularly interesting for us because the record itself allows you to visualize where you can place the songs and the impact it can have on a scene.
Do you have a favourite scene from any type of media that the synchronization was well-chosen?
After a little over two months of business, we can already tell that we have a preference for TV shows. Series are varied, their releases are often recurrent, and they offer a multitude of placements. For the moment, we have focused our development on this type of media. I also work in a Montreal advertisement agency, which gives us the chance to be in regular contact with producers. This is a real strength because, at Synch City, we make it a point of honour to develop relationships with production studios. To sum up, for the time being, we favour TV shows and Advertising.
What artists have you discovered lately?
We were very touched by the new title "Dopamina" by the artist De.ville. Their influences and lyrics inspired by middle-Eastern culture reminded me of the sounds of my childhood on the shores of the Mediterranean. We also really enjoyed Family Man’s last album “To Hailey Pasadena and the Rest of the World.” They have a refreshing style and attitude which makes their first full-length album a real pleasure to listen to.