Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jody Friedman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jody, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Opportunities abound in our lives. Throughout my journey, I’ve encountered many such opportunities, and I’m thankful they were there, even more so for having had the determination to seize them. Had I not done so, I wouldn’t be pursuing a career I adore or be a part of this amazing community. But let’s take a step back in time to 1994.

At the age of 14, I made the life-changing decision to make music my lifelong passion. I fell head over heels for playing the guitar and composing songs, and that love never waned. Back then, there wasn’t a clear-cut path to becoming a “Music Supervisor” or a “Music Licensing Agent” (also known as a “Sync Agent”), not to mention a “Music Publisher” for that matter – at least, not in any Florida university I was aware of. The career options in music appeared to be limited to playing in an orchestra, becoming a music teacher, or exploring music therapy, all of which I did contemplate.

However, I also had concerns about making a decent living, so I decided to major in Media Production, which aligned with my other passion for content production. In 2000, I secured an internship with Good Morning America in Hollywood – one of the best decisions I ever made. As part of this internship, I had the privilege of interviewing celebrities on the Red Carpet at the 2000 Oscars, including Elton John, Michael Stipe from R.E.M., Carmen Elektra, and many others.

In the fall of 2001, I landed a job at CNN Headline News in Atlanta, where I wore many hats – from script processing and stage management to teleprompter operation and eventually becoming an audio engineer for live broadcasts. I vividly remember being on the overnight shift when Saddam Hussein was captured – it was an electrifying experience, and the compensation was quite rewarding.
Nevertheless, music continued to beckon me. As any musician can attest, the desire to play is like a persistent voice in the back of your mind, urging you to pick up your instrument.

In 2003, CNN hosted an international talent show titled “CNN Idol” – an opportunity I eagerly seized. I crafted a song about my job, aptly named “The Prompter Song,” and it emerged as the winner. This victory came with the chance to perform it before the entire company, a generous $12,000 prize, and a meeting with CNN’s President, Jim Walton, the following day. Jim personally commended me for a job well done. It’s a cherished memory – finally, after all those years, I felt seen and heard.

The most significant outcome of winning that talent show was securing a job at CNN Time Warner Center in New York City. I made the move to NYC in January 2004 and remained there until 2006. During my time there, I contributed to shows like Nancy Grace, Lou Dobbs Tonight, Aaron Brown Newsnight, Anderson Cooper 360, Paula Zahn Now, and Showbiz Tonight.

I continued to perform gigs, record my first album, and immersed myself in the vibrant Washington Square Park scene, where some of the greatest folk singer-songwriters found their start.

During this period, I encountered a homeless man at the McDonald’s near Time Warner Center who happened to be a talented pianist. I proposed a trade: I would buy him lunch if he would teach me how to play the piano. This arrangement continued for several months, during which I applied my knowledge of the guitar to this new instrument and helped keep a kind man’s belly full, if only for a brief while.

Around 2005, while heading to a gig after a day at work on Nancy Grace, Dean Sicoli, the executive producer, stopped me in the hallway. He asked if I’d be interested in composing a theme song for the All Points Bulletin Theme. Once again, an opportunity presented itself, and I didn’t hesitate to seize it.
Over the following months, I delved into books about the Music Business, Music Publishing, and Royalties, becoming captivated by the idea of earning income from songwriting without the constant touring and performing. Although I enjoyed it, I recognized that achieving both happiness and financial security through touring was an uphill battle few managed to conquer.

In 2006, my wife and I made the challenging decision to quit our jobs and relocate to Los Angeles. On our way west, I received my first Royalty Check from ASCAP – an astounding $30,000! $15,000 for the writer’s share and $15,000 for the publisher’s share. It was an unforgettable moment.

In 2006, I established my licensing business, HD Music Now, and began meeting with Music Supervisors. Back then, securing meetings was comparatively easier. I secured my first significant placement in True Blood Season 2, and my journey took off from there.

Two years later, I stumbled upon an opportunity to serve as Music Supervisor for a film when my college friend, Luke Kasdan, invited me to act in his project. He wanted me to portray musician Ryan Adams in the film. I inquired if he had a music supervisor already on board, and he did not. Had I not asked that question, I might never have embarked on my dream career. I received a $40,000 budget and had to clear 12 songs.

Since then, I’ve been involved in numerous projects, primarily in films and TV shows, and more recently, I’ve ventured into sonic branding for advertisements.

Some projects that I have Music Supervised include “Won’t You Be My Neighbor”, “Ugly Delicious”, “Ingress: The Animation”, “Tapawingo” and more. I’ve been lucky to be a part of the music team for projects such as, “Barry”, “The Peripheral”, “Physical”, “Velma”, & “Three Women”. For more information, you can go to IMDB.com. This is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to get into the entertainment business.

In 2020, when COVID-19 hit and Hollywood came to a standstill, many musicians sought advice from me. This led to the launch of my online coaching business, License Your Music. Around the same time, I reconnected with an old friend, Composer/Producer Michael Elsner, who was also teaching online. Michael and I share similar stories – both of us started in the traditional music industry and transitioned into Music Licensing, which provided us with steady income and careers. Our music has been featured in films, TV shows, commercials, and more, reaching millions of viewers and listeners.

In 2023, we decided to combine our efforts and create Elite Music Coaching. With over 30 years of combined experience and over 10,000 placements, including theme songs, blockbuster movie trailers, and globally recognized brands, we aim to provide independent musicians with a comprehensive understanding of sync licensing.

We offer top-tier training for independent musicians who want to make sync licensing a cornerstone of their careers, enabling them to secure high-value placements and achieve elite status in the Sync Licensing Industry.
Our shared mission is to empower musicians to build highly successful licensing businesses that transform their lives completely.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

At Elite Music Coaching, we have created a Success Path for any musician wanting to License Their Music to Films, TV Shows & Ads. Every musician comes into our world at different stages in their career and the path we have laid out allows us to meet each musician where they are at in their journey.

Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve taken some courses before, or you’re already crushing it and wanting to scale your business, we can help.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish there were online courses when I was beginning. I would have saved SO much time. Instead, I learned by making many mistakes along the way and learning from those mistakes.

I would caution anyone to carefully consider WHO they are learning from. There are a lot of folks teaching licensing online now – be sure you choose to learn from someone who, not only gets it but is actively doing it today.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Bringing the creations to life and seeing how they can emotionally impact others, whether its through making them laugh or cry, there really is nothing more satisfying.

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