Nothing stays the same, goes the popular saying – and European YCC 2011 jury member Sven Schäferkord would probably agree. As Senior Director Brand Partnership G/S/A, and Managing Director OCEAN artist&brand GmbH, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Germany GmbH, Sven is sitting right in the middle of the ongoing revolution in the music industry. YCC spoke to Sven about what he’s been doing in one of the most dynamic businesses around.

 

For Sven, what was supposed to be a two-month traineeship with Bertelsmann Music Group, which was later acquired by Sony, has turned into a ten-year journey in a business that has done everything but stay still. Though starting out in video production, Sven moved into business development and most recently helped to establish the brand partnership business. OCEAN artist&brand GmbH provides the link between top brands and entertainment through, for example, the licensing of the formidable Sony Music catalogue for use in advertising, games and movies.   

 

According to Sven, the music business revolves around creativity more than ever. With the former business model “turned upside down”, Sven stresses the importance of staying open to new ideas.

 

“In my job, we work with two very different worlds. The ‘entertainment world’ is made up of artists, producers, etc., while the ‘business world’ is made up of the brand owners who are looking for creative, customized partnerships with those artists. Apart from the content creation – the art itself – our job is to reconcile everyone’s different objectives, and that takes creativity.

 

Beyond that, it’s no secret that the industry is facing some crucial issues. Digitalization has changed a lot – production, distribution, marketing, promotion, business models. There are now countless ways to present creative content to a broader audience, and with YouTube and social networks, artists can reach an audience very quickly. What this means is that we have to keep thinking about the business in a completely new way.”

 

Sven got to know YCC by attending the YCC 2009 Award Night in Berlin with top recording artist Marit Larsen. He saw firsthand how “YCC offers a platform for young talent, support that is absolutely needed.” He adds, “YCC allows emerging artists to get feedback from other participants, the jury and, potentially, the audience during a live performance – which is invaluable.”

 

As a European YCC 2011 jury member, Sven is looking forward to playing a bigger role in this “unique” project and meeting new talent.  

 

Regardless of the results of YCC 2011, Sven stresses that working as an artist is hard, especially in the beginning.

 

“The motivation should always be the music itself – not the peripheral matters such as fame, money and groupies that can sometimes seem so desirable.”