Today we’d like to introduce you to Mathew Steele
Hi Mathew, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started a small indie label in Tampa, FL in the early 2000’s but due to a lack of entertainment scene there I moved to Atlanta in 2006 and went to SAE and learned about audio engineering and music business. I worked as an audio engineer and artist manager for a few years until I landed my artists song into the #1 box-office film “Limitless” starring Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro. A year later we landed the same song in “The Family” also featuring Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones and Michelle Pfeiffer. Not too long after the instrumental was used in the 100th episode featuring the actor/.comedian Aziz Ansari. I decided a year after the “Limitless” placement to start my own music licensing company/catalog called SteeleSync and earlier this year during Easter weekend we celebrated 250 people at my first all-day sync education event SyncSpotlight which we plan on bringing back to north Atlanta April 5 2025 and hopefully other entertainment hubs like Nashville, New York, LA and Miami.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There definitely been some trail and errors along the way and I know many sides of the music business can be challenging however I was able to jump into sync licensing pretty early and found a niche and professional side of the business. Before getting into syn I was literally punched in the face by another promoter when I was out handing out flyers. I was also told from a DJ that the single I had wasn’t good then months later was playing it in rotation. You have to be relentless in this business for every yes you’ll get you’ll probably get 10 no’s but that one yes might lead to something even bigger. I’m constantly learning a finding ways I can grow and become better. Learning from our past mistakes so we don’t repeat them is crucial.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
SteeleSync is a music licensing company based in Atlanta, GA since 2012. We represent a wide range of creatives from composers, producers, artists, singer, songwriters ect. We have a heavy focus on modern urban pop (Hip-Hop,R&B, Funk, Soul) but have an act in just about every genre. We accept submissions year-round and leverage social media when were able to. You can find us on instagram at @steelesync
SyncSpotlight is a sync licensing event focused on aligning creatives with music business professionals like Music Supervisors, Sync Agents and other creatives. Easter weekend this past year we had 250 people there including six music supervisors from the south. We had twelve briefs for the conference and around and hour of listening from audience (30 mins on the last two panels). I was help at the Studio Theatre in the Sandy Springs Performance Arts Center.
I’ve attended a few events in Nashville over the past couple months including the Nashville FIlm Festival and the Nashville In Sync events.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Know that this is a marathon not a sprint and the people you choose to work with are important. It’s also a small business so you don’t want to burn any bridges so treat people the way you want to be treated and try to put yourself in other shoes. You have to be politely persistent and relentless. Also take the time to do the research projects or people on imdb, tunefind.com ect.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://steelesync.com/ and https://syncspotlight.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steelesync/ and https://www.instagram.com/syncspotlight/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteeleSync/ and https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554509650407
