MPASA Ignites FAME Week Africa: A Decade of Publishing Expertise on Display
Marking our third return to the event, the MPASA was given the opportunity to powerfully represent the music publishing industry at this year’s FAME Week Africa from September 1-3.
Dynamic Workshop: Synchronization Licensing – The Bridge to Visual Storytelling
MPASA hosted a dynamic workshop that opened the curtains on synchronization licensing, the essential bridge between music rights and visual storytelling. The session, containing publishers and music users alike, saw attendees eager to learn from one another on how they navigate the complexities of music rights and how they are licensed from film and television projects by showing how early collaboration and legal clarity drive better creative results. As global demand for authentic, locally grounded soundtracks increases, this session unpacked the real business of sync from both sides of the equation.
The session, titled “From Studio to Screen: Unlocking Sync Licensing for Music and Visual Media,” was anchored by some of the most experienced minds in the African creative economy:
- Brett Vorster (Business Development & Client Services Manager at Downtown Music Publishing Africa)
- Kwelagobe Sekele (Head of Sync and Creation at Gallo Music and Gallo Music Publishers)
- Sivan Pillay (Founder and CEO of 360 Degrees South and Zero Gravity TV and Media)
- Thuli Msezane (Sync Manager at Africa Creative Publishing)
The Deal Flow: Success at the Sync Exchange
One of the most valuable highlights of our participation was the highly successful Sync Exchange sessions. This format allowed MPASA members to engage in rapid-fire, one-on-one meetings with Film Producers, Directors, and creative professionals seeking.
The Sync Exchange created a direct, unmissable pipeline for potential licensing opportunities. Our members had the chance to pitch their meticulously managed catalogues, resulting in:
- Immediate interest in tracks for upcoming local and international films.
- New relationships formed with key decision-makers in different branched of the entertainment space.
- Tangible steps taken toward securing placements that will generate revenue for years to come.
These focused sessions prove that when you put publishers directly in front of the users of music, deals can happen.
From our time at FAME Week, we can say how proud we are of how our members carried themselves while representing the South African publishing industry in their meaningful engagements with both the local and international content creators. This inspires the possibilities of a brighter future for the local industry we all love.
