The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

Should AI Artists Have Fans, Custom Music For Sync

Jul 23, 2025

Jess Furman, an Emmy-nominated composer and the founder of Sound Revolver, dives into the intriguing world of custom music for film and TV. She shares her journey from a New York singer-songwriter to a sync licensing powerhouse. The conversation heats up as Jess previews her AI-generated artist project, sparking a lively debate on the ethical implications of AI in music. Are AI artists the future, or do they threaten the human touch? Tune in for insights on creativity, industry challenges, and the evolving landscape of sync licensing.

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ANECDOTE

Jess's Sync Licensing Journey

Jess Furman moved from New York to LA to pursue sync licensing and custom music for TV and film.
She transitioned from being a singer-songwriter to writing for others due to industry realities.

ADVICE

Understanding Custom Music Work

Custom music means being hired ahead of time to create specific songs or scores for TV, film, or ads.
It differs from licensing, which uses preexisting music placed after completion.

ANECDOTE

Building Sound Revolver Brand

Jess created Sound Revolver, a gender-neutral brand to avoid being typecast as a female artist.
She built a network of peers to fulfill various custom music projects authentically.

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This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with Jess Furman—a creative executive, Emmy-nominated composer, and music industry leader whose work spans TV, film, Web3, and beyond. Named one of Billboard’s Top 40 Industry-Shaping Executives, Jess blends creative vision with business savvy. She founded Sound Revolver (now part of Big Noise Music Group), where she led award-winning music campaigns and earned Tellys, Clios, and RIAA Gold certifications. Her credits include Moonlight, Westworld, My Little Pony: Pony Life, Littlest Pet Shop, and campaigns for brands like Ralph Lauren. As a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Jess’s music has been featured on Sesame Street, MTV, Drop Dead Diva, Sundance, and SXSW.

In this episode, we follow Jess’s journey from New York singer-songwriter to a leading force in the world of sync licensing in Los Angeles. She shares what it takes to write custom music for film, TV, and branded content—and breaks down the creative and business challenges that come with it. In the second half, things get lively as she and Ari debate the future of AI in music. Jess previews her next project: an AI-generated artist built to test a blockchain-driven brand model. The music is created by AI, refined by humans, and designed to support real artists through tech. Jess sees promise in it. Ari isn’t so sure—and questions the ethics and long-term effects of AI-generated content on platforms already flooded with music.

https://www.instagram.com/jessfurmanmuse

05:45 Introduction and History

11:16 Journey to Sync Licensing

21:31 Founding Sound Revolver

31:06 Custom Music for TV and Film

45:56 AI in Music Creation

1:01:16 Debating The Future of the Music Industry

1:15:46 Final Thoughts and Making It in Music

Edited and mixed by Peter Schrupp

Music by Brassroots District

Produced by the team at Ari’s Take

Order the THIRD EDITION of How to Make It in the New Music Business: https://book.aristake.com

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