Melodie Hires Industry Veteran Gary Helsinger to Lead U.S. Sync Division

Melodie, the Australia-based music licensing platform, has hired music industry veteran Gary Helsinger to lead its long-planned U.S. sync activities.

Based in Los Angeles, Helsinger will focus on the U.S. film, TV and advertising space, working his black book with studios, networks, production companies, agencies and music supervisors.

Helsinger joins the company with an enviable track record, and a reputation for possessing an encyclopedic knowledge of music.

For the past decade, he has overseen broadcast licensing deals and artist acquisitions at Spirit Production Music.

Prior to that, he enjoyed stints with Universal and Chrysalis, where he discovered the likes of Tool, Linda Perry, Jeff Buckley and The Smashing Pumpkins, whom he signed to their first publishing deal.

As an artist, he sang with Grammy-nominated comedy rock act Green Jellÿ.

“Gary brings decades of experience to this role, with a genuine passion for what we do,” comments Evan Buist, managing director at Melodie. “He has what can only be described as an encyclopedic knowledge of music, but his superpower is that he’s ridiculously likable. We couldn’t have found a better person to lead our sync business in the U.S.”

Evan Buist

Founded by Buist in 2017, Melodie launched for business two years later with the aim of connecting local composers with global content creators, offering pre-cleared master and publishing rights for all media usage, on a global basis.

Today, the company represents music from more than 100 composers and independent artists, and its catalogue has been heard on shows including Australian Ninja Warrior, Bondi Rescue, Drunk History, Love Island Australia and One Born Every Minute.

Last year, Melodie raised $600,000 from investors including Future Now Ventures, early Atlassian employee and Code Barrel founder Nick Menere, and co-owner of The Drop Festival Peter Strain.

Those funds, TMN reported at the time, would be used to ramp up API partnership efforts, continue to grow its catalogue of high-quality music from local and international acts, and launch a film and TV licensing department in the U.S., which Helsinger now leads.

Also in 2021, the company launched the #LicenseLocally campaign encouraging more content producers to utilise local Australian music.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the Melodie team, introducing this carefully-curated library of fresh tunes to the U.S. market,” Helsinger comments on his appointment.

“My lifelong obsession with all things Australian dovetails perfectly with this top notch catalog from both Australian and international artists. And as far as quality is concerned, Melodie has the best.”