Memphians know how to make music that travels.
You can hear our influence everywhere—on the radio and across film and television—in sounds that carry the imprint of the city.
What’s harder to see are the networks and pathways that shape where that music goes next. Those parts of the industry don’t always sit close to the spaces where the music is made.
In the Lab is a new workshop series from Memphis Music Initiative designed to bring some of that knowledge closer to home.
The series opens a room where Memphis creatives can hear directly from people working across the music industry and get a clearer sense of how the work moves—how opportunities take shape, how collaborations form, and how songs travel beyond the studio.
Rather than treating the business of music as something distant or opaque, In the Lab creates a point of connection, bringing Memphis creatives into the same room with the people, ideas, and conversations that move the industry forward.
A closer look at sync licensing
The first In the Lab session focuses on music sync: the process of placing songs in film, television, and other visual media.
Memphis produces extraordinary music. But the pathways that carry those songs into film and television are often harder to see from the outside. Opportunities like sync placements can feel far removed from the everyday work of writing, recording, and releasing music.
This session offers Memphis creatives a chance to hear directly from people working in the field and begin to understand how those opportunities take shape.
The workshop will be led by Mckenzii Webster and Charles Seaton, music professionals connected to the Memphis Chapter of the Recording Academy and Crosstown Arts. They’ll share insight into how sync placements happen, what music supervisors look for, and how artists can begin thinking about their work in ways that translate to screen.
For artists, producers, and songwriters in Memphis, it’s a chance to better understand how their work can move into new creative spaces.
Why this matters in Memphis
The music industry now stretches far beyond records and touring.
Film, television, advertising, streaming platforms, and digital media are all places where music finds new audiences. For artists, that means songs can travel into many different creative spaces.
But much of the knowledge about how those opportunities happen still moves through relationships, conversations, and networks that aren’t always easy to see from the outside.
Creating more chances for Memphis creatives to hear directly from people working in the field helps close that gap.
And in a city with this much musical talent and creative momentum, those kinds of connections help shape what comes next.
Bringing the industry into the room
For more than a decade, Memphis Music Initiative has worked across the city’s arts community—supporting artists, investing in local organizations, and building programs that help Memphis creatives see where their work can go next.
In the Lab grows out of that same approach.
Each session in the series focuses on a different part of the music and creative industries, bringing working professionals into conversation with Memphis artists.
The goal is to create a point of connection—bringing Memphis creatives into the same room with the people and conversations that move the music industry forward.
Join the first In the Lab session
The first In the Lab: Music Sync Workshop will take place:
March 26
6–8 PM
Memphis Music Initiative
The workshop is open to creatives interested in seeing how music finds its way into film and television.
This session marks the beginning of the In the Lab series, with future workshops exploring other parts of the music and creative industries.
For Memphis artists who want a clearer view of how the industry works beyond the studio, it’s an opportunity to start connecting the dots.
Memphis Music Initiative (MMI) is a creative youth development nonprofit working to connect young people with opportunities in music and the arts while strengthening the city’s cultural ecosystem. Through programs, partnerships, and investments in local arts organizations, MMI helps support the next generation of Memphis artists.
