VIDEO PRODUCTION

My passion for video production developed long before I had the words. Upon realizing my calling, I centered all of my graduate school work on music, whenever possible. When festival photo essays and radio segments on Lucy Rose didn’t feel like enough, I created Clef City — a music blog featuring interviews with artists like City & Colour, Marc Broussard, and Greg Laswell — to further hone my production skills outside of the classroom. The blog’s success, partnered with constant encouragement from a broadcast professor to embrace my knack for being on camera, intensified my multimedia pursuits. My unique approach — rooted in authenticity and relatability — became the driving force behind multiple original series at Kobalt spanning artists, genres, and topics. Whether discussing the severe lack of female representation amongst producers or challenging Grammy-nominated writers to create a love song with five random words in 20 minutes, the videos I work on are consistently engaging, enlightening, and brand forward.

ALISSIA: THE INTERVIEW

What producers create can’t be seen, but when listening to a song produced by Alissia the feeling is unmistakable. Whether caught between a groovy baseline or a chill-inducing chord progression you know who’s the heart[beat] of the track upon listening. No matter the artist or genre, it’s Alissia, and yet, her focus is always to make them shine. She’s merely a vessel for them to sing out alongside, but today she’s in the spotlight. Tune in as the 3x 2025 Grammy Awards Nominee walks SMP through how she got started — musicians, this is one you especially won’t want to miss — where she’s headed, and advice she has for upcoming woman producers as the 9th to receive the coveted Producer of the Year nomination.

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Director: Cortney Riles
Producer: Lindsey Buckmeier
DP & Editor: Justin Yew

HITMAKER WEEK MIAMI

Over 60 creatives + over 40 sessions = 100% HITS

We’re back with Hitmaker Week and the heat was on as SMP & BeatStars took over Circle House Studios for an unforgettable week of global music creation. From social tips to immersive audio experiences, the creativity, conversations and collaboration were endless.

Each of our Hitmaker Weeks have been special — global and fostering incredible growth — but one of my favorite parts about this one is the collaboration between Sony Music Publishing and Sony Electronics. We’re all here to empower creators and there’s several ways to do that, but it’s undeniably the best when we do it together.

ALBUMS AND SINGLES ANNIVERSARIES

From L to R: Celebrating 25 years of TLC’s “No Scrubs,” Whitney Houston’s “My Love Is Your Love,” and Tommy James and the Shondells’s “Crystal Blue Persuasion.”

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Click each image to see how we celebrated these anniversaries (and more) on Instagram.

SMP Celebrates 50 Years of Hip-Hop

There were A TON of hit songs released and rocked to throughout 2000-2020, but these right here were (and still are) something special! We’re celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop all summer and today we’re highlighting a selection of songs that ruled Billboard's Hot 100 chart throughout the 2000s. All number ones (for multiple weeks!). All still on repeat! Comment your fave and sing along.

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Producers: Cortney Riles and Lindsey Buckmeier
Editor: Rio Mineta

HITMAKER WEEK EUROPE

What happens when over 27 songwriters and producers from over 10 countries link up? MAGIC.

Our very first Hitmaker Week Europe alongside BeatStars and SMP colleagues from 7 territories was beyond special. The sessions and songs created were countless. The collaboration and relationships developed were endless. And the vibes were immaculate.

HUGE thank you to TikTok and BMI for adding to it all with their support and incredibly informative conversations. And a special shout out to Stockholm, and our friends at House of Creatives for being the best hosts creators could ask for. Let the countdown to next year begin!

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Producers: Cortney Riles and Lindsey Buckmeier
Editor: King Kunta

SMP CON ATL

150+ songwriters and producers

15 labels

3 days

2 sponsors

1 team

SMP CON ATL was special. All about creating, connecting, harnessing talent and hard work, and building what’s next in music. From informative presentations, to ongoing sessions, to words of wisdom from a few special guests, the future is bright. And we’re here, as always, to support each and every writer along the way.

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Producers: Cortney Riles and Lindsey Buckmeier
Editor: AC Hampton

SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME

For nearly 30 years The Neptunes have blasted through our radios, boom boxes, CD and MP3 players, iPods, and streaming platforms. They’ve evolved dramatically much like the devices we’ve listened to them on, but the quality of their productions has never wavered. Their story is one that adolescent bandmates dream of. The type of refreshing reminder that we all need once in a while; to know and believe in ourselves, stay focused, and grounded, and trust that tremendous amounts of hard work and risks will eventually lead to great reward.

Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo met in seventh grade, in a school jazz band in Virginia Beach, VA where Pharrell played drums and Chad played the saxophone. They complimented each other early on, enough for Teddy Riley to catch on and sign them. They started working with R&B legends like SWV, Mary J. Blige, and Backstreet and by 1998, they scored their first placement on the charts with N.O.R.E.’s “Superthug.” The production duo was never limited by genre though. In fact, their versatility has always been one of their greatest assets and a key factor to their overwhelming success in the early aughts. From Hip-Hop to Pop, Busta Rhymes to Britney Spears, it was nearly impossible to turn on the radio and hear a song they didn’t have a hand in creating — by August 2003 the Neptunes were responsible for a whopping 43% of songs played on the radio that month.

Their exponential success continued both in production and as artists when they formed N.E.R.D. To date, they’ve garnered the #1 spot on Billboard's “Top 10 Producers of the Decade” list, 24 top 10 entries on Billboard’s Hot 100, and four Grammy Awards. Tonight, over 20 years since their start, their culture-shaping achievements will be recognized as they’re officially inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Such a well-deserved honor. Congratulations to The Neptunes on an incomparable career!

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Producers: Cortney Riles and Lindsey Buckmeier
Editor: Rio Mineta

From funk and rock’n’roll to soul, pop balladry, and R&B, The Isley Brothers are known for developing a unique sound synonymous with all genres. The band’s evolution and innovation led them through nearly seven decades of cultural shifts and success with hit after hit. Little Richard said it best — “They are the founders…originators…architects of what they’re doing.”

Growing up in Cincinnati, The Isley Brothers sang in the church choir. They began as a trio, first signed after an executive saw the group performing "Lonely Teardrops" in Washington, D.C. While performing, they interjected the lyrics "You know you make me want to shout;” an ad lib that later became their first single, "Shout".

10 years later, in 1969, The Isley Brothers wrote one of their greatest hits. "It's Your Thing” reached No. 1 on the R&B charts, and awarded The Isley Brothers a GRAMMY for Best R&B Vocal Performance by A Duo or Group. “I woke up humming it,” Ronald Isley says, “coming back from one of our London trips.” Beyond that, the next thirty years were filled with essential music: "That Lady, Pt. 1,” "Fight the Power, Pt. 1, “Summer Breeze,” “For the Love of You,” “Love the One You’re With,” “Harvest for The World.”

The Isley Brothers received a lifetime achievement GRAMMY in 2014, have sold millions of records worldwide, and released 30 albums with 16 landing in the Top 40: all powerhouses on the R&B charts. Through their mastery of blending genres, they have brought newness to the mainstream time and time again, with a lasting impact on countless artists to follow. In many respects, they are one of the most influential bands in history. True mavericks.

Seven decades transcending love and music. Congratulations on the induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

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Producers: Cortney Riles and Lindsey Buckmeier
Editor: Rio Mineta

ATLANTA OFFICE OPENING

WELCOME TO ATLANTA. We’re proud to announce Sony Music Publishing’s newest roots in A-Town. We’re looking forward to working with current and upcoming writers alike in our local studio and beyond. This is just the beginning. Stay tuned!

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Producers: Cortney Riles and Lindsey Buckmeier
Editor: AC Hampton

THE PROTOTYPE

Art is cyclical, collaborative, and built upon what’s come before. Nowhere is that more apparent in today’s music than sampling, where producers are recontextualizing the sounds and melodies of the past for the audiences of today. The result? Songs that are at once brand new but reminiscent of music’s history. In The Prototype, Sony Music Publishing producers go back and time and review their favorite samples of all time. Some of them they’ve used, others they might plan to, but this conversation is simply about the best of the best. In this original series, we use the unique phenomenon of sampling to explore ideas around collaboration, remix culture, and creativity.

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Director & EP: Cortney Riles
Co-Producer: Lindsey Buckmeier
Editor: Rio Mineta

Good Company with Mahalia:
An Intimate Conversation on Music, Identity & Love

What’s in a name? A history, sometimes a legacy, and always, a story. As we pass by billboards and scroll through playlists, we see artists' names daily. And, while we live in a day and age where most information is easily accessible, the deeper meanings — the backgrounds, the foundations, the upbringings — which habitually lead to the very music we love can be harder to find. In this interview, we dig deep into rising R&B sensation, Mahalia’s, story.

Captured at the intimate H Club, we witness a raw and unearthed side of the captivatingly charming and routinely relatable young woman hailing from the UK. From growing up bi-racial, attempting to negate stereotypes left and right, to approaching age-old topics like love refreshingly in her music, we learn just why she’s been named an artist to watch by the likes of The Brits, YouTube, and Pandora.

Her name has carried great weight since birth, and soon it’ll be on the lips and ears of listeners around the world. This is one story you won’t want to miss. The story is now live on Kobalt's Instagram or take a look here.

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Director & EP: Cortney Riles
Co-Producers: Jesse Feister, Derek Cournoyer
Editors: David Mendel, Kelly Ford

Watch episode 2 with Blues prodigy, Kingfish, here.

Conversations with Creatives:
Using your voice to fight systemic racism in the music industry and beyond

Featuring Stephanie Allain, Pop Wansel, Devon Gilfillian, Jazmine Cephas Jones, & Moses Sumney.
Moderated by Cortney Riles

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Produced by Kobalt Creative team.

[Mis]Conceptions

Episode 1: Rogét Chahayed & Kurtis McKenzie

Music is universal. A hit, undeniable. But, as they span languages and locations, evoking emotion and changing culture, some things get lost in translation. The more popular the song, the more misunderstood the creativity behind it. In [Mis]Conceptions: where creators set the record straight,” we sit down with some of Kobalt’s most influential songwriters and producers for an exploration of their creative processes—challenges, criticisms, and all.

A 2018 study conducted by USC Annenberg’s Music Coalition—recently championed by The Recording Academy— concluded that: the male to female ratio across 400 popular songs from that year is 47 to 1, 2 percent of producers are women, and 3 percent are mixers and engineers. Where are the women behind the boards? More importantly, how do those trying to make their mark gain agency to take a shot? In this roundtable, Adrianne Gonzalez (Christina Perri, Aloe Blacc), Charlie McClean (LÉON, Roast Apple), Emily Wright (Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson), MNDR (Mark Ronson, Q-tip), and Suzy Shinn (Panic! At The Disco, Weezer) dig deep, discuss and develop a plan of action. Led by Jamie Kinelski, VP, Creative, the talented women share their experiences, ideas, and palpable passion for change. This is [Mis]Conceptions: where creators set the record straight.

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Director & EP: Cortney Riles
Co-Producers: Dan Karp, Jesse Feister
Editors: David Mendel, Jamie Stuart

Love Songs For No One

ft. Some Randoms & Pop Wansel

ft. Amy Kuney & Caroline Pennell

ft. David Hodges, Evan Bogart & Steven Solomon

Valentine’s Day evokes mixed emotions. Whether you’re single or boo’d up, we all can appreciate a good love song. But, not all of us can bust out an original, using 5 completely random words, in 20 minutes. Luckily some of Kobalt’s most talented songwriters and producers are professionals. Catchy, witty, and incredibly amusing, it’s only a matter of time before these tracks are stuck in your head.

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Director & EP: Cortney Riles
Co-Producer: Jesse Feister
Editors: David Mendel, Jamie Stuart

Off The Charts

Off The Charts with Amy Kuney

2018 marked Kobalt’s Biggest Year Yet when over 100 artists, writers, and producers received 61st Annual Grammy nominations. Leading up to the awards we chatted with a few nominees on Instagram Live about everything from how they got started to exactly what it took to create songs that topped the charts before becoming nominated for the prestigious award.

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Director & EP: Cortney Riles
Co-Producer: Jesse Feister
Editor: David Mendel