Fifteen years ago, Jordan Passman had a simple idea: Help musicians make money. With the birth of Score a Score, what started as a digital marketplace for indie composers has grown into a full-service music agency with a client list that includes Apple, AT&T, McDonald’s, Pepsi, Activision and Netflix.
Score a Score has carved out a niche by streamlining and simplifying the process of providing original music for advertising, film trailers and brand campaigns. Its services span custom scoring, music supervision, sonic branding and curated playlists pulled from a catalog of tracks created by the company’s more than 400 composers from around the world.
Described by Passman — whose father, Don, wrote the industry bible All You Need to Know About the Music Business (11 editions and counting) — as “a music department in a box,” Score a Score possesses a unique strength in helping clients find the right sound quickly and seamlessly. “It’s about the customer service and liaison as much as it is about the right composer,” he says. “That’s where we really thrive.”
After a short stint in the mailroom of a talent agency and five months at performance rights organization ASCAP, Passman left to represent the musicians who kept calling in for help. “[The musician landscape] was so overpopulated and so underrepresented,” Passman notes. “It was easy to build a roster. The hard part was finding opportunities to get them paid.”
Jordan Passman
Nicki Sebastian
Passman, a Los Angeles native, first imagined Score a Score as a cleaner alternative to Craigslist, where filmmakers often posted calls for composers. The turning point came when he pivoted away from promoting the platform and began selling his own ability to match talent with opportunity. “Once I shifted to selling myself versus the online platform, the business started going,” he explains. “Any composer can submit work for our team to review on our website. But we only partner with artists when we genuinely believe we can create success together.”
He began cold-calling advertising agencies, music supervisors, trailer and production houses, editors and directors, reaching a lot of voicemails where he would leave his pitch. Passman eventually found his groove with advertising. “It made perfect sense for what we offered: high volume, good price point, quick turnarounds,” he says.
From there, Score a Score grew into trailers (including the international spot for Wicked and the Clio-recognized trailer for Sing Sing) but remained nimble. When TikTok launched its commercial music library in 2020, one quarter of the tracks (1,000 out of 4,000) came from Score a Score’s catalog. More recently, mood-based playlists — whether for studying, meditating or sleeping — have collectively surpassed 2 billion streams.
Additionally, Score a Score is placing greater focus on sonic branding, an area Passman sees as increasingly vital. “Everyone has a visual logo,” he says. “Why wouldn’t you have an audio one? In today’s world with Siri and Alexa, which are so audio-focused, sonic branding is something we want to make affordable for everyone. Every company deserves to have that.”
As AI transforms the creative landscape, Passman is paying close attention — though he’s not rushing to replace human talent with technology. “If you’re a founder and CEO and not curious about AI, you’re not going to succeed in this world,” Passman says.
Rather than developing generative tools, Passman is focused on how the tech can support composers and enhance workflow. “Somebody is going to try and replace what we do with AI, but we’re insulated from that,” he says. “Our clients really care about what is going out on the content they’re creating. I’m optimistic that AI can be a tool for all of us.”
Passman acknowledges that an explosion in content has created a more fragmented landscape, with studios scaling back large-scale bets, which can mean fewer music supervision opportunities. But he’s not discouraged. “There’s an art to what we do,” he adds. “It’s a raw, emotional thing.”
This story appeared in the May 7 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.