MediaCorp & MDA Team to Turn Spotlight on Local Music

SINGAPORE: The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) and MediaCorp have started a joint effort that calls for local musicians to score and produce original theme songs for one Malay-, one English- and five Chinese-language TV programs.

The call for proposal runs from September 25 to November 5. Singapore artists and composers as well as music companies are invited to submit ideas for theme songs for the seven MediaCorp programs, ranging from in-house productions to independently produced blockbusters and dramas. The aim is to provide a platform for undiscovered music talent to get their songs heard. The selected songs will receive airplay on MediaCorp’s free-to-air channels and on catch-up TV on xinmsn. Successful proposals will be commissioned by MDA and licenced for use by MediaCorp.

“MDA is intensifying our support for local musicians by working with our national broadcaster to ensure airplay for our local music talent on free-to-air platforms. We hope the increased exposure will help local audiences better appreciate local music and take pride in local content,” said Yeo Chun Cheng, the director of broadcast, animation, film and music at the MDA. “We have also ensured that the Intellectual Property rights of the songs belong to their creators, so they can exploit the song further, such as having it played overseas, or incorporated into a compilation album.”

Chang Long Jong, MediaCorp’s deputy CEO, said: “We are excited about this joint effort and look forward to hearing good, memorable pieces for our productions. Time and time again, we have seen how the theme songs of our drama serials have managed to strike a chord with our viewers and connect with them emotionally, bringing them closer into the story and the characters that they root for. From the classic The Awakening, to more recent productions like Devotion and the iconic The Little Nyonya, these theme songs have endured the test of time and became a part of our collective popular culture.”