Dave Bethell is a freelance composer specialising in music for TV and radio. He currently writes for Music 4, best known for producing the Chris Moyles jingles for Radio 1 and TM Studios (the biggest jingle company in the US). He’s also written a production music album for KPM and is a member of dance outfit D:Code. Dave is launching his own production music library bedsandbeats.com in December.
How did you get into music production and composition?
I play the piano and was classically trained. Through my first job as a radio presenter I got into making jingles and beds for the stations I worked for and in 2005 I left the radio world to become a full time composer. The rest is history!
Who do you look up to in the music industry?
I grew up playing Saint-Saëns, Elgar and Beethoven, so they are big influences. Among modern composers Lennon & McCartney were truly groundbreaking and I also admire artists who are very heavily involved in their own sound, like Prince. He is an instrumentalist, writer and producer as well as a singer. Calvin Harris and Armand Van Helden are producers that I really respect – they are just so ahead of their time.
What are you working on at the moment?
Through Music4 I’ve been heavily involved in production and co-writing for the Chris Moyles parody album, released on 23 November. I’m also busy setting up my own production music company specialising in radio beds which is launching in December.
Where do you see the radio industry going in the future?
With the mergers among the major radio groups there’s been a big increase in local stations’ programming being fed through a network, like Global’s Heart stations. Though this does take away some of the individuality of the stations I think it really improves the quality of the output. It’s also opened up big opportunities for local stations to offer genuine alternatives – if Heart is playing club classics on a Friday, a local station can play Golden Oldies and attract a totally different audience. It’s actually great for the listener.
How important are royalties to you?
Extremely important: they are my biggest single source of income and have been crucial in allowing me to keep doing what I do. I was actually recently made a super member of PRS for Music – I even got a letter from Ellis Rich, Chairman of PRS!
What did you do with your first PRS cheque?
This is really boring I’m afraid – I invested in back in some studio equipment. And it’s more than paid off, so I’m glad I did!
What’s the secret to your success?
Hard work is a big part of it - I live and breathe what I do. Having a good network (and using it) is very important too, but my main focus is always on the product. If the music I make is good, then people will want to use it in their programmes.