Gregory Tan

So nice to meet you! First off, what’s your name? Tell our readers a bit about yourself—where you’re from originally and where you live now.

My name is Gregory, and I am a composer and music producer originally from Singapore, currently based out of Tokyo, Japan! Most of my work involves creating music for movie trailers, TV shows and video games. I work with music publishers across the globe to make that happen! Some of my music has been featured in the trailers of Fast & Furious, Jurassic World, Star Wars: Andor, Kung Fu Panda 4, Diablo IV, World of Warcraft and more!

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now.

I love the vibrancy of Tokyo city, but also the quietness of the suburbs. It’s such a beautiful contrast, and you’d probably be able to find an interest group or a community of people for nearly every kind of hobby you could think of. People here are really polite, and respect your personal space! The culture of Japan in general is just amazing.

Tell us a little more about what your company does and how it started. How does it help your customers?

So I run a sole proprietorship, and it arose from a “business need” as opposed to me being really entrepreneurial by nature. A lot of the clients I did work for wanted a more “official partnership” from company to company. In a sense, it helped a lot administratively (for tax purposes, for instance) and logistically. In terms of branding, conducting yourself as a corporation allows you to command corporate prices. Clients are also more open to taking you seriously.

My company creates music for motion picture advertising, and any other forms of multimedia synchronisation (a process where music is paired to picture in synchronicity). Just like pop music, tailoring songs or tracks for synchronisation also requires a certain format.

These days, I also partner with other established music creatives who are able to cover my own blind spots. Each of us understands the needs of our clients and is able to meet most kinds of sonic requests, be it lifting the overall mood of a visual with bespoke music, using sound effects to emphasise certain moments in a trailer and more!

If someone wants to start a business, what advice would you give them?

Understand that cashflow is king. It sounds like an oversimplification, but the business is either making money or it’s not. There’s no real in-between. Breaking even falls under “not making money”, in my opinion. Having a great product or proof of concept doesn’t automatically equate to having a successful business. There needs to be an actual demand for the product, your ability to deliver, and systems in place to ensure consistent revenue generation.

I’d say to be aware of what the market of choice is like, who the competitors are, your unique selling point as well as the risks involved before blindly taking the plunge.

It’s important to find the intersection between what you’re good at, what you enjoy doing and what your industry needs.

What is one piece of feedback from a happy customer or client that you won't forget?

There was a client of mine who once started off an email saying something like “I don’t like this track….I LOVE IT”. And that has stuck with me ever since!

Where do you see your company in the future?

Perhaps somewhere along the lines of being a sync consultant for music labels or music publishers. I think I’d still continue writing music because I love it, and I doubt that will ever change, but perhaps be more involved in the music business side of things.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

Many people think that the only way to make a living from working in music is either becoming a signed pop/rock star, going viral on social media, or teaching. In reality, there are a lot more options.

A few alternatives that come to mind include: sync licensing, music publishing, production for artists, leasing beats, YouTube and Twitch streaming, sample libraries/sample pack selling, product reviews, live performances, songwriting and more.

Each of these suggested lanes comes with its own difficulty, of course, but I suppose the point is to dispel the earlier-mentioned myths.

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business, and how did you deal with it?

When I started out, I was younger and pretty impatient. I bugged potential partners and clients consistently in a less than ideal manner. Ever since then, I’ve come to understand that this industry can be pretty slow moving at times.

I’ve also stopped tying my self-worth to my net worth or my career path, and that has helped me a lot mentally. It has given me the clarity to be objective while conducting my business.

Where can our readers learn more about you and your company?

Readers can connect with me on Instagram at @gregtanmusic, via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregtanmusic/ or via my website at www.gregtanmusic.net