SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Music and leisure group Sony Music is cementing its long-term dedication to Singapore and South-East Asia because it opened its flagship headquarters in Singapore on Wednesday (March 23).
The firm has declined to reveal the funding sum for this regional HQ, situated in Duo Tower in the Bugis space.
The new workplace homes Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music Publishing and artiste and label providers firm The Orchard.
It additionally serves as the bottom for Sony Interactive Entertainment, the creators of PlayStation.
The firm selected Singapore as a result of the town state “is already a hub for large tech gamers like Google, Spotify, Apple and ByteDance”, mentioned Shridhar Subramaniam, Sony Music Entertainment’s president of company technique and market growth for Asia and the Middle East.
The workplace may have an preliminary workers energy of 32, with shut to twenty positions already stuffed.
Most of them shall be in roles equivalent to information analytics, “the place you see what’s trending on social media, TikTok or YouTube”, mentioned Subramaniam.
The Economic Development Board welcomed Sony’s choice “as a testomony to Singapore’s continued attractiveness as a hub for firms to drive their enterprise, innovation and expertise goals for the area”, it was quoted as saying in a press launch on Wednesday.
For Sony, plans for an workplace had been in the works since 2½ years in the past.
Subramaniam mentioned: “There’s numerous innovation equivalent to blockchain and crypto (applied sciences) right here, and Singapore is a superb place to draw expertise.”
Sony intends to make use of Singapore as a launchpad for its subsequent stage of development.
Subramaniam believes the prospects are brilliant in the town state. But he added {that a} absolutely developed ecosystem is required for the trade to flourish.
“You want recording studios, you want artistic producers. Then you want artistes to return there and to make issues… the artistic infrastructure that the town must have for it to change into a artistic centre,” he mentioned.
But musicians The Straits Times (ST) spoke to mentioned it’s arduous to succeed in the leisure enterprise in Singapore.
Even earlier than the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was already powerful to make it as a singer, one mentioned.
Cheryl Fong, 32, who used to sing full time, now has a job in IT and works as a DJ in the course of the weekends, hoping to supply a platform for aspiring singers.
She mentioned: “Being a singer is commonly not thought-about a correct job in Singapore. Most singers do not need mounted salaries. They do not need a payslip. They do not have firm advantages.”
Still, Subramaniam is assured that his firm can draw expertise. He mentioned: “Sony placing its foot right here and making… investments right here will entice these individuals.”
Some music followers instructed ST the area has numerous artistic expertise.
Kelly Chiew, 29, a supervisor in a global agency, is a fan of native and South-east Asian musicians.
She mentioned: “Many artistes and abilities have been producing music that resonates (with me).”
Sam Chang, 47, the founding father of board recreation designer Capital Gains Studio, agreed, saying he would assist South-East Asian expertise.
But 43-year-old gross sales supervisor and music fan Derrik Ling believes that on the finish of the day, it is determined by the publicity that artistes are going to get”.
Carol Ng, Sony Music Publishing’s president for Asia, mentioned Sony is looking out for songwriting expertise in the area.
“There is a richness of tradition in Asia that has impressed numerous songwriters spanning genres and generations,” she mentioned.
“We need to improve our present roster, ship new music to our audiences and take Asian music international.”
Sony sees pockets of alternatives in Cambodia, Laos and Bangladesh, mentioned Subramaniam.
“All these markets are rising. These are populous markets.”
