Kayla Steen

Creative Sync A&R @ UnitedMasters

About

At the intersection of music, brand, and culture — where the right song in the right moment changes everything. Sync A&R & Catalog Strategist with a track record of driving music strategy for campaigns across the NFL, ESPN, Coca-Cola, Walmart, Diageo, and LIV Golf. The work lives in the space between what a brand needs to say and what music makes people feel. Editorial frameworks built from scratch. Buyers guided through catalog with intention. Cross-functional relationships forged into placements. This year: speaker at the Grammy Museum's Industry Sessions, guest speaker at Howard University, panelist for Chartmetric, and on the sync panel at SXSW alongside DISCO and Beats by Dre Academy. Background spans sync licensing, catalog development, editorial curation, and content strategy. Music approached not as a mood, not as filler — as a decision with intention behind it. Drawn to where catalog intelligence, editorial instinct, and cultural fluency converge — on the platform, label, or brand side.

Country

United States

City

New York

Industry

Entertainment

Skill

Music Strategy, Catalog Development, Editorial Curation, Strategy, sync licensing, event curation , Metadata Management, Interpersonal Skills, Licensing, cue sheets, music knowledge, Negotiation, Disco, Graphic Design, Administration, A&R, Disco playlist curation, Instagram Marketing, Creative Briefs, Disco playlist curation

Experience

Creative Sync A&R

UnitedMasters

2023-9 - Present · 3 yrs 1 mo

New York, United States

Contributed to scaling the UnitedMasters sync catalog to 18,000+ tracks; identified and onboarded independent artists placed in campaigns for NFL, ESPN, Coca-Cola, Walmart, Diageo, and LIV Golf. Curated music selections against brand briefs from partners including NFL, ESPN, Coca-Cola, and Walmart — applying a deep understanding of campaign tone, audience, and cultural context to identify tracks that fit beyond the obvious. Oversaw editorial curation of the UnitedMasters Sync Marketplace — shaping how brand and media buyers discover and experience the catalog through intentional playlist positioning and priority placement. Curated the monthly Sync newsletter playlist (2023–present) for brand partners and music supervisors — contributing to 42% open rates and consistent engagement with active buyers. The Black History Month edition gained recognition from McCann, who reached out directly to identify the curator. Created and hosted Sync 101, an original content series generating 100K+ views — building a platform that positioned UnitedMasters as a leading voice in sync education and artist development. Scripted and served as on-camera talent for a music licensing educational deliverable that served as a key driver in securing the LIV Golf partnership; wrote and voiced the voiceover for the Synchtank partner onboarding tool. Collaborated cross-functionally with Product, Brand Partnerships, Marketing, and Social teams to align catalog strategy and sync opportunities with active brand campaigns; partnered with Product to improve internal workflows across Synchtank, RADAR, SIGMA, and the Operator Dashboard.

Owner

Sync Sessions

2022-11 - Present · 3 yrs 11 mos

New York

Founder of Sync Sessions, an independent consulting platform focused on sync licensing strategy and music evaluation. Work with creators and industry professionals to assess music for commercial viability, identify placement opportunities, and navigate the licensing landscape.

Sync Licensing Coordinator

Primary Wave

2023-1 - 2023-9 · 9 mos

New York, United States

Researched master and publishing rights for catalog ingestion and licensing preparation. Supported licensing conversations across contemporary and legacy catalogs; contributed song recommendations for active licensing opportunities.

Sync A&R

Bad Owl Records

2022-6 - 2022-9 · 4 mos

United States

Curated targeted sync pitches for music supervisors and brand clients. Refined artist presentation and pitch strategy to increase music supervisor engagement.

Sync A&R Coordinator

Zync Music

2022-1 - 2022-5 · 5 mos

New York, United States

Managed catalog tagging and metadata within DISCO; assisted A&R with artist discovery and music preparation for sync opportunities. Conducted licensing research and clearance preparation.