
SVG Sit-Down: A1 Jeri Palumbo on Becoming a Production-Music Entrepreneur The broadcast-sports veteran is co-founder of new Arena Waves library By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Thursday, May 6, 2021 - 11:18 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Every production-music library has developed its sports vertical, but, for newcomer Arena Waves, sports is its one and only. Not surprising, given than founding partner Jeri Palumbo has been one of the go-to A1s in broadcast sports for 27 years. The Telly Award-winning musician-turned-mixer has handled sound for NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and NASCAR events, as well as the Super Bowl, World Series, Stanley Cups, and the Oscars. She sat down with SVG to discuss where her new venture came from, where it's going, and what's facing production music for broadcast and live sports.
Jeri Palumbo: Arena Waves is different because we are crafting cues from the bottom up: a user's perspective. We know what they are looking for.
You were a musician before moving into pro audio, a not-uncommon transition for sports A1s. But what prompted this move into production music? What opportunity or need do you see in a market that already has millions of tracks available?
All of my work is deeply rooted in my musical training and background before I moved into broadcasting. As an A1, I had to edit music to fit the broadcast needs. After a chance meeting in New York City with my current partners in Arena [Rich Tozzoli and Pat Finnegan], we had a lengthy discussion about the specifics of how sports music is different from film and television cue, including the vernacular.
I always thought that a music library dedicated to sports would be extremely useful to every aspect of production, and this partnership was ideal not only from a catalog-volume perspective but in the willingness of my partners to curate it into being sports-specific. In addition, we had an enormous talent pool we could combine between us (East and West Coast established session musicians and composers).
It was very natural to take all of my experience, broadcast and music combined, and apply it to this new partnership for the creation and curation of music specifically for the sports and esports market. Arena Waves is different because we are crafting cues from the bottom up: a user's perspective. We know what they are looking for.
What sets Arena Wave apart from competitors? How does your perspective as a broadcast-sports A1 provide unique insights here?
We make super-high-quality cues that are drop-in-ready, no editing required. We've done the editing. Having spent countless hours over the years shaving cues, we understand how time-consuming this is. With our cues, you can plug and play. Or, if you want something very specific, we are happy to do that, too. Arena Waves understands sports, esports and live broadcast production. We know how music is chosen because we've actually sat in that chair for 25 years.
What search technologies and services can Arena Wave provide to clients?
Arena Waves is mobile-platform-friendly. You can work with Arena Waves anywhere from your phone or computer, so there is no downtime on creating production playlists.
We also broke out curated playlists by style for easy searching. What you don't find in our curated playlist, you can find by genre, type, style, etc. in our main search field. In addition, we can deliver the most complicated requests quickly to our clients without compromise in as little as 48 hours.
We also created the Producer's Edge section, where broadcast producers, editors, and creators can get ready-made precision cut-downs for bumpers and highlights, freeing the A1 or editors from having to shave cues or edit. This is specifically helpful for live environments, when time is critical. Producers, A1s, and creators don't have to think about it; they can just add it to their Spot On, Ableton, 360 Systems, or whatever [platform] they are using.
What are Arena Waves' positions on such issues as royalty-free music and how to deal with DCMA takedowns of tracks used by sports?
Since Arena Waves personnel have experience coming from both the music industry and the broadcast world, we are sensitive to these issues. There will always be a place for royalty-free catalogs, and they are appropriate for, say, corporate in-house video or other smaller outlets. However, our talent pool of composers and musicians is top-notch, and Arena Waves will always strive to take care of them. That means getting the most-viable licensing syncs. In regard to DCMA takedowns, if a cut is being used for a professional production without the owner's permission, then absolutely I agree with the DCMA takedown.
A lot of music for sports has settled into some predictable pairings: hip hop for the NBA, pastoral themes for golf, triumphal horns and crunchy guitars for the NFL. Are these genres due for a shake-up?
Like any music bed, it needs to fit the narrative and make sense. Music paints a story on one hand while, other times, it's used to energize. Even though there is a comfortable and somewhat predictable pattern in the sports-broadcast world, we believe it's fresh and exciting to shake things up and try something new when appropriate.
What are the challenges in developing music for sports on the air and in the venue?
The main challenge is understanding the different needs of sports post- and pre-productions vs. a live over-the-air broadcast. Stadium and arena venues handle these differently from live broadcasts, and esports handles it differently from all the above. We understand all these differences because, again, we have sat in the chair of all those positions.
What does the future hold for sports music? Surround? 3D?
A lot! While traditional broadcasts have a tendency to go with what is predictable - stand
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
04/07/2025
By Lucy Spicer
Editor's note: We are deeply saddened by the passing of Robe...
04/07/2025
The Summer Reading Challenge has inspired children across the U.K. to embrace a ...
04/07/2025
Introducing CVP Auctions: Trusted Tech, At Auction-Only Prices
Brie Clayton July 4, 2025
0 Comments
A New Destination for Film and Broadcast Gear at U...
04/07/2025
Unveiling China's Ecological Wonders with URSA Mini Pro 12K
Brie Clayton July 4, 2025
0 Comments
Nature Documentaries Freeze Epic Momentsin Extrem...
04/07/2025
Create Any Planet in After Effects
Graham Quince July 4, 2025
0 Comments
The Advanced 3D renderer in After Effects makes it really easy to import 3D o...
04/07/2025
Custom Gradient Colorize for Resolve Fusion
Simon Ubsdell July 4, 2025
0 Comments
Digging into the theory of the gradient colorize process to build ou...
04/07/2025
Watching live sports on TV these days is a delicate balance for broadcasters how much information is too much?...
04/07/2025
WASHINGTON As Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr works to achieve his goal of a very busy, productive summer at the FCC, the agency has rele...
04/07/2025
Other World Computing Launches OWC Guardian USB-C Hardware-Encrypted Portable SS...
04/07/2025
CANAL Brings MotoGP to Vision Pro with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive
Brie Clayton July 3, 2025
0 Comments
Experience MotoGP like never before as CA...
04/07/2025
Friday 4 July 2025
Watch the trailer here https://youtu.be/Od5WpvWmDr8
Further...
04/07/2025
The Pitch comes to RT Radio 1 airwaves this Sunday at 7pm. The Pitch is a brand...
03/07/2025
For our Vario-Jib, as well as for a repertoire of weights, we now have carts that make transport easier...
03/07/2025
One of our latest innovations: Slider Drive Unit!
Our Vario Slider not only comes with improvements and new features, but also with its own drive unit!
Our i...
03/07/2025
The 360 EVO lives up to its name: 360-degree rotation not only on the pan axis, but also on the roll axis, enables filmmakers to take their creative visions eve...
03/07/2025
What a buzzing few days at BSCExpo in London!
We were thrilled to connect with so many talented professionals from the world of cinematography.
A huge thank ...
03/07/2025
ADOLESCENCE - Shot with Panther Tower"The whole rig had to be detachable mid-episode
Netflix limited drama series Adolescence has been gaining attentio...
03/07/2025
To achieve a true level of decisive overmatch, communication systems must be as ...
03/07/2025
The Broadcasters Foundation of America has named Ray Hopkins, president of U.S. distribution at Paramount Global, to its board of directors....
03/07/2025
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. In his first major policy speech, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr outlined his Build America Agenda for the agency'...
03/07/2025
As the industry is making a major push to transition to NextGen TV and develop new businesses that will fund the next generation of broadcasting, TV Tech's ...
03/07/2025
Despite enabling its subscribers to watch films and TV shows in the highest possible resolution, Netflix has revealed it is taking things old school with the in...
03/07/2025
WASHINGTON In response to news that Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump, Democrats and other administra...
03/07/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications today launched RefSuite for professional sports workflows....
03/07/2025
WEITERSTADT, Germany LYNX Technik, a provider of modular signal processing solutions, has announced that founder and longtime CEO Winfried Deckelmann is steppin...
03/07/2025
WASHINGTON Representatives from six trade groups representing tech, pay TV, broadband, LPTV and other sectors recently met with Federal Communications Commissio...
03/07/2025
PLYMOUTH, Wis. Dan Whealy has acquired Heartland Video Systems and will be its new owner and president, the systems integrator said....
03/07/2025
Acclaimed filmmaker, educator, and industry veteran Jay Holben has released his most ambitious work to date: The Director's Guide to Everything a sweeping...
03/07/2025
For Los Angeles-based photographer Scout Pruski, documenting the annual Dyke Day LA is a way to honor and give back to the city's legacy queer community and...
03/07/2025
Modular, Travel-Ready Solution Matthews Studio Equipment launches the new Chimera V-Flat Panel Frame Kit, the lightweight and modular, ultra-durable alternativ...
03/07/2025
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the release of Dalet Flex 2025.6 LTS (long-term support), introdu...
03/07/2025
Lightware's LARA Wizard makes it quicker and easier than ever to set up audio-visual (AV) room automation and control configurations, ensuring anyone, from ...
03/07/2025
Alfalite, the only European manufacturer of LED screens, has obtained both the NCAGE Code (NATO Commercial and Government Entity) and TAA (Trade Agreements Act)...
03/07/2025
nxtedition is implementing a new solution for WIN Network, based in its headquarters in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. The nxtedition integrated platfo...
03/07/2025
ORS Group and Insys Video Technologies today announce the launch of a new joint brand identity: Big Blue Marble. The move reflects the evolution of a long-stand...
03/07/2025
Evergent, a global leader in customer lifecycle management and monetization solutions for subscription-based businesses, today announced the successful results ...
03/07/2025
LYNX Technik, provider of modular signal processing solutions today announces an executive leadership transition, effective July 1, 2025. Markus Motzko has been...
03/07/2025
Chaos Releases V-Ray for Blender
Brie Clayton July 2, 2025
0 Comments
Production-Proven Renderer V-Ray Arrives Natively in Blender for the First Time;...
03/07/2025
Calvin University Adds Blackmagic Replay to Broadcasts and Streams
Brie Clayton July 2, 2025
0 Comments
Replay workflow joins 14 Blackmagic Design cam...
03/07/2025
Berklee's Gospel Performance Program Welcomes Jonathan Nelson as the Herb Al...
03/07/2025
Back to All News
Get Ready for Even More Action! Netflix Has Confirmed the Thir...
03/07/2025
Back to All News
Get ready for even more action! Netflix has confirmed the thir...
03/07/2025
In today's fragmented media landscape, advertisers expect more than just reach - they want seamless cross-platform campaigns that deliver measurable results...
03/07/2025
** MEDIA ALERT ** Shonen Jump Store Hosting Los Angeles Pop-up During Anime Exp...
03/07/2025
Thursday 3 July 2025
David Harewood and Matthew Broome in Mozart: Genius for Hi...
03/07/2025
The Sky WNT Fund supports Womens National Team players with a 30,000 bursaryThursday 3 July 2025
Sky Ireland has announced the four recipients of the 2025 Sky...
03/07/2025
The forecast this month is showing a 100% chance of epic gaming. Catch the scorching lineup of 20 titles coming to the cloud, which gamers can play whether indo...
02/07/2025
Hege Wik and Odin appear in FOLKTALES by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institut...