Our newest podcast episode features a true legend from the highly succesful Scandinavian music sector. From a jazz‑kid turned punk drummer to a trusted A&R and publishing exec, Stockholm born & bred, Pelle Lidell tells a story driven by instinct, service, and an unshakeable belief that the song is king. From early signings – like Millencolin, whose skate‑punk energy became a sync magnet – to a gutsy bet on seasoned pop writer Paul Rein that delivered Christina Aguilera’s “Come On Over Baby” to No.1, we follow Pelle’s view that the power of songwriting transcends trends.

The journey widens as Pelle co‑founds Merlin, builds a wildly successful catalogue from scratch, then spends 11 years at Universal Publishing delivering lightning‑fast placements, including back‑to‑back American Idol winners. Then comes a significant turn: a call from SM Entertainment and a crash course in K‑pop economics at a time before most of the West were paying attention to the sky-high potential of the genre. He breaks down differences in writing with K-Pop in mind—song over status, being choreography‑aware, melody that survives translation—and how launching Ekko Music Rights with SM brought teams like Cassiopeia and Moonshine into place to help fuel the global K‑pop wave.

We find out what great sync managers do, about maximising briefs, and the importance of songwriting camps to generate successful placements. Pelle is candid about the hardest part of today’s business—the collapse of mechanicals, streaming’s thin payouts for writers, and the sometimes messy politics of writing splits and credit claims. His personal outlook is simple: fairness in the room, generosity when it’s earned, and a relentless standard for quality so every pitch keeps doors open.

Through it all, Pelle’s love of the songwriting craft is obvious and infectious and his passion for the art of A&R remains as strong as the day he started.

We recorded this conversation at the Scandic Malmen hotel in Stockholm.