Swell Music + Sound Migrates Southward, Sets Up Shop with Subtractive in LA

Swell Music + Sound has been cleared to land. The San Francisco-based studio, which specializes in original music, sound design, sonic branding and audio mixing and post, is partnering with the Santa Monica Airport based creative company Subtractive. The arrival was announced by Swell Founder and senior producer Elad Marish. 

Heading up Swell’s new emphasis on the LA market will be Marc Mannino, EP and head of new business, who’s based in Southern California. An experienced music industry pro, Mannino’s resume includes stints at independent music houses, labels and publishers. 

According to Marish, this development will allow Swell to keep on doing what it’s been doing in San Francisco, only now for creatives and producers based in LA. “We’ve been kicking butt and building a strong cadre of clients here for some time,” says Elad, “working with everyone from agencies and production houses to brands and recording artists, and now we have an opportunity to bring our proven, turnkey approach to a whole new set of clients. The paradigm for how music and sound are supplied has changed, and our ability to bundle services and deliverables together is extremely relevant right now.” 

Founded in 2009, Swell’s client list includes such brands as Pepsi, Facebook, Nike, Airbnb, Old Navy, Square, Uber, Viacom and Google. It’s also produced work for local faves like the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and MLB’s San Francisco Giants. In addition to providing original and licensed music, sound design and audio post for brands and agencies, the studio has extensive credits working in music videos and short films, and has created #Beatific, a psychedelic indie pop band that’s been releasing original tunes online.  

“We offer a curated audio experience that covers just about anything a client could need,” adds Mannino. “And we expect that there will be some cross-pollination between Swell and Subtractive as we get to know one another. We can serve as their music, audio and sound design experts, and we can introduce them to people they don’t know, and vice versa.”  

“Swell can help them scale when they bring in large projects,” adds Marish, “and we can accommodate our own clients in ways that meet all Covid-19 requirements.” 

Marish is no stranger to the L.A. scene; as former National Board President of the Association of Music Producers, the ad music industry’s leading trade group, he made frequent trips to the Southland. He’s from L.A., and started his music career there before relocating to the Bay Area in 2010. With the new space in Santa Monica, he expects to be spending more time there, particularly in the post-pandemic era.  

“And we’ll be able to work with many of our San Francisco-based clients while they’re in L.A. doing production and post work,” notes Mannino. “Many of them already have outposts here, so it’s good for us to be in their backyards, too.” 

Subtractive CEO Kyle Schember views his shop and Swell as kindred souls who complement each other’s strengths. “We’re a creative production company that can handle everything from concept through completion,” he notes, “and we’re heavily steeped in music. We have a stable of talent that can work with Swell on their projects, and we can tap their capabilities on the work we do.”  

Beyond that, Schember believes he and Marish share a common bond: “We’re similar people with a lot of similar experiences along the journey of building a company,” he remarks. “And I think we have the same ethos – we focus on great work, on having fun while we’re doing it and staying inspired. Right now, strategic partnerships make a lot of sense. It’s about sustainability for your company, and helping each other through uncharted times.”