Industry Talk: Camilla Ødegård in MER Management

As the Finance Director at MER she works across all their business areas with business development, legal, HR, analytics, statistics and everything that has to with the company’s finances. Ødegård is also Alan Walker’s Business Manager and is also partly in charge of establishing MER’s new publishing company, “Stellar Songs Scandinavia”.

“In MER, everyone takes part in everything we do and so do I,” she says.

She also reveals that she is dabbing into some parts of the creative side as well to get a better understanding of the whole process.

In relation to our upcoming event in Oslo, Friday March 29th, “Eksportdagen” (“The Export Day” in english), we wanted to learn a little more about her and her thoughts on the industry. She will be speaking about their experiences with export of Norwegian music in one of the panels.

“What has been on your to-do-list lately, and what takes most of your time?”

“Establishing our new publishing company has taken a lot of my time lately, and I am trying to learn basic music production in order to better understand the processes. That has been really fun! We have had a huge release with Alans new single, On My Way, that now is streaming amazing! And last, but not least, we are finishing the books for 2018 for all of MERs companies.”

“The most important piece of advice you have ever received.”

“I think the most important advice I ever got is that when you are supposed to work 8 + hours a day you should work with something you genuinely love and are passionate about. If you think about work as fun, you excel and challenge yourself in a completely different way! It all comes down to your own mindset in the end.”

“Any helpful tips and tricks for a way around the industry?”

“It is such a cliché, but you need to put in the work! You need to allow yourself to dream big and be passionate in whatever you do no matter what your role is. I also think that you should never underestimate your own possible impact in the industry since it is rapidly changing and moving.”

“Why Norway, why now? Where are we going?”

“There is no secret that we export Norwegian music more and more, and that there is music coming out from Norway that is extremely well done. I do believe we are seeing a trend with new, young artists, writers and producers with huge talents and great work ethics all across the country.

I also think that we have a lot of great and hardworking managements, labels and publishers that really know what they are doing and are pushing in the same direction.

Nonetheless, I think we have a lot of changes that need to be made before we can become one of the big export countries, and it has a lot to with dealing with the music industry as ordinary business and not as a protected industry at a national level.”

“Who in the Norwegian music industry deserves a high five?”

“Hard one! There are so many incredible skilled and great people that I could have mentioned, but I would give a big high five to Alan, K-391, Vinni and all our writers. I have never met anyone that follows their heart and works so hard! The same goes to all my colleagues in MER, you are an incredible bunch!”