PRESIDENT

Matt Lilley created MCL Music Services in 2009 to provide Music Clearance, Licensing, and Supervision services to the Film, Television, and Advertising communities. Previously the Director of Music Clearance in the Feature Film division at Paramount Pictures from 1996 - 2008, Matt was responsible for much of the clearance negotiating and licensing in many of Paramount’s most successful films and soundtracks over that span of time.

In late 2008, Matt was named Vice President of Music Clearance and Licensing at Lionsgate Entertainment (in charge of the company’s Film, Television, and Marketing divisions), which he transitioned into maintaining as his first client under the umbrella of MCL Music Services.

Over the past several years, MCL Music Services has expanded its services and now works in Music Supervision in the independent film and documentary world, and catalogue administration.

An avid fan of jazz music, Matt is a lifelong saxophone player, performing with the highly recognized Los Angeles-based band The Jazz Butchers, and can be heard on various television jingles. His hobbies include collecting and spinning vinyl and attending sporting events.

Matt holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix (2003) and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Industry Studies from California State University, Northridge (1997).

Ann-Marie Verdi

Ann-Marie Verdi grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles surrounded by her large Italian family and a house full of music. With degrees in Film, English, and Music, it was no surprise to anyone when she moved to London soon after graduating from University to pursue a career in music video production. Working with artists such as Oasis, Sade, No Doubt, and Radiohead, to name a few, Ann-Marie developed the skills necessary to flourish in the fast-paced environment of production. Her work ethic and dedication led to an incredible opportunity to tour the world with Oasis and learn another intense aspect of the music industry.

After many years in London and on the road, Ann-Marie returned home for a break from the music business. In 2015 she developed the concept and opened The Bellwether, a restaurant in Studio City, with business partner, now husband, Chef Ted Hopson. The Bellwether was named one of the Top Ten Best New Restaurants of 2015 by Los Angeles Magazine and garnered many awards during its five-year tenure. Sadly, The Bellwether was forced to permanently close its doors in October of 2020 due to the pandemic. With one door closing, as they say, Ann-Marie joined Matt Lilley at MCL in January 2021 and dove right into the world of music clearance and licensing.

In her free time, Ann-Marie can be found cheering on her beloved Liverpool FC, LA Dodgers, and LA Kings; traveling anywhere and everywhere, and instilling the same love of music in her kids that permeates all aspects of her life.

MCL also partners with several companies, including Mostly Music and Jennifer Schiller, that act as a resource and provide seamless clearance, licensing, and business affairs services to further expand its project bandwidth for larger clients.