Talent Tuner

Maik is a composer for film and TV and Executive Creative Director at Ambassadors. He approaches music for brands through the lens of a performing artist. His foundation lies in a decade of classical percussion followed by a degree in composition at the Pop Academy. Between 2000 and 2020 he built an extensive career as a producer and DJ for labels such as Universal and Spinnin’ performing on 1500 stages across the globe. This experience forms the bedrock of his current work for brands including Uber, Samsung and KPN where he blends technical discipline with a natural instinct for what resonates with a wide audience.

Einar Ihle grew up in a musical family of educators and went on to build a career in composition, sound design, and sonic branding for radio, advertising, games, and installations. He has worked with clients and artists including BBC Radio 1, Audi, BMW, NASA, Google, Burger King, Post Malone, Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, and Childish Gambino.

Steve Johnsen (1978) is an executive music producer, musician and creative entrepreneur with over two decades of experience. As the founder of Never Square Music, he specializes in music production, songwriting and sonic branding. Steve has led award-winning projects at MassiveMusic and Antfood and holds an Advanced Diploma from Abbey Road Institute, with additional training at the Sound Sanctuary Academy in Tuscany as he expands into the sound and wellbeing space. Through his own label, Never Square Records, Steve helps emerging talent get heard. Most recently, he served as president of the ADCN Crafts Jury 2025, advocating for excellence in music and sound.

Ella founded Heron Music in 2020 with composer Guido Maat. Together they craft original soundtracks for fashion, advertising – working with clients like Rituals, Vinted and various feature film projects. They are closely connected to composers, artists and labels across the globe and deeply value those relationships. Their mission is to clear the grey area surrounding custom composition, creating more trust and freedom to benefit the creative process. As a result, they’ve built successful, lasting partnerships with a range of brands and advertising agencies. With a deep passion for the craft of original composition, Ella is always exploring new ways to support its makers in the years to come.

Darius Timmer is a keyboard player, composer, producer, mixing and mastering engineer. Together with Tessa Rose Jackson, he runs Tiny Tiger Studios in Amsterdam. As a composer, Darius has worked with many artists as well as filmmakers, among which are: Milou Gevers, Sara de Monchy, Pascal Lamche, Jonathan Elbers, Thomas Vroege, Laura Stek, Anais Lopez, Amazon Prime, David Spearing, HALAL, Witfilm, NTR, DOXY, VPRO, EO and many more. He has won several MIMA’s for his compositions. Recently he and Tessa have been working on a few feature films, though he has in the past worked on podcasts, tv shows, documentaries and theatre plays.

Mees van der Velde is a Music Producer and A&R at the award-winning music agency Sizzer in Amsterdam. After studying Music for Media at the HKU University of the Arts Utrecht, he started his career composing for films and commercials. At Sizzer, he works across music production, creative direction, and talent development for international brands and campaigns. He collaborates closely with artists, producers, and composers to develop music-driven projects from concept to final delivery.