​03.07.2025

The Headliner: Music Television that Moves

by Bart Hendrikx, Strategy Director, SMP Amsterdam

SMP Amsterdam deepens creative collaboration with Talpa Studios in sound-led storytelling for bold talent show Amsterdam, July 2025

The Headliner, the latest music competition format from Talpa Studios, brings together star coaches, rising talent, and a game-changing stage design to create a truly immersive entertainment experience. At the heart of this production, SMP Amsterdam leads the sonic direction, crafting a high-impact sound identity that fuels the show’s emotional and narrative engine.
The show is the latest result of a longstanding creative partnership between SMP Amsterdam and Talpa Studios, built on years of collaboration across television formats and live event productions.

Music that moves – literally

Central to The Headliner is a bold staging concept: contestants perform on a moving platform that reacts in real time to audience and coach engagement. The more energy they generate, the higher the stage rises. If support drops, so does the performer, both physically and emotionally. SMP Amsterdam translated this live-feedback mechanism into a dynamic sonic experience, using rhythm, sound design, and score to enhance every high-stakes moment.

Star coaches, breakout talent

Two duos of celebrity coaches guide emerging artists toward headline status, with a coveted reward waiting at the top: the chance to perform alongside some of the biggest names in the industry. From thematic branding to live show scoring and emotional transitions, SMP Amsterdam developed a cohesive musical language that shapes the show’s dramatic flow from start to finish.
“In The Headliner, music isn’t just part of the experience, it’s the pulse of the format,” says the team at SMP Amsterdam. “Every rise, every shift in momentum, every crowd reaction is amplified through sound.”
Elevating entertainment through sound
With The Headliner, Talpa Studios continues to push the boundaries of entertainment television. For SMP Amsterdam, it’s another opportunity to turn sound into storytelling and to help shape a format where music quite literally moves the show forward.

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