How is Music Used in Advertising?

In this article, you will learn about the use of music in advertising, who uses and creates it, and how. And also where to get advertising music.

Functions of music in advertising

In advertising, “music can serve the overall promotional goals in one or more of several capacities.” David Huron proposes six primary categories, which include: entertainment, structure and continuity, memorability, lyrical language, targeting, and authority establishment. Also, music in advertising can be used to appeal to a person’s emotions and senses. The targeting of one’s emotions is done so that the audience is swayed toward what is being advertised. Using music to influence a person’s emotional state is effective, since “music has a significant influence on the consumer’s emotional state and mood, which is an important concept in the establishment of attitudes since mood states seem to bias judgments and opinions in the same direction as the mood state”. Being able to use music in advertising has made advertisements more enticing and attention-getting for the audience. Fifteen seconds is currently the standard duration of a television commercial so advertisers need to be able to successfully grab their audience’s attention, which music does.

Read more about the categories offered by David Huron here.

Audio branding: what it is and how it works

Audio branding is the creation of musical works designed to evoke associations with a particular brand in listeners. This is a fairly broad concept, which includes both the music played in commercials and, for example, the jingles of several notes that you can hear at train stations and in the subway.

When a brand is looking for music in their video, they usually turn to a music agency, label, or creative agency. If a customer turns to a creative agency, they often turn to the label or other experts themselves, and sometimes they choose the music themselves. Where to get the music, the agency decides together with the client or with a musical subcontractor – for example, one of the companies mentioned above.

Music for a brand can be written from scratch or licensed from artists – as it is or with modifications and additions. It can also be taken from libraries and stocks (about them – below), it all depends on the specific advertising campaign.

Where does advertising music come from?

Music agencies use production libraries, they all work the same way. This is a musical fund, written on the basis of some stereotyped situations, typical scenes from films. Music from libraries is somewhat similar to each other. Therefore, the tags and descriptions of the “library” indicate compositions, styles, genres, moods, tempos – attributes by which scouts from film and advertising companies can search for this music. Music usually ends up in production libraries after manual moderation.

Production libraries usually exist in every major record company. For example – Warner Chappell, Universal Production Music. Other notable companies from this industry are Megatrax, Extreme Music.

You need to read about each of these resources separately, study their instructions, understand in detail the contracts and legal forms of interaction.

Who and how orders music for advertising

Much has changed in the history of advertising and background music, both in the ways of interaction between the customer and the performer, and in the music itself, but some basic things have remained the same.

The main idea of ​​advertising music is to be in trend, that is, the sounding music should be associated with something already stereotyped and well-known. 25 years ago it was fashionable to remake pop hits or songs from movies, today each product category has its own trendy sound. There are not many such categories – maybe a couple dozen. There is, say, a corporate sound that is associated with business, offices, promotion of services; cinematic sound associated with something global, such as sports, cars, movie trailers.

Today only big brands usually have big advertising budgets that imply writing exclusive music. Small companies prefer to buy ready-made music in non-exclusive. They have a goal to do “for inexpensive” almost the same as the largest companies because much of what is already on the advertising market is very similar to each other.

What is a ‘reference track’ and how sound engineers work with it

A reference track is a music track that often represents the mood, style, set of instruments, and character of the composition, which the music creator aligns with his work to satisfy the client’s request. This is a fulcrum, not something to be copied and plagiarized.
You can create a similar but not identical sound design, change tempo, rhythm, shuffle, swing, key, instrumental composition, change vocals from female to male or vice versa, and much more. For example, you can ‘edit’ the genre.
Sometimes three or four reference tracks are taken and the new track turns out to be their twin. Then such music can be placed next to the reference, listened to in the context of similar compositions, and it will not fall out of this playlist.

To find out how to choose the most suitable mood and style for your project, advertising, business, read this article.

What an advertising composer should know and be able to do

First of all – to be able to work on the reference track. You need to understand that the customer has in his head a certain already known melody, or at least an image, a sound. The closer the composer comes to him, the faster the result will be achieved.

You also need to be able to work with a wide variety of musical styles. An ordinary composer, as a rule, writes in his own genre, delves into details, brings the work to perfection – and this is very correct. But the specificity of the advertising market is that it needs to be done exactly as the customer requires, and often in a short time, therefore, an advertising composer is such an omnivorous music producer who knows many genres and knows how to work quickly in them.

Working with a reference track is a broad question; here you can write a small book, too many nuances. Pay attention, first of all, to the mood and harmony of the music: they should be as simple, organic, transparent-understandable, recognizable, on the verge of plagiarism, but not overstep it. The second important aspect is the choice of sounds, mixing. It is recommended to listen carefully to the reference track, copy the characteristics in parts, and mix the music with the same volume and effects.

Stock music. What is it?

Stock music is sold on special sites (stocks) and is used for scoring films, YouTube videos, sites, audiobooks, and more. Collaborating with these services is another way to purchase ad music.
The largest stock site for many years has been Audiojungle, a division of Envato Corporation that also sells videos, website templates, graphics, that is, almost everything related to content production.

There are other stocks (Jamendo, Premium Beat, Pond5), but so far they are far from the stability, quality, and scale of Audiojungle.

The advantage of stocks is a fairly wide selection of music. However, such music is rather formulaic, and if you need more non-standard music, you will have to order it individually. You need to understand the essence of the compositions that are sold on audio stocks: this as background music, which is often added to the voice of the announcer, thematic video, or audio series.

There are also more and less popular composers in this market. The prices for licenses are different, and it is worth noting that the types of music licenses themselves also differ from each other.

There are quite a lot of Royal Free Music on social media networks and on YoTube. A very important nuance today is the presence of a Content ID on YouTube. Many resources offer to issue a Content ID through them for a certain percentage or, on the contrary, put forward the presence of a Content ID as a prerequisite for cooperation. This suggests that the market for YouTube monetization and social networks for artists and their music is growing. This prevents theft and illegal use of music. To understand licenses and where to get copyright-free music read this article.

How to Choose Music for Business?

It is enough to hear the music to understand which brand is in front of us. How to choose background music for your business and your brand? What kind of music to use, with or without lyrics, and what style of music would best sell?

Why background music and not popular songs?

Someone is used to being sad to famous music, so a particular song may be associated with drama and unpleasant events. Of course, with pleasant ones too. It turns out that the music that people know and often hear is colored by emotions, information messages, and the personality of the performer.

This means that a brand that uses well-known music takes over a part of the information field where the songs live, which may be superfluous for the brand.

In addition, taste preferences can harm a brand through association. For example, if listeners think the artist is stupid, awkward, or unpopular, then this will inevitably go to the brand, sometimes in a transformed form. This is dangerous when the social group of opponents grows or is simply large, from a thousand people. And if a performer is out of fashion, so is the product.

Non-repetitive brand identity

You are not the only one – the image that develops if a brand overuse famous tracks. After all, they sound in many institutions, on the radio, and on TV. It turns out that the brand becomes the same as everyone else.

On the one hand, this is useful when a company targets a different and opposite audience in many respects, which is difficult to make friends with each other. On the other hand, if a brand wants to have its own character and be different from others, it needs to show it through attributes: music, visuals, and texts.

Correctly selected playlist

Music is limited. A common scenario: users constantly play famous tracks, and then go crazy with the fact that the songs are often repeated or because there are no new products that are suitable for the brand. For example, Justin Bieber’s songs are popular tracks. But here’s the bad luck: they are suitable for a youth brand, and you have a premium brand – you have to look for Ed Sheeran.

Because of this, you will inevitably run into the fact that the music that suits you has a limit. It turns out that there are not so many new products among the popular tracks. Also, not all songs fit together. For example, Queen and Dua Lipa are famous performers who are loved by many. However, they should not be in the same business playlist, since they represent different eras, sound differently, and create opposite associations.

Clients don’t need to sing along

Music for business is a rational selection according to the given parameters. Contrary to expectations, music should help the business, not make you want to sing or dance.

In order for music to help, it is selected with a specific rhythm, in the right style, with or without vocals, even in an era that is appropriate in meaning.

Musical brand styling

To buy an expensive classic suit, you are unlikely to go to a rap store. However, you will go to the hip-hop section for sneakers or a baseball cap.
The genre of music means a lot to the brand and when the brand chooses its specific sound it creates a recognizable association and mood among the customers. It’s not about what kind of music the target group prefers, but how the sound matches the brand.

Ambient

This is a very light, sometimes airy style of electronic music, it can be a little danceable, it can be completely shapeless and immense like an ocean. Very accurately conveys the expensive atmosphere of tranquility.

• Spa salons and saunas;
• Yoga;
• Rest and relaxation areas;
• Applications;
• Massage services;
• Presentations.

Lounge

A genre for established brands that are confident in themselves. They have nowhere else to rush and do not need to control everything, because a balance has been found. Lounge brands are as different as music: some unpredictable, others tech-savvy. Some brands make calmness their highlight, while others – something provocative, like Bossanova. Lounge and jazz often overlap, which is why many brands use two styles at once.

• Gadgets;
• Fashion and Style;
• Presentations;
• Bars;
• Summer cafes;
• Yacht clubs.

Jazz

Music of creative and intellectual brands. These brands “live” in major metropolitan cities. You expect premium quality from such brands, they always look good and take care of their appearance. Communication with such brands does not imply youth memes that are published by everyone: if joking, then in their own way, subtly and cleverly.

• Elite hotel chains;
• Major airlines;
• Fashionable designer clothes;
• Expensive shops;
• Cosmetic brands;
• Foreign cars;
• Alcohol and beer are good and expensive.

Cinematic

Cinema without music would be boring. At first, the film was without words, and it was dubbed by pianists, adjusting to the mood and dynamics of the film. Over time, voice acting and color rendition appeared in the cinema. Music also kept up and progressed. And today it has grown into a large-scale section of music. Cinema music combines a lot from other styles, for example from classical music it has adopted the sound of the orchestra and epic, from industrial tension and modernity. This music can be inspiring, fearsome, romantic, intense, scary, and even annoying.

• Film industry;
• Video advertising;
• Video content;
• Entertainment;
• Creativity and Science;
• Electronics;
• Cars;
• The property;
• Presentations.

Corporate

It so happened that business and motivational music is used for business. It has grown into a separate genre and its range of applications is corporate.

• Commercial activity;
• Advertising;
• Marketing;
• Business business;
• The property;
• Presentations;
• Legal services;
• Medicine;
• Politics;
• The science;
• Training and education,
• IT and technology.

Soft rock

Music brands that go to their goal comfortably and without strain. It is not appropriate to do anything with all your strength and to the limit, but balance, rational effort, and individuality are appreciated.

• Hotels, travel agencies;
• Entertainment, bars, and cafes;
• Mobile applications;
• Cars;
• Creativity and Science;
• Bioproducts;
• Jewelry.

Electronic music

The genre unites several directions, mainly dance: house and its subspecies, dynamic lounge, dubstep, and ambient.

Electronic music for fashion brands. This happened because it was often used in fashion shows: the speed of the music is ideal for the model step. Thanks to this, an association emerged: electronic music is fashionable.

Electronic music brands are energetic, want to do a lot, and follow trends. Such brands are at the center of events and stir up interest in themselves, so you expect loud statements and a little provocation from brands. Another feature is the variety.

It is important for fashion brands to constantly improve and look for something new.

• Clothes and footwear;
• Fashion shows;
• IT and telephony;
• Cars;
• Alcohol, except wines;
• Jewelry;
• Yacht clubs;
• The property;
• Restaurants, cafes, and bars;
• Sports grounds.

Indie pop

A creative and romantic brand, not like everyone else. Indie pop brands are different, with a vibrant personality that they show without fear of being misunderstood. These brands are often used, but even if they get bored, it is still difficult to stop loving them.

A bit airy and unreal, these brands remain in the memory.

• Electronics;
• Cars;
• Women’s clothing and footwear;
• Hotels, travel agencies.

Folk

This is mostly acoustic music with live instruments. There are various subspecies and directions. You can say the elder brother of Go music. It adopts the elements of folk art, but this style has long been not limited only to folk performance but has a powerful selling ability.

• Entertainment;
• Children’s institutions and entertainment;
• Video advertising;
• Video content;
• Education;
• IT and technology;
• Advertising;
• Food and drinks;
• Household goods, personal hygiene products.

Pop

A universal brand that brings people together. Most often these are brands with a light character, agile and flexible. Such brands do not have a clear opposition between “us and them”: the brand is ready to be friends with different people and adjust their strategy to them.

• Food and drinks;
• Family entertainment;
• Mobile applications;
• Cosmetics;
• IT and telephony;
• Creativity and Science;
• Bioproducts;
• Jewelry;
• City festivals.

Rock

Quite bold and defiant style. Of course, there are many subgenres in rock, but commercial rock is more or less sustained and has taken its own niche in the market.

• Gadgets;
• Fashion and Style;
• Food and drinks;
• Entertainment;
• Electronics;
• Cars;
• Advertising;
• Marketing.

R&B

Rhythm and blues for fashion brands. These are usually new businesses, developments, even chewing gum flavors. Only the “new” is necessarily based on the old, just like R&B itself – a different approach to familiar things.

You can also tell from the music who the brand’s audience is because everything new and fashionable is usually acquired by the elite.

• Electronics;
• Beer;
• Telephony;
• Cars;
• Snacks, chewing gums, hard candy;
• Entertainment;
• Mobile applications;
• Household goods, personal hygiene products.

Hip-Hop

This direction is quite versatile. It can be trendy, aggressive, relaxing, and not suitable for every business. The history of the development of style begins in protests against inequality and injustice, but today this subculture, due to its reflexive nature, personifies style, trends, fashion, and popularity.

• Fashion boutiques;
• Video blogs;
• Travels;
• Gadgets;
• Fashion and Style;
• Food and drinks;
• Entertainment;
• Cars;
• Social networks.