Music is one of the most powerful tools for creating a successful video. If your viewer has a connection with the music, they will probably form a connection to your message…and so your brand.
Selecting the right music is not easy and can take a video from wonderful to whack if not done right. This is made harder by the overwhelming amount of songs to choose from, oftentimes sounding virtually identical.
Another major role of music is to drive home the message in the video. Some adverts use music simply for their entertainment value. Viewers get to associate the good feelings of the song with the brand.
Others include a song that goes in line with what is being advertised – for example, a high-speed dance track for new headphones’ promotional video is directly correlated to the product on offer.
On many occasions, music is just there to provide a nice background – often the case when the dialogue being used should take centre stage.
Video production companies blindly reach into their huge music library, close their eyes and pick at random.
Big mistake.
To help you understand the importance of music, I advise you to watch a movie trailer on silent? Even if the production is world-class, it will have less meaning without sound.
Music gets under our skin. Music gives us feelings that talking and subtitles simply cannot.
As video marketers, VideoSmart are passionate about all the elements that make up a video – in our opinion, the graphics, music, voiceover and script are all vital components in equal measures.
With a great deal of experience in selecting tracks for our clients’ digital content, we thought we’d share some tips.
Without further ado, here are VideoSmart’s 6 steps for making the right music choice:
First, think about the context of your messaging. What is the goal of this video? Is it to sell a specific product?
Is it to create entertainment value and go viral? Is to change the market’s perception of your brand? Understanding your goal will help you choose the right music.
If the music is overpowering, it could be taking away from the overall impact of the visuals.
For example, an informative finance video certainly doesn’t require a heavy track to detract from its complex content.
“In music, the introduction is a passage which opens a movement and establishes a melodic link to the body of the track” Ted Pease (2003).
In other words, the intro sets the tone and thus, is crucial to keeping a viewer engaged. If the music grates, the chances are you’ve lost them from the get-go.
So, choose something that grabs their attention, is catchy, but doesn’t put them off.
Take your viewers on a journey with the sound of music. To emphasise key points of information, introduce new tones, crank up the volume and add an instrumental.
Pair this with interactive video content to maximise engagement, and you have yourself a true storytelling experience.
Choosing the right pace at the right time is critical – if you are talking to someone about their insurance policy, a steady slow pace will be more effective.
Promoting a new digital offering?
A techno, high-speed track is likely more fitting. Choosing the right speed at the right time is so important in building the right reactions and optimum engagement.
What’s more, changing the pace throughout to highlight key points is a great technique – just don’t overdo it.
The marriage between music and film is a lot like a marriage between two humans: it’s all about emotions.
The mood of the music you choose has to match the emotion you want to convey.
To get this right, first listen to the track as a standalone and consider how it makes you feel. If it matches the emotion you wish to evoke, you’re almost there.
With the help of tips 1, 2, 3 and 4.
The final tip is my favourite and one that is always used at VideoSmart. While the creative team here are wonderfully talented, they do not represent our client’s target audience.
And while the video team may shortlist their favourites, it is the whole team (developers and sales included) who cast a vote for the best song.
If you take one piece of advice from this blog, it is this: try it. You’ll be surprised which track comes out on top.
To help get you started, here is a selection of 3 royalty free music websites you can find a whole host of tracks:
Audio jungle is a market where you can buy royalty-free music. There is a huge group of music producers working for this website.
Originality, creativity and quality can all be found here.
With a great contributing community on Pond5, you can find royalty-free music with quality. Using a powerful filtering system, you can find what you are looking for in an easy and intuitive way.
This website also provides video assets that you can use on your personalised and interactive video, from imagery to sound effects.
A creative commons music platform, the Free Music Archive provides a library of thousands of quality audio files.
You can find audio files with multiple licenses that are defined by the music creators, but you must check the license before selecting it.
Music is personal, but choosing the right song for your video is essential.
Having seen the importance of music in promotional and servicing videos, do not be modest about the time and money you invest in overlaying a catchy tune.
Do extensive research before making a final decision and if possible, consider hiring an expert to help you do the pairing. Above all, be creative, understand your audience, know your goal and step outside the box.
We hope the above tips provide some guidance in selecting the right music to achieve your video’s objective – but if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.