When you’re creating an ad, it’s important to select music that will engage the viewer and help communicate your message.
Choosing the right music for your ad can make or break your campaign. As we pinpointed in our previous blog post, music is a powerful tool that can evoke emotions and convey messages.
This post will help you understand the power of music and some things to consider when choosing music for your ad.
A mutually beneficial relationship has existed between music and advertising for a very long time.
An advert’s ability to sell and gain brand recognition has constantly been dependent on music; whether it’s a classic, black-and-white TV ad from the 50s or a modern, HD version.
It is the experience big brands create that transforms loyal customers into brand advocates. Enhancing the experience of a brand with music is a fantastic way to make it more memorable.
What do you think? Here at Rabbeats, this is what we believe and advocate.
What should companies consider when choosing music for their ads?
It’s vital to consider a few key factors when choosing music for your TV, Radio, and digital ads.
The type of music that will work best for your advertisement will depend on the target audience (I know it sounds like a cliché but the truth is that it’s extremely important) that you are trying to reach with it and the message it is trying to convey to them. In some cases, it might be better to play current and popular music if you are targeting younger audiences than classical or jazz music if you are targeting older audiences.
Once the target audience is identified, research appropriate genres and styles that might fit with the visuals in the commercial or product being advertised. This could include anything from rock, pop, hip-hop, country, jazz, blues, reggae, and so forth. It’s important to select music that has an emotional connection to what you are selling as well as fits in with the overall tone of the advertisement (once again the target group plays a huge role).
Once you have narrowed down a specific genre and style, research potential music tracks that could be used in your ad. Listen to all available songs to determine whether they fit the feel of what you’re trying to say and how it might affect viewers emotionally.
The music and visuals in an advertisement should be complementary to one another so it is important to identify the emotions that you want to convey with your ad. For example, if you have a visual of a couple taking a romantic vacation together then the music you choose should reflect a feeling of love, joy, and happiness (it goes without saying…or not?).
Once you have identified potential music tracks, consider how much they will cost as well as any licensing rights required to use them in your ad. Is it going to be an original music composition/production? Or will it be purchased from a music library? Also, make sure that any relevant copyright laws are taken care of when selecting music for ads.
Finally, think about whether or not you want your advertisement to feature vocals or instrumental tracks. Vocals may help bring the message across more effectively but some people prefer to use instrumental music as it can be less distracting and offer more of a general feeling rather than a specific meaning. Based on our experience, if an advert has plenty of voice-overs, then it’s recommended not to use music with vocals; your audience will get confused and you won’t pass your message. Ultimately, the choice is yours so make sure to pick what works best for your advertisement and brand.
Let’s give a couple of examples for your perusal:
Once you have chosen the music for your ad, test it out on different mediums to make sure that it is working effectively. Listen carefully and see if any changes need to be made to enhance the overall impact of the commercial or product being advertised.
Finally, launch your advertisement with confidence knowing that you have chosen the perfect track to represent your message and product. Music can be a powerful tool for advertising so use it wisely and you should see great results. Good luck!
As always we, Rabbeats, are here to help you out with all your music requirements. We offer a variety of services, from original music production to audio post-production, music libraries, and any assistance with licensing and copyrighting. Give us a call and we’ll guide you step by step through the whole process.
