We’re very excited to share this week’s tip from Roy Ashen about music licensing and finding the perfect song for your video, slideshow and albums. Roy is an award-winning songwriter, musician and producer living in Los Angeles. He is also the CEO and Co-Founder of Triple Scoop Music, the leading music licensing site for creative professionals worldwide.
Using Music to Supercharge the Emotion of Your Videos, Slideshows & Albums
Music has the power to supercharge the emotion and energy of any project. Music can elevate your story and reveal the heart and soul of your work. So, how do you choose the right song or soundtrack for your video, film, photo and business projects?
Not long ago, I was fortunate to chat with renowned directors Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer (The Matrix Trilogy and Cloud Atlas).
When we talked about the importance of music, Andy said, “Music brings out the soul of the film and enhances the emotional connection between the characters. Many times we start work on the soundtrack even before we begin shooting the film. That’s how important the music is for us.“
Tom Tykwer added, “The music was a huge part of ‘Cloud Atlas.’ When you watch Halle Berry and Tom Hanks in the film, the music connects their characters throughout different timelines and different lives.“
I totally agree with Andy and Tom. The right music can truly “make” a project. So, how can we learn from Andy’s approach and use music to “enhance the emotional connections” within our work? When we are licensing music, how can we choose the best music for our own photo and video projects?
This may feel like a challenging task, but it’s easier than you might think… if you follow a few simple steps!
Every day at Triple Scoop Music, my team and I work with top photographers, filmmakers, small businesses, YouTube video creators and Fortune 500 companies. For each music licensing client, we use a similar process to find the perfect song or soundtrack. I’d like to share this process with you. Try taking a few minutes to follow the steps listed below every time you start a new photo, film or video project. It really works!
1. DEFINE THE STORY:
Write 1-2 simple, short sentences on what the “story” of your project is. Is this a marketing video for promoting your business? Is this a personal slideshow for a photo client? Is this an indie film project? If you’re 100% clear on what story you are telling, you’re much more likely to stay on track. For example, “This story is about Sarah and Chris’s romantic wedding in New York and the love between them.” Or… “This story is about my business and the video features happy families who use our product.” Notice how each of these sentences makes it easy to focus on the essence of your story. Keep it simple and be specific.
2. DEFINE THE EMOTION:
Write down 3 words that best describe the emotion or mood of your story. For example, let’s say the project is a small business video. Your 3 words might be uplifting, friendly and fun. For wedding or love-themed video, perhaps your 3 words would be romantic, elegant, and timeless. For a video with kids your 3 words might be playful, innocent, and happy. For a sports event your 3 words might be aggressive, intense and driving. These words help to define the overall energy and feel of your slideshow.
3. MATCH IT UP:
If you’ve completed the first two steps, congratulations! You’re on the path to success. The next step is to select music that matches the theme of your story the 3 “emotion” keywords you wrote down. As you listen, keep your story and 3 keywords in front of you at all times. If the music does not match your keywords, it’s not the right pick for your project. When you find a song that matches the feel of your keywords and your story, you’ve found your soundtrack!
4. TAKE IT FURTHER:
Keep in mind that you can apply this simple and effective technique to every element in your project. Your images, graphics, colors, fonts, text and editing should all match your 3 keywords as well as your story. Anything that does not directly support your story or match your keywords should not be used. Study your favorite films, trailers and commercials to explore how all these components come together to tell a story and create powerful emotion. If you have a longer project, you can even repeat the “3 words” process for separate sections or “chapters” within your story.
The world’s leading visual storytellers know that focus is the key to success. When you make sure every element of your video, film or slideshow is telling the same story, you’ll have a story worth sharing!
Also, remember to only use music that you have legally licensed for your projects. Using your iTunes or CD collection is not legal for use with your business. You probably wouldn’t want anyone using your images without permission and doing the right thing is a smart way to protect your business.
At Triple Scoop Music, we’ve already handled 100% of the licensing and legal work behind the scenes for you. Simply start a free account at TripleScoopMusic.com and find music for your project. After you pick your favorite songs, choose a license to match your project type, then checkout and download your music. Your music license is now 100% active for your project and you can get back to being a creative superhero!
The entire team at Triple Scoop Music is committed to your success and making music licensing easy for any project. I hope these tips help you take your next project to new heights. – Cheers, Roy
Start your free account and browse for music at TripleScoopMusic.com. Use the discount code Fundy10 and save 10%!
