Tip #6: Dynamics - Never Loop
A repetitive track gets boring really quickly. Having a song that’s dynamic and has lots of peaks and valleys will set your music apart from others.
The people who actually lay the music to picture often look for what they call "edit points.” These are moments within the song where the mood, intensity or energy takes a turn.
Let’s say you have a scene in a film where a young athlete is struggling to finish her race. Her legs are tired and she’s falling behind the other runners. The song in the background is pulsing, and tense, matching the pace and mood of the scene. Then, just as she’s about to give up and quit, she sees her coach in the stands. The coach gives her a look like “C’mon, you can DO THIS. ” At that moment she finds sudden second wind and pushes herself to speed up for one last lap. The music pivots intensity and is now triumphant and optimistic, yet still the same song. She makes it over the finish line and gets her gold medal.
If your song is simply a loop of a beat or some chords, there still may be some syncs out there for you. But they are limited to phone apps and weather channel updates. Nothing wrong with that. But spice it up a bit if you want a shot at the big leagues.
Tip #7 - The Build Up
Most commercials are :30 or :60 seconds long. So if you can save an editor from cutting up your song to fit these lengths, you’ll have a serious advantage. Thus, it is wise to have your song build steadily over 30 or 60 seconds. Of course, most real songs (not jingles) are going to be much longer than 60 seconds. So once the song is mixed and ready for master, just create a :30 and :60 cut-down version (maybe even a :15 if you are feeling saucy!). These are always good to have in your back pocket, ready for sync.
Keep in mind that you’ll want to give the listener a little bit of time to bask in the glory of the crescendo you’ve just built up to. So don’t have it peak at :30 or :60. Rather, hit the musical zenith at :27 (for a :30) or :54 (for a :60). If you peak at :30, its like riding a roller coaster to the top of the hill, and then getting off before the payoff. Nahmsayin?
This one I would recommend applying at the final stages of the recording process via editing. Its hard to fit a good and thoughtful song idea into a :30 second edit, so go nuts and write/record the full song first. Then take the juiciest of bits and cut them down after the fact.
Tip #8: Save Sessions
Sometimes, creatives will be really into a song, but not quite feeling the sultry sax solo because it competes with VO. Often they’ll ask the artist if there is a version without the sax. The savvy musician will have the session backed up on a hard drive and will be able to deliver a sax-free version at a moment’s notice. I’ve seen songs get a lot of love in the edit suite, only to be passed over because the artist couldn’t deliver a different mix. Don’t let that happen to you. Back up your sessions!
Tip #9: Less is More
Piggybacking off of Tip #8. There is some real value in minimal music. This is especially true in background music for TV or documentaries. Consider for a moment all of the music in scenes like: tip toeing through a dark hallway, a news report on the aftermath of a natural disaster, a washed-up actor recounting a dark time in his life, or an educational look at the process of photosynthesis. The music under all of these types of moments needs to be subtle and not over the top. There is a lot of value in ethereal soundscapes, solo piano pieces, or even simple ambient drones. Sometimes it is best to keep it simple and subtle. You may be surprised how much demand there is for this kind of thing.
Tip #10: Be True to Yourself
This one is VERY important. While “inspirational anthemic rock that builds” may be the most sought after kind of music for sync, there’s also going to be a lot of competition. If that’s not your thing, don’t sweat it! We get requests all the time for very specific, non-mainstream music that is authentic. Perhaps you are an ole timey barber shop quartet, or maybe a mariachi band. Stick with it! There are opportunities out there for you.
One great example is the band, Dropkick Murphys. Quite a specific sound, right? Irish-American Punk. While they likely wont land the theme song on Real Housewives of Ft Lauderdale, they get a ton of love from Irish-themed shows, movies and brands. I can’t think of one Boston mob film that they aren’t on the soundtrack of.
You have the same chance at that sort of path to success. Just find what you are good at, and keep pushing.
LIAM FARRELL is Manager of Sync on TuneCore's Publishing Administration team. After graduating from Syracuse University in 2008, Farrell moved to New York to foster over eight years of experience in the music industry, ranging from artist management to music supervision. Farrell climbed aboard TuneCore’s Brooklyn vessel in May of 2016, bringing with him a knack and enthusiasm for music synchronization.
