Music is the external heartbeat to our lives, chaining us to the rest of the world and keeping our emotions tied in through our ears. Even deaf people can feel the music, feeling the frequencies in the same part of the brain as everyone else however not literally being able to hear the music itself. According to Dean Shibata from the University of Washington in America, deaf people are able to sense vibrations in the same part of the brain that others use for hearing.
Currently, music is a more competitive industry than ever before… and this is not unique to the music industry itself, the competition translates across all digital content. Music is arguably mostly digital with the exception of the older ‘indie’ mediums which are mere merchandise today by comparison.
In the sphere of today’s increasingly digital world, Music is a collaborative and connective asset which we can so readily use and employ more so now than ever before. Even 10 years ago it would be ludicrous to suggest that you would be able to use near any song on your Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat and for little to no cost. Today you can soundtrack your Stories, turn up your TikToks, make rhythm for your Reels… listening is life. Beethoven talked so that Elvis could crawl and Soundcloud rappers walked so that TikTok music producers could run; now that we are all able to use their songs on many platforms knowing how to use them properly is the next step.
Here’s how to best match your music with your content:
Colours: Match the colours of your content to your music. Hot tip, dark music goes well with dark content – you wouldn’t have a murder movie playing to the tune of Pharrell Williams’ ‘Happy’ unless it’s about a psychopath and you drop everything in the song, bar the singing with the addition of deep reverb and Hitchcock’s heart stopping stabbing strings.
Relevance: Use the relevant genres to find a song relevant to your content. Classical music, although it is amazing and transcends time, probably isn’t suitable for a demographic of young children watching a Lego City advertisement.
Speed (tempo): you don’t want a 140bpm + high-speed industrial techno song playing in a nappy commercial.
Dynamics: For those unfamiliar with music theory, dynamics refers to the loudness of music. The Beatles’ ‘Here Comes the Sun’ which isn’t too loud will go well in a story of your dog in the park however probably won’t match up with highlights from your extreme snowboarding trip in the remote and untouched parts of northern Alaska.
A Baroque period symphony wouldn’t suit a demolition company but would go well in an Italian cooking commercial where style and elegance is paramount. The key point is to match your music like you match socks. Genres have limits and if you have the option to use what sounds best for your content, then use it!
