Category: FILM & TV SONGS

Every year thousands of songs are used in film, TV series, and commercials. Find out how to write a song that will work with hundreds of scenes by studying these successful film and TV songs.

Hit Songwriting: “Carried Me With You” by Brandi Carlile

If you could ask a question of any successful hit songwriter, what would you want to know? You’d probably ask how they do it. In fact, you can ask that question and get an answer… just by taking an in-depth look at their hits.

WHY THIS SONG?

Brandi Carlile is not only a Grammy Award winning songwriter and performer, she has also written and performed songs featured in a wide range of motion pictures—from Barbie: the Movie to Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants—and hit television shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Ted Lasso. (Visit Tunefind.com for a long list.) “Carried Me With You” was written for the Pixar film Onward and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media.

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Song Guide: “Something In the Orange” by Zach Bryan

There are two versions of this song, both released by the artist. This Song Guide refers to “Something in the Orange,” not “Something in the Orange – Z & E’s version.” There are differences in production and vocal performance.

WHY THIS SONG?

“SOMETHING IN THE ORANGE” by Zach Bryan reached the top of the Hot Country music chart in 2022 and is currently nominated for a Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance.

When it was released, it raced up the charts like a Rock star single even though the artist had never had a major label release before and the song was wildly different from anything else in the current mainstream Country genre.

How did that happen? Well, it’s a beautiful, emotionally moving ballad, but that alone wouldn’t put it on top of the Contemporary Country charts. Instead, I suspect it had something to do with this artist having eight song placements and a cameo appearance on the hit TV series Yellowstone, the most watched TV show of 2022. Although this particular song was not used in that series, it was featured in two others (Fire Country and Big Sky). Audiences were primed for more from this artist.

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Your Songs In TV Commercials

I know TV commercials can be a major pain. But if you’re a songwriter, don’t hit that mute button just yet. Instead, take a little time to listen to the kinds of songs that are being used in today’s TV ads. There are opportunities there that you don’t want to miss.

Don’t have time to watch TV? For a quick and easy way to see TV ads with songs without actually watching any TV, visit websites like iSpot.tv and TVadvertMusic.com.

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Song Guide: “Outnumbered” by Dermot Kennedy

Why this song?

Dermot Kennedy has written a great album. Hands down. No argument. That’s what it is. His debut album Without Fear was released in 2019 and has been hanging out on the Triple A music chart ever since.

There have been Film & TV placements, tours, and accolades for Kennedy’s unique blend of musical styles. He mixes a passionate Pop vocal sound with insightful Singer-Songwriter lyrics and Hip-Hop rhythms. So let’s take a look at a song from the album that shows off all three: “Outnumbered.”

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Hit Songwriting: Using Trigger Words

Every songwriter’s dream: A total stranger stumbles across your song on YouTube, falls in love with it in the first 30 seconds, and immediately dashes over to iTunes and actually buys it. Then, your new fan sets aside an evening, turns off the phone so they won’t be disturbed, puts on headphones and curls up in a comfy chair to ponder every syllable, every note, and every nuance of the brilliant masterpiece you slaved over. 

We wish. The unfortunate truth…

You manage to get your song in front of listeners any way you can. Maybe you covered a hit song in a unique way. A listener who is a fan of that song stumbled across your version on YouTube and decided to check out your other stuff. While they’re doing that, they’re half-watching a TV show, snacking on pizza while surrounded by kids, roommates, or siblings, and getting a half-dozen texts from friends. Although they may hear your song, they’re not thinking about what they hear. 

That’s the harsh reality, but just remember every other song gets pretty much the same treatment. And once you know that, there is something you can do: Use trigger words.

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