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.
Two ways to get your songs into TV commercials
1. The “You’re-Already-Doing-It” Way
Many of these ads feature songs you’ve never heard before. A hit song by a well known artist might distract viewers from the message of the ad. So ad agencies often look for songs by indie artists and producers.
If you’ve got a buzz going around your songs—let’s say you’re getting picked up by music blogs and playlists—there’s a good chance you’ve already been heard by a music supervisor or ad agency Creative Director. Many of them have favorite music blogs where they find new songs. They save time by letting the curator find the good stuff. So, while you’re pitching your songs to playlists and blogs with SubmitHub.com, you’re also reaching the people who can get your songs into ads.
The best strategy here is to write the best songs you can, ones that honestly express your thoughts and feelings in a current genre. A chorus with a cool lyric hook and a track with a strong vibe or mood will be a plus here. Watch a few car commercials, Apple iPhone or Whole Foods ads to hear this type of song.
2. The “Let-a-Music-Library-Do-the-Work” Way
There are times when TV commercials have very specific requirements for the song they need. These are described in a music brief. The brief will include the lyric theme and emotional mood, along with imagery and language the client needs, e.g. “Uptempo song with a lyric that includes words like twist, twister, spin, roll, spiral or similar words will work best for our product.”
The ad agency will send the music brief to a shortlist of producers, songwriters, and artists they can depend on to get the job done. It’s difficult to get on those lists when you’re starting out. So your best bet will be to go through a music library that’s already on that shortlist.
Some music libraries have very strong ties to the ad industry—libraries like Figure and Groove, MusicBed, and Marmoset. They’re interested in signing the kinds of songs that are likely to be requested by ad agencies.
You can pitch to all four of these libraries online. Once you develop a relationship with them by sending good songs in a style they can generally pitch, you may get the opportunity to pitch to the music briefs they’re getting from ad agencies.
What do ad agencies and music libraries want?
Let’s take a look at a good strategy for writing songs to pitch to a music library with connections to ad agencies.
HOW TO WRITE SONGS FOR COMMERCIALS
Lately, I’ve met a number of songwriters who tell me they’ve written a song to pitch to TV commercials. The songs are generally upbeat and energetic. That’s a good choice because it’s the most common mood asked for. Songs with upbeat energy will work well in ads for breakfast foods, back-to-school products, children’s clothing, snacks, restaurants, and retail sales events. They’re the workhorses of the advertising field.
But often, when I listen to the song, the emotion seems forced and the energy feels hyped-up. They’re telling me what to feel but not making me feel it. A song like this will strike the listener as false, not natural or believable. An ad agency won’t use it. And a music library won’t pitch it.
That’s why, over and over, ad agencies say they’re looking for songs that sound like “an authentic artist or band.” That happy, upbeat, energizing song has to sound as if you really mean it!
Your songs in TV commercials have to walk a fine line. They have to be emotionally believable and still fulfill the demands of the ad agency. There aren’t a lot of songwriters who can successfully pull it off. If you’d like to be one of them, here are six tips that will help you do it.
1.) Avoid generic language and clichés.
To authentically express excitement or happiness (or any emotion), you need to feel it yourself and then find the words for that feeling. Here are some lyric examples that have been used in upbeat commercials and films.
I’m walking on sunshine.
— “Walking on Sunshine” (Katrina and the Waves)
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.
— “Happy” (Pharrell Williams)
You make me dance like a fool, Forget how to breathe Shine like gold, buzz like a bee
— “Smile” (Uncle Kracker)
These lyrics communicate emotion to listeners by describing the way it makes your body feel, or what it makes you want to do, or by comparing it to images or events we associate with happiness. Try something like this in you own lyrics and ditch the clichés.
2.) Write a hook that will work for an ad.
A lyric hook for an ad should be short and clearly focused on the emotion you want to communicate. Ideally, it will appear in the final line of your chorus or refrain so the ad can end with it. And don’t be afraid to repeat it.
3.) Keep your rhythm track current and fresh.
While ads do sometimes use retro styles, even these are almost always blends of old and new. No company wants consumers to think of their product as stale, stodgy, or out-of-date. While you can evoke the good old days in your lyrics and the warmth of the vocal, the rhythm track should be based on an appropriate, current genre.
In other words, if you’re writing a song in the contemporary Singer-Songwriter style, listen to a lot of current songs in that style and notice how the rhythm is created. Is it drums, percussion instruments, or a pulsing guitar or synth? How is it handled?
4.) Make sure your vocalist is believable.
A good singer is a good actor! A performance that feels forced or fake can destroy your song for commercial uses. Either write a song you can believably sing yourself or have a singer in mind as soon as you start writing. If you’re going to hire a singer, be sure you get a Work for Hire contract and tell that singer what you plan to do with the song.
Try these ideas for nailing a vocal performance, whether the vocalist is you or a hired singer.
5.) Write a whole song.
The ad agency doesn’t want to search for “the greatest 10 seconds ever!” in the middle of your song… even if they’re only going to use 10 seconds. In the video examples of ads below, I’ve included a Spotify link where you can hear the whole song.
6.) Make it a song you’re proud of.
How does your song stack up against songs you hear in the catalogues of the music libraries I mentioned? Are you satisfied with the quality of your work? If your answer is NO to either question, then the song or track needs more work.
VIDEO EXAMPLES of Songs in TV Commercials
Here are four examples of upbeat, energizing songs in TV commercials that ad agencies and music libraries would love to have more of. I’ve included the commercial they were used in—short uses, long uses, and in between. Also a link to Spotify where you can hear the whole song.
SONG: “TECHNICOLOR”
ARTIST: Tim Myers
BRAND: Tide
WATCH ON YOUTUBE
Listen to the complete song on Spotify.
SONG: “BOLD”
ARTIST: The Highfields
BRAND: AHA Sparkling Water
WATCH ON YOUTUBE.
Listen to the complete song on Spotify.
SONG: “Day to Feel Alive”
ARTIST: Jake Reese
BRAND: Ameriprise Financial
WATCH ON YOUTUBE
SONG: “BESTIES”
ARTIST: All Talk
BRAND: Old Navy
WATCH ON YOUTUBE
Song is not on Spotify.
Don’t forget to pitch your instrumental version. Here’s a beautiful example of an instrumental version of a song that carries the entire commercial.
SONG: “SAY SOMETHING”
ARTIST: A Great Big World
BRAND: Google Search Engine
WATCH ON YOUTUBE.
The vocal version is available on Spotify.
Try It Now
When you’re watching TV start looking at the commercials. Listen to the music or song that’s playing. How is it being used to add energy or emotion to the ad? How does it relate to the product or service featured in the commercial? Write a song that could be used in a commercial.
Read more about songs in TV commercials
Writing Songs for TV Commercials
Songwriting for Film & TV
Basic Broadcast Quality for Film & TV (on MySongCoach.com)
Raw Sound for a Slick TV Commercial (on MySongCoach.com)