What makes an amazing video? Great visuals, graphics, and music. Some would even argue that the audio will make or break a story. So, when you have a picture lock, how do you find the perfect score to lift your video to the next level?
The power of a well-written soundtrack cannot be overstated. It can evoke emotions, enhance brand recognition, and seamlessly integrate into the narrative. When it comes to creating a truly impactful video, custom music offers unparalleled advantages.
Some advertisers contract a commercial music company to compose and record a custom original track for their commercial. Most will choose the option to license stock music tracks from an online music library. At CI Design all of our music is custom made in-house to perfectly align with the video's timing, tone, and message.
This service is something that you would be hard pressed to find elsewhere in the market. 90% of the time companies and agencies alike will choose to go the route of licensing their music from an online music library — and you can tell.
Licensing Considerations
Combing through thousands of songs on music library websites to find just the right sound can be a time-consuming slog. Plus, with no option to edit or time it exactly right, the selection you go with can still fall flat. Not to mention the licensing process and fine print. You’ll need to take the time to read it to be sure you understand, among other details:
There are misconceptions about how to use music legally in a video. If you use a song without having the proper license(s) in place, you run the risk of legal consequences. Companies like YouTube and other social media channels have a mechanism called “Content ID” which analyzes the music in your video and checks to see who owns the rights. If that’s someone other than you, your video could be removed or your channel could be demonetized.
Take a look at this quote from Shutterstock’s license agreement for Premium Beat.
“In order to properly report music used in TV and radio productions, cue sheets must be filed with the networks, stations and appropriate PROs, and a copy must be e-mailed to Shutterstock.”
Cue sheets are a list of all music used in a video. For a brief commercial they should be easy to manage, but longer pieces can make for a lot of paperwork. What’s more, some video editors may not even realize they need to submit them, which could make things difficult down the road.
Furthermore, how do you know that other videos won’t contain the exact same song?
Take a listen to this H&M commercial.
Sound familiar? It probably does! That’s because this adaptation of the song L’estasi dell’oro by Ennio Morricone is more popularly known as "The Modelo Song” used in every Modelo commercial in recent years:
How much is it worth to own the song?
Almost every recorded song you’ve ever heard has been registered with a performing rights agency like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC. Their job is to create a unique ID and UPC for each song and track its usage globally. So, when you hear a song in a Netflix show that you recognize, these agencies tag and report the usage and collect money on the composer's behalf.
Working with CID means you own the music in your video outright so you never have to worry about reporting your usage, or whether your campaign is local, national or global, on social media, web-only, or broadcast television. Plus, you can continue to use the music forever in any way you want. Even on TikTok, which is facing a bit of a legal reckoning of it's own when it comes to music on their site.
Choosing custom music for your video eliminates nearly all of the issues you’d run into while licensing music. Our in-house producer, Dave Olson, will not only compose an original song for your video, but time it so that it fits perfectly with the highs and lows of your story. He has all the tools and knowledge to make your song unique to your style of video.
Even better? You’ll be able to speak into the creative process to help make sure the music represents your brand and style. To top it all off, did we mention you will own the rights to that music, at any usage level, in perpetuity? (We wanted to say it again because it really is that big of a deal.) It means you possess legal control over the composition and recording, and nobody else can use it without your permission.
The Rise of AI Music
Let's talk about the robot elephant in the room: AI-generated music.
Artificial intelligence has made significant strides in recent years, including music composition. AI is getting close to the point of creating music that is indistinguishable from human-composed music. So who owns the right to that music? Well… one thing’s certain: Not you. In fact, if you read the fine print for companies like Suno, Udio, and Soundful, most often, they own the rights to the generated music and you’re just “licensing” the right to use it.
There is currently no definitive legal precedent establishing ownership of AI-generated music. Courts and lawmakers are grappling with this issue, and the legal landscape is likely to continue evolving. It's important for anyone considering using AI-generated music to be aware of these uncertainties and consult with legal experts to understand the potential risks and implications.
The Benefits to You: Flexibility, Control & a Better Video Overall
Unlike royalty-free or stock music, custom music offers greater flexibility and control. Choosing CI Design for your custom music means you own the rights to the song. No need to think twice about where you post it, how long you run it, or what you do with it. It’s yours. You own the intellectual property and the copyright.
Most important to your audience is that custom music offers a powerful tool for enhancing the storytelling experience. By crafting a soundtrack that aligns with your brand, evokes emotions, and seamlessly integrates into the narrative, you can create truly memorable and impactful videos. While licensing considerations and the rise of AI music should be taken into account, the value of custom music in your videos cannot be overstated.
CID 2024 Wrapped
You've heard of Spotify Wrapped, the viral marketing campaign by Spotify that has been released annually since 2016. Every early December the campaign allows Spotify users to view a compilation of data about their activity on the platform over the past year and invites them to share it on social media. For some, it’s fun data to see how your music taste has changed from year to year and what you have spent the most time listening to. For others, it’s a great way to prove to their social media following that they, in fact, have listened to the most Taylor Swift this year.
With Spotify Wrapped season right around the corner, we put together a playlist of some of our favorite tracks that we wrote this year.
Like what you heard? Reach out if you have any questions or need your own video with custom music!
Dylan Taugher, Jonna Olson, and Dave Olson contributed to this post.
