Here’s The Fastest Way To Get Music Licensed + 10 Ways Brands Use Music

If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that I’m very engaged with connecting music to advertising. Today, I want to get your wheels turning and get you thinking outside the box.

What is the fastest way to get your music in a commercial?

This answer may make you laugh: start a company.

Originally I thought the answer was “start an advertising agency” but that isn’t really correct though could still be effective.

Ad agencies still answer to clients (most of the time – sometimes they’re given artistic freedom by the brand). So even ad agencies can’t guarantee their final creative decision will be the approved one (even though plenty of times it is).

Music is tremendous at creating engagement and targeting specific demographics that brands can’t help but put it into everything they do.

Let’s look at 10 specific ways brands can use music:

1. Original content – some brands like Patagonia create amazing content which features the stories or glimpses of active individuals.
2. Digital shorts – the internet obviously provides a great medium for brands – they’ve got a captive audience (don’t you hate when you can’t skip the commercial before a YouTube video?) and extra time to work with.
3. Events – Brands often sponsor events where they give out free product, or sponsor performances or activities in exchange to expose their image to a large audience.
4. Product Demos – Lots of brands make items that are music-centric. Sonos, Jabra, Beats, all of these companies make speakers and headsets and many of them utilize music to demonstrate how great their product sounds.
5. Promotions – Ever wonder how bands show up on a brand website or facebook page as part of a ticket giveaway? Sometimes it’s because the brand is already using their music in a spot, sometimes they’re sponsoring the event, but this is another great way for brands to use music.
6. Products – When was the last time you went to Starbucks during the holidays and they weren’t selling a CD or two at the register? It’s all a part of a branded effort!
7. In-Store – Sometimes to promote the very CD at the register they’ll play it over the speakers in the store. That way when a customer says “I love this song!” the person at the register can reply “It’s on our new compilation album!”
8. In-Kiosk – Ever use one of those computers at a store to find a product? Sometimes there are videos playing on them – often with music.
9. In-house – Did you know that music even gets licensed for videos shown at company meetings? Last year, a home-security client ended up licensing “Viva Las Vegas” to use at their annual conference.
10. Commercial – Duh!

Now, what would be the fastest way to get your music in a film? On a TV show? Let me know in the comments!