Andy Lykens

Innovating and operating through growth

music business

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

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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!

Should You Choose An Exclusive Contract To Get Your Music Licensed?

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Previously I discussed some of the pros and cons of signing a non-exclusive contract to get your music licensed. It’s definitely an interesting option and can provide a lot of opportunity. But before you go uploading your music to Pump Audio, why not consider all options?

Always consider all sides of the story...

Exclusive deals can be very rewarding experiences not just from a monetary stand point (though that’s certainly nice), but also from an artistic one. However, they’re definitely not as easy to come by and there can be other drawbacks to signing on with a major publisher or label.

Let’s check out a the pros

Pros:

  • Perceived Value is Higher
  • Retain Greater Performance Royalties
  • Better Synch Fees
  • Better Percentages
  • Creative Control

It all starts with perceived value

When I was pitching music for ads at a music library it was usually a struggle to get them to consider a library song versus a commercial track. In most cases I got the phone call only when the budget was low and not before.

Was the music quality THAT much different between the two tracks? Generally speaking, no. In many cases you could easily send a library track and commercial track and save for the name attached to it have no idea which was which. That’s the power of perceived value; big money opportunities are more available.

Performance royalties, sync fees, and percentages…

The number 1 fantastic thing about an exclusive deal is that all fees and percentages are negotiable. It doesn’t matter if you’re U2 or You Who?, you too (see what I did there?) CAN negotiate to some extent (and I’ll talk about how to do that as a little guy in a future article).

The bottom line is: any additional percentage you can get negotiate pays dividends.

Negotiate. Always.

Creative control

For the most part music doesn’t get pitched for political or religious advertisements just out of principle. However, how stoked would you be if your song got placed in an ad for a discount furniture store? If your answer is “ehhh,” that should be a clue about which contract to pursue.

Think of all the products you see at your local drug store and if any of those (like adult diapers or prescription drugs) are not something you’d want to attach your music to, then creative control is an important thing for you. You also get the opportunity to turn down jobs that don’t pay enough (you hoity-toity art-nerd).

Looking at the list initially it may seem like a no-brainer – hit the pavement and get after a major label or publisher. But hold on, there are some cons to consider before you go hucking your wares to Universal.

Cons:

  • Difficult to secure
  • Lost in the shuffle
  • Are they pro-active?
  • Organization

Don’t overlook how difficult it can be

It can take years. In fact they can just not happen at all. However they DO still happen and they are out there. If you decide to go for it, do it with all your heart and soul. Just know that like anything worth having, it is tough work!

Lost in the shuffle

Major labels and publishers have some pretty amazing music to tout when it comes to placing music in film, TV, and advertising. On top of that, they also have a ton of other music that is maybe not so amazing, but that they still need to make money on.

For that reason its possible you’ll get lost among the other artists in the catalog. You might make the same case for non-exclusive style companies, but keep reading as the next two items are what REALLY separates the wheat from the chaff.

Are they pro-active?

Many companies are changing but still far too many wait for the phone to ring or depend on clients to reach out to them. So sure, they may get a call when someone has $200K to spend on a Super Bowl spot, but guess which artists get first dibs on that kind of money? So if you’re not a superstar, you need to MAKE SURE the company you’re signing with is abreast of as many opportunities, large and small, as possible.

Don't let your publisher or label be lazy!

Organization

They’re not sure who wrote what, they don’t have useful systems in place to help them find the right music, and maybe they don’t even know who represents the other side of the sync placement. Yikes. This means you could miss an opportunity simply because the company doesn’t know some critical business facet. Some entities really have it together, and some can barely make it to work.

In the end, whichever route you decide to go just be aware of the potential caveats. Now there are more and more people offering services and opportunities to up-and-coming writers. If you do your homework, chances are you can land somewhere that will be a great fit!

As always please leave a comment with your own stories. I’m always looking to hear more about your experience and answer questions!

Being a standout music industry candidate.

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The music industry is an interesting landscape to navigate. In the last 8 months I have met with a great many companies in the industry from EMI to Warner, from Amazon to some well-reputed independent shops large and small. I’ve met with ad agency contacts who need music, have done music marketing consulting, and interviewed for jobs. To top it off I have started my own independent music publisher and began producing my first artists this month. There are flaws everywhere in the music industry – some companies are aware of them and some are not. Some actively work to try to right their course, while others live it up in the old ways. The flaws are usually how they approach business development.

Many companies are greatly focused on themselves. How much value they have, what they’re worth, how cool they are. Others are starting to realize that their ways are the old ways. I have been writing for years about how the industry needs to change and needs a different approach. Most of the adjustments have to do with a loss of focus on their clients. Sooner or later, the client gets what they want. Someone supplies that demand. Simple.

Right now, the majors are STILL in a state of flux. Some are hiring more MBAs (which I think is a good first step because MBAs better understand the value of the client relationship) and ousting their old leadership. But knowing how the majors function, there’s a long way to go and it will take a long time to get there. And even when they arrive, will their relationships be salvageable?

Independents are all over the place. While they may definitely have a client focus, some may still be operating in the old music industry. Some are lead by stereo-typical creative personalities who may not understand how effective great business development and client relationship skills can be. Their hiring processes may be less defined and therefore makes it hard to attract top talent or find the right fit for their company.

For all these reasons if you find yourself applying for a job in the music industry it is important to be highly diligent in ANY meeting preparations. Whether it’s an interview, a freelance opportunity, or a gig. Have an idea of what problems the company is looking to solve BEFORE you show up. Prepare material that’s relevant to their needs and request to meet with heads of departments at companies BEFORE there are job openings (digging up a CEO or VP’s email is very easy).

If you really are a cut above the rest, show up with the ammunition to blow them away. There are a TON of problems to solve in the industry and the well-prepared can capitalize on the all of the great opportunities.