Using music in your company’s video is pretty standard right? Here are some things to consider when choosing the right music for your video.

1. You can’t just choose any song that you love

   You can’t just use most songs, actually, due to copyright laws. Just like no one is allowed to take your intellectual property that you have worked so hard for, you can’t use a musician’s song without their permission (or, more likely, their publisher, who likely holds the copyright). While it is possible to obtain permission from the publisher or musician, that is usually very difficult and very expensive. So what can you do? You’ve got some options:

   Commission an artist to compose a song for you

   This can be quite expensive. But, for good reason! A ton of work goes into creating, designing and the actually production of new music! But, if you have your heart set on a specific song that you can’t get the rights too, you could hire someone to create a similar sounding piece! And how cool is it to commission an artist to create a song just for you and your company??

   Talk with your video production company for help

   Most production companies pay for access to music libraries in which they have the ability to license a large variety of songs from new composers. Some of these subscription services even have the option that you can purchase the song (for an extra charge) so that you have the sole rights to it - no one else can use it! Your video production company can sift through, choose several songs that they think may fit you and your brand and go from there.

2. Music choice matters.

   The background music may not be a huge part of your vision when you are imagining your newest video project, but it really is integral and sets the entire mood and tone to your video.

   At Emerald Fox, we ask each of our clients to describe their brand in three words (Professional? Challenging? Fun? Laid-Back? Fast-Paced? Luxurious? Etc.). Then, we sift through our music library and choose a select number of musical choices that we feel fits the description and the brand. Now, this isn’t the end-all! Music choice is often a collaboration. We may narrow down the music styles you are leaning toward and come back with another couple rounds of music choices for you to choose from.

3. Choose your music first.

   The best video editors can base their editing choices around the music. For example, rather than laying a song over an existing cut, a good editor will line up the video cuts and tone of the story with the beats and the feel of the music. This creates a cohesive edit that further engages the viewer.

4. Ask for feedback

   Music is such an important part of our culture and many people have lots of emotional connections with music. Before you ultimately settle on a music selection, ask several other people you trust what they think of the music (your video production company should also be able to help you with this!) Music that might make you feel triumphant and powerful, may make someone else may feel inspirational and relaxing. It’s a good idea to just check in and make sure that the music is sending the right message out!