Custom Music for Adverts: What music should I use for my Advertising?

Our company (Music-for-Adverts) specialises in the composition and production of original, custom music for ads, ad campaigns and other projects.



We're lucky to have an advertising professional with more than fifteen years' experience writing for multinational advertising agencies as part of our team. She has published this guide to help you understand the trends of music in advertising and what might work best for you.



(Of course, we'd love you to use Music-for-Adverts for your next ad or project but even if you don't, we're happy to paint a clearer picture of the industry, so that you can make the decisions that are right for you!)



Jingle vs Sound-Bed



Jingles were big in the 80s. Any brand that was #1 in its category had the general public humming its tune. However, over the last fifteen years, the trend within advertising agencies has been to move away from jingles, choosing instead sound-beds as a more effective way of conveying the personality of a brand.

Why? Advertising is very much a fashion industry and people are influenced by what is current. In other words, jingles are like Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet (nice and nostalgic but obviously dated) while sound-beds are like Coldplay and Jack Johnson (cool and very now!).

This is the current trend, but that's not to say a jingle won't prove to be effective in your specific campaign. Some times zigging when the others zag is a good move!



Chosen to use a sound-bed? Great! But what style of music is going to work best for your company and product?



Got a fine dining restaurant? Easy! Surely a little classical music or smooth, quality jazz will match the product perfectly. Yes... and no.

This is one approach; use the music that will convey the feeling and essence of the company/product. This works very well, is proven, expected and safe. However, a ship in the harbour is safe but that's not what it was built for!

The other approach? Some of the most effective (and most celebrated) adverts of modern times have used sound-beds that are utterly at odds with the product involved. What?! Feeling uncomfortable? Fantastic. This feels a bit risky but can be very effective. It is the contradiction that sticks in the person's mind, that makes you stand out as an innovative brand, and makes you cutting edge without having to scream "we are cutting edge!" (Very uncool.)

Somewhere in between are the occasions where the music is almost what you would expect but with a twist e.g. for the fine dining restaurant, classical strings and flutes with a modern, funky beat behind.

Hopefully this will give you food for thought (served with silver cutlery) and help your creative process. In advertising, the more outside the box, the more inside the shop!



This article was written on behalf of Stars & Catz School of Music, by Robin Dewar. For everything related to music lessons visit us now.