Imagine a commercial with music so alluring and contemporary that it draws thousands of YouTube visitors within weeks with comments like “can you tell me from where i can download the song please?” and “it’s really awesome!!!”. It must have used a hit song or a track from a new artist with Record Company marketing clout, and it probably cost tens of thousands of dollars to licence, right? Listen for yourself…
In reality this track chosen for the new Canon commercial (”Blackbird Song” by Ben Cocks) was from a production music library. The truth is that it was significantly less expensive for our client than a hit song would have been. And the song’s production quality and “catchiness” is on par, if not ahead of, most higher-profile tracks out there. Read more…
The iTunes store has changed the way listeners judge music by putting a 30-second time limit on their attention spans. Songwriters may cringe, but it’s now unavoidable. The hard truth is if a song doesn’t deliver in this short window of time, it simply won’t sell.
Working out how to sell product with 30 seconds of sound has been our focus at soundlounge for nearly 3 decades. Since commercials rarely use more than 30 seconds of music, we have to find songs or parts of songs that “sell” (i.e. make a memorable, emotional impression) in a very short amount of time. How?
1. Get to the hook quickly. Whilst romantic composers like Mahler and Strauss had the privilege of fans with hour-long musical attention spans, today’s songwriters have no such lattitude,. The 30 second sample must have a memorable ‘hook’ – a catchy guitar riff, a clever lyric, a killer beat. A good hook sticks in your head for weeks and compels you to listen to the track again and again. That’s the kind of song that spreads online like wildfire and gets chosen for that next Apple iPod commercial.
2. Create a distinctive sound ‘snapshot’. Advertisers and bands have at least one thing in common – they both need to be heard above the noise. In this area, advertisers can actually learn a thing or two from popular bands who have worked hard to consistently stand out from the crowd. Having a unique sound is part of the solution. But what if your listener doesn’t even give you 30 seconds? Many impatient listeners take an ‘audio snapshot’ of the first few seconds and judge a song based on its production quality and instrumentation.
3. Take us on a journey. Music moves us when it moves. Great songs give us something to anticipate from start to finish. They lead us along through imaginative melodies, chord progressions, and lyrical stories. 30 seconds might be short for a musical journey, but that may be all you’ve got so even a hint of oncoming change will go a long way. If your 30-second sample sounds stagnant, try varying the dynamics, instrumentation, or harmony to keep your audience wanting more.
Charlie McCarron, Sound Consultant
Ruth Simmons, CEO soundlounge
And your word for the day is…’diegetic’. Diegetic and non-diegetic are cinematic terms relating to the use of sound in a film. Diegetic refers to sound whose source is visible on the screen, or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film. Where as non-diegetic is sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in the action. A film’s music soundtrack is nearly always non-diegetic, creating a sense of mood and accentuating key moments in a film’s plot. In the following clip from Mel Brooks’ film High Anxiety, he cleverly plays with this convention – moving the music from non-diegetic to diegetic – enjoy.
As I was watching Sprint’s clever “What if ____ ran the world?” ads, I noticed they used no music, no jingles, nothing that would traditionally qualify as a sonic logo. Only one sound stands out consistently in each ad: the walkie-talkie-like bleep of the Sprint phone itself. And every time we hear it in Sprint’s commercials, it’s followed by a joke. By the end of each ad, we’ve heard it 6 to 12 times, and it’s no longer just a phone bleep. It’s a brilliantly timed comic device that has preconditioned us to laughter.
Of course, the same sound can mean vastly different things for different people. For the majority of us, the sound of an incoming text message is exciting, a happy beep signaling a new message from a friend. But for my mother, it’s a sound that strikes terror in her heart and gets her adrenaline flowing. For her, it means she’s received a text from my younger brother in Africa. Often his messages bear bad news – he was robbed on the street once and lost all his money. So this seemingly harmless sound evokes fear and maternal instincts in a split second. One day she told me, “I hate that sound more than any other sound.” Who knew a simple, neutral beep could stir up such an emotional reaction?
The finest sound designer can craft the most perfect sound for your brand, but context is everything. Though most of us don’t start salivating, we’re a lot like Pavlov’s dogs once we’ve been trained to hear a sound in a certain way. Sprint was smart; they trained us from the beginning to hear their phones as fun, even before we interact with one in real life. As soon as a strong sonic branding plan meets a positive customer experience, the Pavlovian buttons will be pushed in just the right ways. For 99.9% of us, this is good news. For the unfortunate alarm clock marketers of the world…I wish you luck.
Here at soundlounge, we’ve been working with brands to understand and develop their sound branding for nearly three decades. We’d like to share some of the most common sonic branding sins and some simple strategies you can apply for absolution.
1. LUST – Being seduced by the Music Industry. Being offered a link up with an iconic artist or a hit song can seem irresistible. And it’s true that well-known tracks in a commercial can create an instant emotional connection with consumers. But if the popularity of the song overshadows the advertiser’s message and consumers remember the song and not the product, it can prove to be a very expensive liaison.
SOLUTION: Resist the temptation to just look for hit tracks and big names. Have plan B and C and consider music from unknown or emerging artists; explore library music or commission an original composition. Re-record/re-invent an existing copyright so that you incorporate your brand sound DNA. Challenge and rationalise creative choices against fees and costs.
Sonic branding – if you haven’t heard this term already, it’s the art of finding music and sounds to fit a brand’s identity. In the past, a brand’s sound was defined by a single catchy jingle. Jingles work well as mnemonic devices, but a one-song brand can’t stay fresh forever.
Imagine if The Beatles had been told by their record label “We think the song ‘Love Me Do’ defines you as a band. Just keep making songs exactly like that.” No self-respecting musician would listen to advice like this. And no brand should, either. Sonic branding today is not about finding one magical hit song. It’s about creating a complete sonic identify, a palette of sounds and music that can be used in any ad campaign. A strong sonic identity will be recognised even as the song selection changes.
Think of the palette of sounds that make up the classic Beatles style. Though their songwriting matured and musical tastes expanded over the years, The Beatles’ sonic identity was unmistakable. Listen to this medley:
So what about ‘Revolution 9’ and all the other crazy Beatles experiments? Although ‘Revolution 9’ is a far, far cry from ‘Love Me Do’, even this anomaly could have been predicted. Each new Beatles sound grew organically from roots in previous Beatles songs. ‘Revolution 9’ was inspired by experimental tape songs like the psychedelic ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’. And ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ stole its thumping beat from the early ‘What You’re Doing’. The Beatles experimented, yes, but their music grew with their audience’s expectations of them as a band.
The bottom line for brands is that a sonic identity can evolve and expand over time, whereas a jingle cannot. Having a strong sonic identity does not mean being stuck with a certain melody, song, or genre. How boring would that be for advertisers, let alone their customers? Instead, a strong sonic identity allows a brand to cohesively adapt to the future, and stay fresh but recognisable.
At soundlounge, we work with brands to create their sonic identities. In this three part series, we’ll explore one of the most famous sonic identities of all, The Beatles. In part one, we heard the unique Beatle sounds that made them famous. Part two continues on through The Beatles discography to find the songs that further expanded their musical palette. Subscribe to this blog for part three, in which we’ll discover a few tips about creating a sonic identity that you can apply to your brand’s sound.
In just seven years of studio recordings, The Beatles created some of the most influential albums of all time. But they also created some of the most influenced albums of their time – and not just by drugs. The Beatles’ legendary status gave them freedom to travel the world and hang out with talented musical contemporaries of all kinds, from Bob Dylan to Ravi Shankar. They embraced music far beyond their Liverpudlian roots, and The Beatles Sound evolved to accommodate new instruments and styles. Let’s listen to a few of them… Read more…
At soundlounge, we work with brands to create their sonic identities. In this three part series, we’ll explore one of the most famous sonic identities of all, The Beatles. Part one highlights the groundbreaking sounds from the early Beatles albums. Subscribe to this blog for parts two and three, in which we’ll study the later albums and discover a few tips about creating a sonic identity that you can apply to your brand’s sound.
“That song has such a Beatles sound” – a phrase used to describe anything from crooning vocal harmonies to sunshiny melodies to drug-induced guitar effects. With their broad range of musical styles, The Beatles have never been easy put in a box (although EMI has recently made an attempt with the 2009 remastered set). Always one step ahead of their listeners, The Beatles created exciting new sounds with each album release. In the words of their producer, George Martin:
“The great thing about The Beatles was that they never gave me the same thing twice…They gave me a new song, a new concept, and each one seemed to be better than the one before.”
But four decades later, we can no longer hear a Beatles record fresh off the press. Their musical innovations have become so intertwined in our musical repertoire we may easily forget what The Beatles sounded like to a new listener. So let’s shed some of our musical baggage, take a trip back in time, and listen to this new band with the funny moptop hair… Read more…
The soundlounge jukebox is our outlet for sharing the cream of the music industry with all. Updated every few weeks, it offers a chance for people who don’t have much time to sample good quality music, whether new releases or hidden gems from the archives. We receive music from all the majors, indies, publishers and sometimes the artists themselves and will bring to your desk (and attention) some of the most interesting and diverse music out there.
Love You Better – The Maccabees
After breaking onto the scene in 2004 with a song about a swimming pool, the Maccabees seem to have grown up. Their first album had a innocent charm in its angular songs and with the help of Orlando Weeks’ distinctive vocals they carved themselves a place in a scene full of bands trying to be the Libertines. Their second album sees the arrival of Markus Dravs, producer of such acts as Coldplay and the Arcade Fire and it’s his work with the latter that really comes through here. There’s a lot more to come from this lot so stay tuned.
Zero – Malcolm Middleton
Malcolm Middleton has been releasing music since 1995. Originally he was one half of folk rock outfit Arab Strap but since 2006, after six studio albums, he embarked on a solo career that’s has seen him release five albums. His most recent offering, from which this track is taken, sadly may be his last. He has stated that while he will continue with a career in music he may start to write for other people or simply change his name. For what it’s worth, I’d like him to carry on with his solo career so if you’re reading Malcolm, don’t stop making your musics.
Psychic City – YACHT
Jona Bechtolt formed YACHT in 2003 after leaving another Portland band, The Blow. Until 2008, YACHT was a solo act but for his most recent album, ‘See Mystery Lights’, he as teamed up with Claire L. Evans who contributes vocals to many of the new songs. The introduction of Claire seems to have allowed YACHT to evolve into a band with more pop sensibilities than before although the odd production quirks that give Bechtolt’s music so much character remain. It’s a weird one but well worth checking out.
Loading – Knuckles
This one’s a bit of fun. Taken from the ‘Loading EP’, Parisian electro producer Knuckles has turned out a real crowd pleaser. It’s a floor filler that almost guarantees to get the crowd jumping, something that the enigmatic DJ/Producer/remixer, Fake Blood has cottoned onto. He plays it live regularly and also included it in his Radio 1 essential mix. Something for the weekend. Enjoy.
Growls Garden – Clark
Another recent Warp release, the new album from Clark sees him raise the bar for anyone else in his sphere. On previous albums like Boy Riddle and Clarence Park he experimented with abstract tones and textures and occasionally dropped in some of the hard tech that he’s known for now. His previous album, Turning Dragons, saw him go straight down the hard tech route, which belied his true talent. Here however he combines his original experimentation with some bone shattering beats and bass lines. Not for the faint hearted.
Lovers’ Carvings – Bibio
Recommended to Warp records by the now legendary Boards Of Canada this album is Bibio’s first release on the illustrious label. The recommendation seemed like an obvious one as his sound has always been close to the Scottish songsmiths’ but this album has seen him move away from this somewhat. He draws upon a huge variety of styles creating an endlessly eclectic mix of tracks that could sound like a compilation if it wasn’t for the lingering influence of the Boards Of Canada. One of the most interesting albums of the year so far.
The soundlounge jukebox is our outlet for sharing the cream of the music industry with all. Updated every few weeks, it offers a chance for people who don’t have much time to sample good quality music, whether new releases or hidden gems from the archives. We receive music from all the majors, indies, publishers and sometimes the artists themselves and will bring to your desk (and attention) some of the most interesting and diverse music out there.
Anyone For Tennis – Cream
Not one of Cream’s strongest moments but a tennis track nevertheless. Seemingly random lyrics which frankly have absolutely nothing to do with tennis are interspersed with the repeated phrase, ‘anyone for tennis, wouldn’t that be nice’. It would appear that the even the band weren’t too impressed with the song as demonstrated by their general demeanour in this clip, of course it may just have be the croaky introduction, have a look.
Bjorn Borg – The German Art Students
Testament to the enduring appeal of this Swedish master of tennis and his ‘sweat filled headband’ is this track by The German Art Students. Described by the members as a powerpop / punk rock band from Madison Wisconsin, they have been together in various formats since 1998. Very few tennis players have ever inspired a song but Bjorn Borg was not just a tennis player. His universal appeal went far beyond his mercurial tennis skills as his ‘hair flowing in the wind’ and ‘screaming teenage girls’ no doubt had an impact on his popularity. The fact that this song has been written so long after his retirement suggests that Bjorn Borg could enjoy many a revival as a retro icon.
Saga Africa (ambience secousse) – Yannick Noah
The Frenchman was one of the final conquerors of the masterful Borg and had a relatively successful career himself, winning the French Open in 1983. In 1991 he not only captained the French Davis cup team to victory against the US but also found time to release an album, Black Or What, from which this track is taken. Upon defeating the heavily favoured US team he coaxed the whole stadium into an impromptu rendition of his hit, fantastic promotion you may think, until you see the moment for yourself.
White Tennis Sneakers – Jan & Dean
Jan & Dean were not doubles partners, nor were they tennis players at all, at any level. They were in fact a musical duo of the surf rock persuasion, formed in high school after a football practice. It was at this time that Jan began playing with the kind of vocal arrangements that the Beach Boys rode to fame, five years before the great Brian Wilson began to with whom he went on to work with professionally.
Tennis Shoes – Doctor Dunbar’s Medicine Band
Hailing from Sweden, the home of that man Bjorn Borg, Doctor Dunbar’s Medicine Band are an Indie rock/pop band who have achieved limited success to date. Judging by the chorus of voices in the refrain it would appear that it is the entire band who love their tennis shoes. Whether they harbour any ambition to emulate the achievements of their countryman in the tennis sphere is unclear. For the time being they seem content with their musical endeavours.
Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
One of the great pop songs of all time about one of the great tennis players of all time. Billie Jean King had almost unrivalled success in the women’s game, winning 12 majors in a career that spanned over 15 years. This success is somewhat eclipsed, admittedly in an incomparable fashion, by the career of this song’s performer who managed 13 number ones during a solo career that spans from 1971 to the present day. Beat that.
The iTunes store has changed the way listeners judge music by putting a 30-second time limit on their attention spans. Songwriters may cringe, but it’s now unavoidable. The hard truth is if a song doesn’t deliver in this short window of time, it simply won’t sell.
And your word for the day is…’diegetic’. Diegetic and non-diegetic are cinematic terms relating to the use of sound in a film. Diegetic refers to sound whose source is visible on the screen, or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film. Where as non-diegetic is sound whose source is neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be present in the action. A film’s music soundtrack is nearly always non-diegetic, creating a sense of mood and accentuating key moments in a film’s plot. In the following clip from Mel Brooks’ film High Anxiety, he cleverly plays with this convention – moving the music from non-diegetic to diegetic – enjoy.
Love You Better – The Maccabees
Zero – Malcolm Middleton
Psychic City – YACHT
Loading – Knuckles
Growls Garden – Clark
Lovers’ Carvings – Bibio
Anyone For Tennis – Cream
Bjorn Borg – The German Art Students
Saga Africa (ambience secousse) – Yannick Noah
White Tennis Sneakers – Jan & Dean
Tennis Shoes – Doctor Dunbar’s Medicine Band
Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
