The Importance of Choosing the Right Music for Your Video

Some of you may wonder where we get the music for our videos – and how we select it. A lot of thought, time, effort, and planning goes into music selection for our corporate and social media videos. Occasionally, we’ll even compose the music ourselves.

Selecting your Song(s)

First impressions matter, and music is the first thing your audience will notice.

Let’s be clear: music isn’t just a textural, creative afterthought for your video; it’s a crucial element that enhances storytelling, conveys emotions, strikes a tone, and engages the audience. Choosing the wrong song for your video's context, subject, and tempo can dramatically undermine the tone and dynamics of your video project. Any viewer will simply stop watching your video if something feels off.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when going through the music selection process.

1) The Importance of Knowing and Understanding your Client

Think of your song choice as the skeleton of your video: it sort of holds everything together, while also providing structure and form. You should construct your visuals and pacing around the song; the dynamics of the music can (and should!) affect your editing process. Your edit and your music should go hand-in-hand.

The only downside? Once your music is edited into your video, it’s really hard to extricate. For a videography company, it's absolutely key to understand your client’s character, story, and preferences before you start selecting songs, because if your client doesn’t like the music, or if they feel it doesn’t quite match the tone they’re looking for, you can’t simply substitute in a new song without doing significantly more editing on top of that. Make sure you get a good sense for what your client is expecting before doing a deep dive selecting songs.

2) Knowing Your Tone

Ask yourself critical questions when trying to understand your desired tone: what emotion do you want to elicit? How do you want the company/branding to be perceived? And will the music you’re thinking of choosing match the visual style and language of your footage? By aligning the music with the intended tone, you ensure that your message is not just heard – it’s felt.

The tone of your video is the foundation upon which your music choice should be built. Not only does the music set the emotional backdrop for your narrative, it also needs to align with the message you’re conveying.

For example, a corporate video highlighting a tech company’s innovative products might benefit from upbeat, modern electronic music that reflects cutting-edge advancements. On the other hand, a video commemorating a company’s anniversary might call for a more nostalgic, orchestral piece that evokes a sense of pride and history.

3) The Dynamics of your Video

Dynamics refer to the variations in loudness and intensity throughout the piece. Effectively harnessing a song’s dynamics can enhance the storytelling by creating peaks and valleys that mirror the narrative arc of your video.

For example, a product launch video might start with a soft, intriguing melody as the product is introduced, gradually building to a powerful crescendo as its key features and benefits are unveiled. This dynamic progression keeps the audience engaged and mirrors the excitement of the product’s reveal.

Similarly, a training video might use consistent, steady music to maintain focus and clarity, avoiding distracting changes in tempo or intensity. By understanding the dynamics of your chosen music, you can add depth and dimension to your videography projects.

4) Syncing Editing to the Beat

An effective technique for promotional videography and social media content is syncing your edits to the beat of the music. This approach not only creates a visually pleasing rhythm but also enhances the overall viewing experience. Lining up transitions to the beat of the music can make transitions smoother and more natural, making for a professional, polished final product. This technique is particularly effective in social media videos, fast-paced videos, or videos designed to motivate or inspire, such as team-building highlights or motivational speeches.

5) Is it Legal?

Be careful not to overlook the legal aspects of music selection. Using copyrighted music without proper licensing can lead to legal complications, financial penalties, and damage to your company’s reputation. Therefore, it’s essential to understand the ins-and-outs of legal music usage in your video projects.

There are several options to ensure compliance with copyright laws:

Royalty-Free Music: This is a popular choice for corporate videos. Royalty-free music can be purchased once and used repeatedly without additional fees. Alternatively, many paid platforms offer extensive libraries of high-quality tracks suitable for various tones and themes (we use Epidemic Sound)
Licensing Music: If you have a specific song in mind, you can seek a license from the copyright holder. This often involves negotiating terms and fees, but it allows you to use well-known tracks legally. this tends to be very expensive, which is why it’s generally only done in the film industry.
Creating Custom Music: Commissioning original music tailored to your video’s needs ensures uniqueness and avoids copyright issues. This option, though potentially more costly, provides complete creative control and legal peace of mind.
Public Domain and Creative Commons: Music in the public domain or under Creative Commons licenses can be used freely or with minimal restrictions. However, it’s crucial to understand the specific terms of use for Creative Commons-licensed music.

Getting in Right

Choosing the right music for corporate videography projects is both an art and a science. By understanding tone and dynamics, you can augment them with the right music, creating videos that resonate with your audience and elevate your client’s message.

Need help with your corporate or promotional video? We’d love to help you out. Get in touch for a free consultation!