Making a promo video can be tricky, but one of the most challenging (and often the most fun!) part of post-production is selecting the right track to accompany your visuals. Feel free to play around with different kinds of songs behind your video—this can get really interesting when you put a flouncy ballad behind a dramatic car chase. There are an endless number of options available, so here are some tips to help you narrow the field to make the biggest impact possible with your video.
Evoke Emotion
How do you want the audience to feel? Do you want them to be inspired, feel confortable, be amused, be frightened? Generally speaking, upbeat music works best for corporate video. It catches the ear and can be very diverse. We recommend you avoid more dark or solemn-sounding music, unless you are confident your target audience will connect with it.
Choose Genre Carefully
There are an enormous number of genres and sub-genres, so be careful with the category of music you select. If you are trying to sell a modern electronic gadget, chances are you aren’t going to select a yodelling track to accompany it. (Although as they say, never say never!) Keep your brand in mind, and select a song that will represent the feel you want your audience to associate with your company.
Watch Out for Lyrics
If you’re utilising a song with lyrics, oftentimes the structure of a song may not match your video. Don’t be afraid to edit your track: loop the verse, repeat certain chorus’s. It’s certainly recommended not to overlap a song with lyrics with a voice-over—this can get messy and confusing. Try to choose a song whose lyrics are generic enough that everyone can relate to them—you don’t want to alienate any of your potential consumers.
Timing
Timing: you will want your track to meld and compliment your visuals, not distract from it. Time your video to end at a natural part of the song, and following the same advice as with the lyrics, don’t be afraid to edit the music.
Avoid Cheap Sound Recreations
Watch out for electronically produced music. Certain aspects can be produced on a computer, like an electric piano, drums, or synths. These can sound relatively authentic, but be careful if you’re wanting any type of music with a horn instrument. These sounds don’t sound as ‘real’ when produced by a computer. If you want something to sound more authentic and less corny, you will probably want to utilize real instruments and invest in a composer.
Copyright
Avoid using copyrighted music in your corporate video! The last thing you want is a lawsuit because you’ve accidentally used someone’s music without permission. There are numerous ways to access free music, one such website being YouTube. There is also a really neat feature on the Bed Tracks website, called the Sonic Search tool that lets you search with a reference track to find similar music.
Here are some other good sound libraries to explore:
• www.bedtracks.com
• www.premiumbeat.com
• www.yookamusic.com
• www.pumpaudio.com
• www.themusicdealers.com
• www.audiojungle.com
You can also utilize music that has been around long enough to fall into public domain—usually this is about 50 to 70 years after the death of the author. This type of music can be beneficial if you are looking for something iconic, such as Beethoven.
Conclusion
There are numerous things to consider when selecting the best track for your video. They include:
Emotion
Genre
Lyrics
Authentic Sound
Timing
Copyright
Music is easily one of them most important aspects of your promo video. When watching your video, think about if your track ‘feels right’ with the visuals. Trust your instincts—if it doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. Remember, there are so many options out there, you’re bound to find the right track if you persevere.
