2. Energy
Does this song pump people up? Does it quiet people down and make them think? Sure, we have a lot of action sports interviews on Roadtrip Nation, but '90s snowboard video music is more energy than our stories can really handle. We have a mellow to moderate pace for the songs that we pick. Sometimes it's contemplative pads, other times it’s a good driving beat, but I've yet to see a scene where EDM would improve the story. When you listen to your songs, what kind of scenes would you put your music in?
Why Won't Music Supervisors Listen to My Music?
3. Style
I think of style as "musical style" or "genre." Since the Roadtrippers travel coast to coast, the music needs to match their geography. When in the heart of Texas, synthesizers don’t work too well. And when we are telling an urban story, it makes sense to have more beats and hip-hop than singer/songwriter music. If you make country music, check out a show set in the country. Do any of your songs have ties to a particular setting?
4. The exceptions
I love the exceptions.
Sometimes flying in the opposite direction ends up working the best, and become the most memorable. Quentin Tarantino's music supervisor, Mary Ramos, used to place songs that were hard sells for me, but now I love humor and quirk in her song choices because they are so unexpected. Wes Anderson's music supervisor, Randall Poster, is kind of similar, right? He finds songs that don't quite match on every level, but that's what makes those moments stand out. If you have a song that sounds similar to the Black Keys or "We Will Rock You," maybe send it along to a show focused on a nerdy main character. Why? Because I bet at some point, the writers for that show want Steve Urkel to turn into Stefan Urquell.
4 Rules for Presenting Your Songs to Music Supervisors
I hope I was able to help give you a little insight that might help you get your music out there and onto some screens. Remember, there are music supervisors for the big stations and blockbusters, but also for ad agencies and public television programming, so shop around.
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