5 Tips For Getting The Most (Value) From Your Music Budget
Everyone’s production budgets are under pressure these days. Not much we can do about that, but we can help you get the most value from whatever you have left!
Here are a few tips to help make sure your brand gets the quality music it deserves.
- Don’t leave music until the last minute.
This is the number one tip! The more time you give the music process, the more likely you will find something wonderful that’s right for both your pictures and your budget.
When you don’t have the pressure of having to find a track and get it quoted and approved and licensed ASAP, there’s also less pressure on the fee negotiation too.
The less time you have to give the rights holders, the more it is likely to cost.
2. Be open to music you don’t know.
People tend to want to use/license music they already know and like, and that’s understandable, but this isn’t always the best way to approach choosing a track. In fact, it can be a really expensive way.
The mere fact that you know and like a particular piece of music means others probably do too; it’s likely to be a track that commands a more premium price.
3. Don’t fall in love with a song you can’t afford
This often happens at the offline stage when an editor has chosen a really well known track that is never realistically going to be gettable for the given budget — but still people decide to try their luck with quotes from the rights holders.
Not getting it doesn’t do any direct damage to the music budget ( because you can’t afford to license it) but it can waste a lot of time and leave you right up against deadlines ( See number 1)
4. Let someone else do the finding for you.
Having a music specialist focus on finding the right music for the pictures and the budget is usually a cost-effective solution that avoids painful mis-steps and start-agains.
It also means you’re unlikely to get into the position of having to pay too much for a generic library track because you ran out of time.
5. Unfamiliar music won’t be unfamiliar for long.
It only takes a few listens to a new piece of music for the brain to get to know it. That’s pretty much how the whole pop music industry works! That song you’d never heard on Tuesday? By Wednesday you won’t be able to imagine your brand ad without it. The mere familiarity effect applies to your customers too.
From Songbroker Music Publishing.
