The big one - Y111122EL - any results?

[zircon]

Hey Michael, thanks for the response - I actually got one via email as well from Robin. Much appreciated. I do give you guys credit of course, I just remember a few years ago getting some inaccurate suggestions on a couple electronic tracks, for example being told to use plugins that I was already using (and which in and of themselves wouldn't really have an impact on anything.) The clarification here is thus very helpful.

I guess a question I have for you (which I also had for Robin) is whether it's worth creating shorter radio/ad-edit versions of tracks for listings like this. For example, I watch a lot of trailers. When I hear licensed electronic tracks they're very often aggressively edited, obviously, getting to the meat quickly. But the full versions of the tracks, which I'm sure the ad creatives heard, have very long intros. In other words, the stuff gets edited pretty thoroughly one way or the other... so should I be pre-editing my own stuff and tailoring it to the listing? I've hesitated to do that in the past because I KNOW that when you ask for high quality stuff, you're looking for the legit, real-deal tracks from artists who specialize in a particular style, not something hastily written to spec by a composer who might just be trying his hand at it.

Short version: Should I make shortened versions of tracks for ad listings? Or is it preferable to have pieces written from the ground up with an up-front hook?

[admin]

Hi Zircon,

Wow, if I knew Robin was on the case I could have saved some time.

Complex answer to your question, but here's my take:

Each of the Film/TV/Video Game/Trailer music genres seems to have its own way they use music and the types they use. Not a one size fits all situation, and I think EACH deserves study to really get to know its particulars. For instance, a film scene might run longer, and therefore music has time to develop/enhance the mood. A commercial needs to be nearly instantly impactful in its musical identity. A scene in a TV show probably falls somewhere in the middle (depending on the type of show -- reality VS drama for instance). A video game could have MUCH more time to set up a mood, so a long intro might be good for building suspense or acknowledging the passage of time or physical distance traveled (climbing a mountain, walking through a forest, etc.) A trailer will often use VERY quick cut SNIPS of several pieces of music, and not always even in the same genre.

So it really pays to put yourself in the end user's shoes, and think, "How would I want to use this music, and how would it most EASILY serve my needs?" Ad music is a strength of mine from mixing hundreds of spots for Madison Ave. types, but I still needed a big-time refresher course when we launched ad agency opps for our members last year. Times and tastes have changed. They always will.

As a GENERALIZATION, I would say that short, almost non-existent intros are almost always a safer bet... but not 100% of the time... maybe 90-95%. I think GENERALLY, your piece is an easier choice is it one motif, and doesn't go off on tangents. Tangents can change moods and make it tough for editors.

So.... in the end, BOTH approaches could and should work for you. Maybe the right thing to do is to edit what you already have, and keep these ideas/rules of thumb in mind as you create NEW tracks. I don't personally know much about how club goers or true devotees listen to/consume Electronica, but we have people on the staff who do. BUT, they might NOT be the best people to judge it in the context of a TV commercial because they would judge the track based on overall quality, NOT necessarily how it fits with the picture, the ad's MESSAGE, or the 30 second timeframe. Does it need to give it a pulse, or should it lay back and be wallpaper? Does the tempo (or maybe the frequencies most prominent in the mix/EQ) rub against the voice over, or do they "breathe" enough to give the V.O. the space it needs to be majestic and important? Those are the types of things I "feel" when hearing ad music. I don't even have to THINK about them. They're just part of my being. I'm sure the same is true for you when you listen to music that you're expert at.

To be honest, there are times that we know we're breaking hearts when we've got an ad music specialist judging music like Electronica. In a perfect world, we could take a guy like you (as a screener) and train you in the world of ad music. We actually DO stuff like that for the screeners, but it's not like one could learn every thing they need to know about the nuances of any genre in an hour or two. We pay attention to issues like these and quietly work in the background to constantly improve how we work. We are light years ahead of where we were even just a few short years ago, but we ALWAYS keep refining and improving what we do.

As a matter of fact, on Friday of last week I got the wheels turning to bring in a heavyweight ad music expert to do a class with our top Indie screeners. I need them to better differentiate between what makes great Indie music and what makes great Indie music in the context of a TV spot. That class will cost me about $1,000 to pay the expert and pay the screeners, but that's the kind of investment we're always happy to make.

HTH,
Michael

[Casey H]

My short answer would be if the LISTING wants something that gets to the meat right away such as for a advertising spot, that's what you need to submit. It doesn't matter if that is something brand new or a short edit of an existing track.

So you might keep multiple versions such as full and short edit(s) and use them where appropriate. Many of us do short edits (e.g. 15, 30, 60 sec) for libraries anyway.

You always create great music, Zircon.

Warmest,
Casey

[zircon]

Thanks for the clarification (and thanks Casey for the kind words.) I actually have a new album almost complete which I've been working on for about 4 years, but all of the tracks have fairly long buildups/intros. Oops, ha. But if any of them seem relevant for ads I'll definitely do short edits.