Nov 29, 20223 min read

ARTICLE: How To Choose Royalty Free Music For Your Film.

Updated: Mar 17, 2023

Filmmaking is an art. It's about telling a story in a compelling and stimulating manner that makes the audience relate or connect with the story.

Not long ago, filmmaking was an expensive endeavour. But thanks to advancements in digital technologies, filmmaking is more accessible than ever.

As a business, brand films represent a unique opportunity to tell your story, educate the audience about your products, and connect with them on a deeper level. Done right, brand films can bring significant success to a business.

The best brand films are those that engage all of the senses and compel people to act. To achieve this, filmmakers need to combine the visuals with outstanding music.

Music creates connection, music creates memory, and your film isn't just complete without the right music.

The Power of Music

Music is the lifeblood of any film. According to famous music composer, Bernard Hermann, music can lift mere dialogue into poetry, create a link between the screen and audience while reaching out and enveloping all into one single experience. And Hermann couldn't be more right.

You can evoke different emotions and alter the mood of the audience with music. Brand stories become more impactful and meaningful with the right soundtrack.

Music is a double-edged sword. There are serious consequences to using the wrong music in your film. And this makes choosing the right mood music for your film very important.

Anyone that has worked on films or ads before knows you need to obtain permission before using most types of music.

And this makes royalty-free music appealing for many content creators as they usually have to pay an affordable one-time licensing fee to legally use the music for their purposes.

Choosing Music For Your Film

Below are simple steps you can follow to choose the right music for your film:

Let Music Complement The Video. It's easy to think of video and soundtrack as two independent entities. But the truth is that the two need to be compatible and in sync. Videos have rhythm and shape just like music does. And the onus is on you as a filmmaker to choose music that complements your video.

Some scenes may need fast music while others may need slow music, more intricate music. You don't necessarily need to change the soundtrack. Sometimes, you may just need to slow the tempo of the music.

Silence Can Sometimes Be Golden. You don't necessarily need a soundtrack for the entirety of the video. It's okay to be silent sometimes and let the natural sounds dominate. When the soundtrack eventually comes up, it will be more effective and memorable for the target audience.

Don't Go Overboard. This one is easier said than done. But remembering that the music is there to enhance the story will probably help you avoid making this mistake. Go through your footage and understand the scale and importance of each aspect and incorporate a soundtrack accordingly. Don't just go for epic just because you feel like it. You may end up contradicting the message and confusing your audience. Doesn't sound too good, right?

Experiment, Experiment, Experiment. There's a lot of editing work to be done after shooting a film. And there's no pressure on you to get the soundtrack right on your first try. Experiment with different royalty-free music and have trusted colleagues, friends, and family members beta-test it to have an idea of how your audience will react to it.