I went
through the goals of several artists on a showcase festival, I virtually visited
last week. Many wrote the headline of this blog post. There so many myths
around how to get into a movie, tv-series, commercial, etc. I don’t know how
many panels I have seen in the subject either. So, I decided once and for all
explain a bit how it works. I will also get into the traps and why your music
is not suitable to be placed. I should know since I have placed music in over a
hundred films tv-series and commercials.

First have
the right music. I get a lot of artists saying that their music is so movielike
or cinematic. What they actually are talking about is that their music is
dreamy, has a lot of strings, and is very moody. Sorry, that is not what the
creators on movies, tv-series and commercial looks for. All these background
strings that set the mood of the movie are done by a conductor and a string
orchestra or bought as library music. Mainly because the music must move with the pictures it’s
almost done by a writer to the scenes. Also, there are libraries with this kind
of music. When we did a police thriller we just called and got access to a database with just music for police thrillers. Over 10 000 songs that we just
could test out and if it fitted, we just ordered that song from the library
that was right. The likelihood that they will use just your new single as a
background is kind of unlikely.

Taken away
most of the things that are sound in the background. It leaves us with a movie
use around five to six normal songs. Mainly in the end credits and some in
montage scenes etc. Same with TV-series. Maybe one or two in each episode.
Usually for a long scene with no talk, like a party or a traveling part. These
songs are very much after a theme. My estimation is that 80% of them are happy
tunes or contains a word that fits, like money, explore, together, happy, etc.
It’s not that often they use songs that are sad, dark, etc. It happens but not
very often, the strings that they can buy cheaper are more powerful. Most of my
placements are also that the song has a bit of a strange rhythm.

Another
thing is that people don’t really get is that your song will probably not be
heard that much in a placement. We all remember that song that was almost as
big as the movie. Of course, “My Heart Will Go On” with Celine Dion on the
movie “Titanic”. The truth is that they used more songs in the movie, and you
don’t remember those? Same with Roxette’s megahit “It must have been love” in “Pretty
Woman”. Same here do you remember the other songs played in those two movies?

Why do you
not remember them? Both the megahits are placed in the movie in the right
scene. It’s the peak of drama and the movie creator has used the songs to
vision a sequence with no talking just music. In “Pretty Woman” in the beginning, it should have been actors talking but they thought that the breakup part went stronger
when it was just sequenced with pictures, and they used more of the song.

To end up
like that happens every ten years. First, you need just to be taken out to be
placed. Just that is hard then also that they use your song in a strong
emotional scene, most of the time it’s more of a happy scene. Then on top of
that, the movie needs to become a megahit. It is a bigger chance to win the
lottery. Most of the time the songs are in the end credits. Or very hidden. We
got a song placed in a TV-series a couple of months ago. I had to see the scene
four times before I understood where the music was. And there was no way I
could tell that it was our song. It was played on a radio in the background. Yes,
it was there but no viewer would ever know it was there.

Thinking
that your music would be discovered by placement is kind of hard. Yes, if it
becomes a hit, but very few movies become hits. You are probably also better
off with a normal pop song then an ambient song that you think should work in
the background.

It’s more to just have the song in the right scene. I will go
deeper into how to place a song in the next blog post.