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How to Make a Dance Video

HOW TO MAKE A DANCE VIDEO: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

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    When you think about a dance video, what comes to mind? Madonna’s ‘Vogue’? Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)’? Or, of course, the iconic ‘Gangnam Style’?

    The rise of MTV in the 1980s made music videos one of the biggest new art forms for decades.

    Add in the global reach of YouTube and TikTok and dance videography is not only hugely influential, but one of the most impactful ways an artist can create and build their identity and brand.

    So, how do you make a great dance video? We’ll take you through the essentials:

    • Choosing the right song to dance to
    • Choreography and style
    • Equipment
    • Planning/rehearsals
    • Moodboards
    • Budget
    • Filming
    • Editing

    Choosing the Right Song to Dance To

    If you’re looking to make a high concept video (think Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’), then obviously choosing the right song to dance to is the first thing on your list.

    A great song could be what takes your choreography to another level – plus the genre may also dictate the look and styling of your video. Think of the story that you want to tell in order to find the right track.

    Try searching on Soundcloud for a track that fits your choreography style, or the concept of your video – or find a cool cover or remix of a track.

    If you’re looking for music to license, then our catalogue has everything from pop to hip hop, R&B to dance – and we add new, original music every fortnight.

    Choreography & Style

    When it comes to making a dance video, you’ve got masses of different styles to choose from.

    There’s your one-shot extravaganzas, such as the opening sequence to La La Land’s ‘Another Day of Sun’, which is nearly six minutes long:

     

    The secret to successfully pulling off a one-take video is a lot of rehearsal, some very carefully planned camera moves and choreography that’s polished to within an inch of its life.

    A one-take can result in something truly spectacular, such as Kiesza’s ‘Hideaway’, which features awe-inspiring choreography, but it’s not something for the faint-hearted.

    Alternatively, watch a wide variety of different videos and ads that feature choreography for inspiration.

    You might want something where the choreography is showing a story or a concept. What feeling are you trying to express?

    The blend of storytelling, music and choreography is particularly effective in this promo for the official song from Euphoria by Labrinth and Zendaya, ‘All for Us’:

    AXA UK shows dancer and choreographer Taylor Haine’s determination to succeed in its ad, ‘The Dancer’, which expertly pairs its soundtrack – Karen O’s ‘I Shall Rise’ – with inspiring visuals of Taylor, who was fitted with a prosthetic leg from a very young age and whose passion has always been dancing.

    Let’s Dance - Choreography

    Is your choreography going to be modern or street style, classical or freestyle – do you want to bring in some ballroom steps to create an interesting fusion?

    If you’re creating your own choreography, you need to study the music. By knowing it inside out, you can design dance moves that work with both the beat and the lyrics.

    Watch the pros for inspiration; whether it’s dance-focused musicals, such as Chicago, or competitive series like So You Think You Can Dance, study the styles and combinations of movement – as well as how the dancers are conveying emotion:

    Top choreographer Arlene Phillips – an ex-Strictly Come Dancing judge – advises that you should plan out your most impactful elements first, then work in additional steps around them.

    She also suggests challenging yourself with unique rhythms, styles and techniques.

    Equipment

    What equipment will you need to film a dance video? Well, it can be as simple as just using your phone!

    Check out Steezy’s expert hacks for shooting dance videos on your phone:

    But if you want to up the quality, then you’ll need to either buy or hire a camera and some lights at a minimum.

    Cameras

    You don’t have to invest a huge amount of money in cameras to create a dance music video that looks amazing. But a top tip is to have a few cameras on-set so that you can capture footage from various angles – this will give you plenty of options when it comes to editing your video.

    The best camera for dance videos? Bestoflens.com recommends the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III, while Cameragurus.com plumped for the Fujifilm X-T4 (which also has a feature to record slow-motion) or the GoPro HERO9, which is great in low light.

    A top tip for filming dance videos is to get a wide-angle lens, as you want to show as much of the dancing as possible, by shooting at a wide angle.

    To stand out from the crowd, and create really high-end video, then the best option is to rent the most expensive cameras the pros use (such as the RED), rather than buying them, as a more affordable alternative when you’re starting out.

    Lights

    If you’re filming in a dance studio, then make it look more interesting and give it depth with clever lighting – and even effects such as a smoke or fog machine.

    Spotlights create a harsher light that looks more dramatic, as there are more shadows, whereas soft box lights create a softer look, which is the most flattering for people’s faces.

    Best use of lighting in a minimalist set up? Definitely Beyoncé’s ‘Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)’ – it’s an absolute masterclass, and one of our picks of the best ever dance videos below.

    Planning

    A useful element when you’re planning your dance video is to create a treatment, outlining the video’s concept, direction, aesthetic and style. A treatment doesn’t have to be complicated - it provides the building blocks and the structure for everyone to follow.

    Often, when creating your treatment, you may realise that your concept will take you way over budget. Or that your concept is out of sync with the style or tone of the music, so it’s a useful exercise in lots of ways.

    The most effective dance music video treatments have plenty of visual images for reference – don’t make it too descriptive, as people reading it may tune out.

    Listen to the track at least 20 times, to figure out what will best bring out the emotion or themes. Then, depending on your budget, think of a location, together with planning what kind of lighting, camera movements and camera lenses you’ll need.

    Plus, who else do you need on your team? From dancers to a director, a choreographer to a lighting assistant, make-up artist and a stylist, the list will depend on your concept, and your budget.

    Rehearsals

    If you’re filming a choreographed dance, then try to attend as many rehearsals as you can, so you know what movements the dancers will be making, and how to track them with camera movements.

    Can’t get to the rehearsals? Ask for video footage that you can study.

    Moodboards

    Creating moodboards (also known as idea boards or theme boards) can help you to put together a succinct treatment and will provide the foundations for a storyboard and shot list.

    Moodboards are a practical way to take your creative ideas and bring them to life in the real world.

    Your dance video moodboard can include shots illustrating the choreography, location, costume and make-up looks, to share ideas with your team, from the director to the stylist.

    There are various free apps to create moodboards, which include templates to make life easier. Online moodboards can include images, video, links and colour references, such as stills from previous shoots, or images you’ve saved from Film Grab, Instagram or Pinterest.

    Budget

    It would be nice to think you’ve got a massive budget to play with, but the reality is you probably won’t have.

    So, if your location is a dance studio, or somewhere that’s fairly plain, add in interest with accent lighting or effects such as the fog/smoke mentioned above, plus make the most of environmental textures and colours.

    You could even try shooting with green screen if you want to bring in something more dramatic, or out-of-this-world.

    When dividing up your budget, work out what your priorities are – is it the equipment? Paying for a professional choreographer and dancers? The location, set design, costumes or effects? Your treatment and moodboard should help with this.

    Filming

    When it comes to how to film a dance video, if you’re filming outside, then aim to shoot during ‘golden hour’ – the hour after sunrise, or the hour before sunset.

    Make sure the sun is behind your subjects, which gives you a nice backlight to work with. When shooting indoors, the experts recommend turning off all the fluorescent lighting, so you can choose the amount and type of light that’s going to work best for you.

    When it comes to camera movements, match them to the feel and pace of the song. Slow, smooth movements will fit an emotional ballad or love song.

    Try to match the speed of your movements to the pace of the track – obviously, if you’re shooting a track with a much faster bpm, then quicker movements and speedy edits will fit the bill.

    If you’re shooting in different locations, then when you’re putting together your shotlist you’ll need to work out which parts of the song will be filmed in which location – and how you’re going to transition between the two.

    Through watching the choreography rehearsals and listening to the track multiple times, you should be able to work out ‘action points’, which are moments where there’s a change in the vocals, the tempo or the instruments.

    This is where you can put in specific action or dance moves to heighten the dramatic or emotional impact of the video.

    How to Edit Dance Videos

    There’s a wide range of video editing software options; however, if you’re doing minimal editing, then the software on your computer – e.g. Windows Movie Maker or iMovie - may be good enough.

    Adobe Premiere will give you a lot more flexibility in terms of video editing – and there are plenty of video tutorials to help you get started. If you’re new to editing, then go with the adage ‘less is more’ – keep it simple and follow your instincts.

    Read our expert article on how to edit music to picture and also our cheat’s guide to basic editing cuts.

    Dominique from Neek Films talks you through the process of editing a dance video with Premiere Pro.

    From selecting the best part of each take to ‘editing to the dance’, adding effects and, most importantly, not ‘overpowering the dance’ – you need to be able to see the full choreography in the video:

     

    What Are the Best Dance Videos?

    Here’s our pick of the top 5 dance videos of all time.

    Madonna – ‘Vogue’ (1990)

    The Queen of Pop has nailed pretty much every music genre and dance style during the course of her career, from pop to disco, country music to R&B and dance.

    You might know about voguing from POSE, the award-winning TV series about New York City’s Ballroom culture – in 2019, Billy Porter became the first openly gay black man to win in an Emmy lead acting category (Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series).

    But arguably most people’s introduction to voguing was through Madonna’s black and white video, directed by David Fincher, and choreographed by Karole Armitage.

    Inspired by the LGBTQ+ subculture of the African-American and Latino communities throughout the 1980s and 90s as well as 1970s disco influences, the song set a trend, bringing voguing into mainstream pop culture. And with that ‘Vogue’ became the world’s bestselling single of 1990.

    Also referencing the style of Hollywood’s Golden Age of the 1920s and 30s, the video won three awards at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards, out of a total of nine nominations.

    Pinkfong Kids’ Songs & Stories – ‘Baby Shark Dance’ (2016)

    It may not be cool, but in January 2022, ‘Baby Shark Dance’ became the first YouTube video to surpass 10 billion views – it’s now clocked up well over 11 billion.

    It’s probably not going to be winning any awards for its choreography, but it’s super easy for kids to pick up and the cartoon visuals are bright, colourful and ideally tailored for its audience.

    Add in the fact that the song will get stuck in your head for weeks at a time, and you’ve got the perfect blend of song, choreography and video.

    Lady Gaga – ‘Bad Romance’ (2009)

    When it comes to extreme visuals matched with, ‘I have to watch that again’ choreography, no-one does it better than Gaga and ‘Bad Romance’ has it all. There are weird, white pods in an underground bunker, with dancers dressed like white latex versions of the creature in Alien.

    Gaga appears in a selection of futuristic outfits and wigs, from Goth to glam, her character morphing from passive to powerful. Plus there are dance sequences in a variety of outfits (were the white/red colourways inspired by Kylie Minogue’s ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ video?)

    Directed by Francis Lawrence, it was nominated for ten MTV Video Music Awards, winning seven, including Video of the Year. Billboard went one further and hailed it as the best music video of the 21st Century.

    The video’s concept is that Gaga is kidnapped by supermodels and sold to the Russian mafia – by the end of the video, though, Gaga’s got her revenge and is lying next to the remains of the man who bid for her, on a dramatically burned-out bed.

    Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – ‘Uptown Funk’ (2014)

    Snappy outfits, (extra props for the shots of Bruno, Mark and the crew sporting curlers in a hair salon), a big white limo and some awesome dance moves have made this one of the most-watched videos of all time, with over 4.6 billion views.

    It’s a great example of a classic ‘let’s do the show right here’ street location, which has the feel of an old-skool Hollywood backlot (helped by the fact it was shot at 20th Century Fox Studios’ ‘New York Street’ backlot in LA). Then the action shifts for the final third to a neon-lit club.

    The retro feel is enhanced by the late 70s/80s clothes, leading the Guardian to praise its, ‘super-slick, Jackson-like group choreography, glossy production and retro styling.’

    Beyoncé – ‘Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)’ (2008)

    The track itself won three Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year, and the video is another black and white favourite, showing that you don’t need massive sets or elaborate costumes to make the best dance music videos – you can create something truly iconic on a very low budget, if you’ve got the talent and the moves.

    Directed by Jake Nava, who also directed ‘Crazy in Love’ and ‘Beautiful Liar’, the amazing choreography was put together by Frank Gatson Jr and JaQuel Knight – the inspiration was a 1969 Bob Fosse routine called ‘Mexican Breakfast’ on The Ed Sullivan Show, featuring Fosse’s wife, Gwen Verdon, and two other women.

    Beyoncé revealed to Entertainment Weekly that, ‘We kept a lot of the Fosse choreography and added the down-south thing — it’s called J-Setting, where one person does something and the next person follows. So it was a strange mixture... It’s like the most urban choreography, mixed with Fosse — very modern and very vintage.’

    The video shoot apparently took about 12 hours, with multiple performances being filmed and then edited together to give the impression of a single take.

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    This page was updated 28/05/2024.

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    The Greatest Latin Music Festivals in 2023

    THE GREATEST LATIN MUSIC FESTIVALS IN 2023 & OVER THE YEARS

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      Who has had more of a global impact on the music scene recently than Latin artists? ‘Despacito’ by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee remains in the top five most-viewed YouTube videos, having clocked up an astonishing eight billion views in five years – it’s currently at No. 2, behind ‘Baby Shark Dance’.

      And Latin music is a guaranteed money maker: Music Business Worldwide were reporting in the middle of 2022 that the recorded music market for Latin artists in the US was on course to generate over $1 billion in revenue for the year.

      Speaking with MBW, Alejandro Duque, President of Warner Music Latin America, said, ‘Latin music has gone mainstream in the US, and is having a huge creative and commercial impact.’ Duque said that it currently represents around 6% of the market, so there’s still plenty of room for growth – including crossovers and collaborations. Brazilian superstar Anitta, for example, has featured guest artists from Cardi B to Ty Dolla $ign and Saweetie – the latter on her hit ‘Faking Love’:

      High streaming numbers and winning new fans around the world – together with cross-cultural collaborations, not just with Anglo stars but also with African music artists – mean that Latin genres will continue to lead the way. And, of course, live music and festivals are a big element of awareness and success for Latin artists and producers. So, which are the best Latin music festivals to book tickets for this year?

      Latin Music Festivals 2023

      Rio Carnival

      Can anything beat a trip to Rio for the annual carnival? The world-famous event, from February 17th-25th, is billed as ‘the greatest show on Earth’, is the biggest event of the Brazilian cultural calendar and is surely on many a bucket-list. The parades at the Sambadrome are the main attraction – the stadium seats more than 80,000 and can accommodate more than 5,000 participants.

      The samba is at the heart of the Carnival, and the top samba schools are judged by 40 judges whose eagle eyes aren’t just looking at the dance moves, but also the costumes, which form part of the story.

      It’ll definitely take you longer than five minutes to perfect your moves, but if you want to shake a tailfeather along with the performers, then watch this video explainer:

      You’ll need to perfect your ‘samba bounce’ to join in with the street parties – no two are the same.

      Lollapalooza Chile

      This year’s line-up has everyone from indie darling Billie Eilish to Lil Nas X, Drake, Armin Van Buuren and The 1975, alongside Latin artists Polo & Pan, Elsa Y Elmar, Danny Ocean and Alvaro Diaz. The festival takes place at the Parque Cerrillos in Santiago from the 17th-19th March. Get your tickets now!

      Suenos

      New reggaetón and Latin trap festival Suenos is going to be headed up by some of Latin music’s biggest stars – J Balvin, Ozuna and Wisin Y Yandel all appeared at the inaugural festival last year. Suenos is taking place at Grant Park in Chicago from May 27th-28th (Memorial Day weekend). Presented by the producers behind Baja Beach Fest and Lollapalooza, the Suenos line up will feature 20+ artist performances, alongside experiential activities.

      Suenos will be joined by three-day reggaetón fest Mas Flow in Chicago from July 15th-17th, featuring headliners Don Omar and Ivy Queen. Latinos are the second-largest racial or ethnic group in the city, and can also enjoy Ruido Fest, a Latin alternative music festival that launched in 2015.

      Tickets for Suenos will be available from February 11th at www.suenosmusicfestival.com

      Calibash

      This downtown LA festival is one of the year’s hottest Latin music festivals. Myke Towers, Arcangel, Ivy Queen, Jhay Cortez and Nio Garcia are all on the bill.

      The festival takes place January 21st and 22nd at the Crypto.com Arena – follow the link to buy tickets.

      Cosquin Rock 2023

      Taking place from February 18th-19th in Cordoba, Argentina at the Aeroclub Santa Maria de Punilla, this is a rock and pop festival featuring a massive array of artists, including Bandalos Chinos, Fiesta Katana, Las Pastillas Del Abuelo and Tiesto.

      Last year’s festival won the award for Best LATAM Festival at the Fest 2022 Awards, held in Bilbao. This will be Cosquin’s 25th year.

      Check out the festival’s Spotify lists for a taster, then grab your tickets.

      La Linea

      The London Latin Music Festival returns in April and May across Central London. Time Out said that, ‘La Linea has spent years building an impressive international reputation as one of the world’s most eclectic celebrations of Latin music.’ Expect artists such as Emicida and Jorge Drexler and book your tickets through the venues – both are playing at the Barbican.

      BigSound Festival

      Taking place on the 29th June in Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias in Valencia, Spain, BigSound will be showcasing Latin, reggaetón and urbano artists including Duki, Lali Esposito, Beret and Juan Magan. Tickets are available through the BigSound website.

      Puro Latino Sevilla Fest

      Head to the Cartuja Center Cite in Seville, Spain on the 30th June to catch Maluma, Dellafuente, Jowell & Randy and DJ Jose de las Heras.

      Baja Beach Fest

      Aaron Ampudia is the co-creator of Suenos, and of Mexico’s Baja Beach Fest. He says that, ‘it’s a new era [for Latin music]. There’s never been this big of a crossover. There’s never been a Latin artist like Bad Bunny, crushing all the records in the history of streaming, beating Drake and American artists. That’s never happened for Latinos.’

      Ampudio founded Baja Beach Fest in 2018, 20 miles south of San Diego and it was the first of the sole reggaetón and Latin trap festivals in the region. With its mix of established and upcoming musica urbana stars, BBF doubled its attendance from 15,000 to 30,000 in its first two years. It also expanded to two weekends, following in Coachella’s famous footsteps.

      Baja Beach Fest 2023 takes place from August 12th-14th and 19th-21st at Rosarito Beach – there’s everyone from Daddy Yankee and Wisin Y Yandel to Maluma, Anuel AA to Natti Natasha on the bill. Get your passes through the website.

      Latin Music Festivals 2022

      Following the slew of Latin Music festivals 2021 offered up, 2022 proved a bumper year for Latin music fans. Last year, LatinoLife in the Park was billed as the UK’s largest Latin music festival and featured the Candela Stage – Britain’s ‘first and only festival stage dedicated to homegrown urban Latin music’. The La Clave Stage featured classic Tropical Latin Big Bands and there was a Salsa Stage and a Brazil Stage. Artists included Angelo Flow, Ava, Lisey Tigra and Alvarez Funk.

      Rumbazo

      Kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month in September, Rumbazo proved the quintessential Las Vegas Latin festival 2022. Stars who lined up to celebrate Latin rhythm and pride included Maluma, Prince Royce, Natanael Cano, Ivy Queen, Omar Apollo and Yendry.

      Pal Mundo Festival

      The Zuiderpark in Den Haag, Netherlands, hosted the Pal Mundo Festival in July 2022. Spanning Latin, Caribbean, Reggaeton, tropical dance and urban genres, Pal Mundo brings the heat of Central and South America to the heart of Holland. J Balvin was the 2022 headliner at what’s billed as ‘the biggest Latin and Caribbean festival in Europe’.

      Ruido Fest

      The Ruido fest 2022 line up featured Tijuana-based alt-pop-rock artist Bruses, Carmen DeLeon, Nortec Collective, Cuco, Carla Morrison and iconic hip hop trio Cypress Hill. The celebration of alternative music from different Latino backgrounds brings together some of the biggest artists across the Latin music scene to Union Park in Chicago.

      Lollapalooza Chile

      The Chilean iteration of the famous music festival has been held in Santiago since 2011. O’Higgins Park plays host to alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands from both Chile and abroad. It was the first edition of Lollapalooza to take place outside of the US and was followed by Lollapalooza Brazil in Sao Paulo in 2012.

      Lollapalooza Chile has featured everyone from The Killers to the Foo Fighters, Bjork to Calvin Harris and has also provided an important platform for Chilean music, bands and artists. Featured bands have included Chico Trujillo, Los Bunkers and Joe Vasconcellos, many of whom have then gone on to play at the original Lollapalooza in Chicago.

      Last year’s 10th anniversary show featured the Foo Fighters, Jane’s Addiction, Jhay Cortez, Miley Cyrus, Pablo Chill-E, Doja Cat, and Princesa Alba among its star-studded line up.

      Vibra Urbana

      Vibra Urbana, which has positioned itself as ‘the biggest reggaetón festival in the US’ grew from a small backyard event in Orlando to an indoor Miami venue in 2020. Festival co-founder David Adan said that he started it ‘out of love for the music and seeing an empty gap where we felt like we could provide for our city.’ The Miami-born Cuban American revealed that ‘Miami is full of Latinos, full of the love for Latin music. Everywhere you go out, you’ll see clubs playing Spanish language music. We needed to make something happen.’

      In the first year of the festival, Jhay Cortez, J Quiles and Myke Towers – all then in the early stages of their US breakthroughs – played sets. The organisers’ ambition for the next five years is to ‘expand it across the globe, to make an impact globally.’

      So, as you can see, Latin music festivals are not only experiencing a huge boom worldwide, but also bringing different genres and subgenres into one place for fans. Coachella 2022 saw more Latin acts than ever performing there, (its roster has doubled in Latin acts since 2020) whilst Grammy.com reported that half a dozen exclusively Latin music festivals debuted in the US last year.

      Samba, Son & More

      Latin music has a huge variety of genres – read our deep-dive blog to find out their roots and rhythms and most importantly, check out our incredible Latin Series collection. These are the diverse musical stories of Latin America. From reggaeton to rumba, son to tango, discover authentic Afro-Latin music shaped by its African, European and Indigenous origins and its evolution in the Caribbean, North, South and Central American continental regions.

      If that isn't enough, our World Lifestyle series has even more Latin tracks for you to license for your content, from YouTube videos to TV shows.

      Check out our Latin Series collection below -

      latin series

      Want more? Listen to our hand-picked Latin playlist on Spotify:

      Need Music for Your Project?

      At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!

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      How Did African Artists Influence Latin Music

      HOW DID AFRICAN ARTISTS INFLUENCE LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC?

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        African and Black music has both created and influenced a huge array of music genres worldwide.

        From jazz to hip hop and country to R&B, disco to techno, some of the connections may surprise you. So, how did African artists influence Latin American music?

        African music originally spread around the globe largely because of the transportation of enslaved peoples, who took their music and instruments – mostly from Western Africa – to the ‘New World’.

        In the Americas, the earliest forms of music were probably within ceremonial contexts, such as religious worship. As with many cultures, percussion instruments such as drums and rattles were the first inventions.

        African & Latin American Music

        Many Latin American instruments, like drums, bells, rattles and flutes, are traceable to religions and ceremonies in Africa.

        The influence of African music can be most clearly seen in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti and Brazil, in the Latin American music genres of Afro-Cuban rumba, Brazilian samba, Jamaican reggae and Colombian cumbia.

        Afro-Cuban Rumba

        Afro-Cuban rumba originated in the northern regions of Cuba, mainly in urban Havana and Matanzas, during the late 19th century.

        There are three traditional forms of rumba - yambú, guaguancó and Columbia – based on African music and dance traditions. Its main African roots are Abakuá and yuka.

        Abakuá is an Afro-Cuban men’s fraternity akin to Freemasonry, the first of which was established by Africans in Havana in the 1830s. Its rhythmic dance music, combined with the Congo’s Bantu traditions, contributed to the rumba’s musical tradition.

        Yuka is another Afro-Cuban musical tradition based on drumming, singing and dancing, developed in Western Cuba by enslaved Kongolese people during colonial times. The Bantu word ‘yuka’ means ‘to beat’ and also refers to the drums used in the performances. These are traditionally made from hollowed-out avocado tree trunks; leather is nailed to one of the open ends and the player hits the skin with both hands. Alternatively, the drummer can use a small mallet to play rhythms on the drum body. The songs have a simple structure, with singing based on call and response.

        The rumba was traditionally performed by poor workers of African descent in streets and ‘solares’ (courtyards). It’s characterised by vocal improvisation, elaborate dancing and polyrhythmic drumming. Recordings began in the 1940s, and successful rumba bands include Los Papines, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas and Yoruba Andabo.

        The core instruments of a rumba ensemble are the claves – two wooden sticks struck against each other – and the conga drums.

        Other common instruments include shakers such as maracas, scraper percussion instruments (e.g. the guiro), bells and the guagua, a wooden cylinder.

        Samba

        Samba’s roots can be found in 17th century Bahia, where descendants of enslaved Africans combined their percussion techniques with Latin American folk music.

        It then developed in Rio de Janeiro, where the earliest recordings were made in the 1910s, starting with ‘Pelo Telephone’ in 1917. In the late 1960s, samba had a renaissance, led by Brazilian artists such as Nelson Cavaquinho, Guilherme de Brita and Cartola.

        Samba groups (baterias) use steady, hypnotic rhythms and repetitive chord progressions, with simple harmonies and call and response vocals.

        A large percussion ensemble is joined by guitar, bass and the cavaquinho – a four-string Portuguese instrument. Modern baterias also feature brass instruments such as trumpet and trombone and woodwinds, e.g. clarinet and flute.

        Cumbia

        Cumbia is a blend of musical traditions, including indigenous, African and European, all of which mixed together to create something new. In the early 1500s, the Spanish came to Colombia, as part of their Latin American conquest. They brought more than 100,00 captive Africans with them, some of whom eventually managed to escape and to build their own communities.

        Cumbia’s main ingredient is the drum beat that the enslaved peoples brought over from Africa, but the music evolved to include the instruments from the indigenous people of Colombia, such as the gaita, a flute, together with a European influence in the form of Spanish vocals.

        Cumbia is ever-evolving, with DJs now using the underlying beats and fusing them with electronic beats.

        Latin American Music Genres

        Latin American music influenced by African music doesn’t stop there, though – if you look at bachata, batucada, cha-cha-cha, conga, funk carioca, mambo, tango, reggaetón, rumba, son and tropicália, you’ll find the rhythm of Latin American music across the board is underpinned by African music.

        Son

        Son is a musical style that emerged in Eastern Cuba, gaining popularity in the early 20th Century. Son conjuntos – ensembles – are usually trios (three guitars, or two guitars with maracas or clave); sexteto (guitar, tres, bass, bongo, maracas and clave) or septeto, which is the same as the sextet, with an added trumpet. The percussion instruments can be primarily traced to central Africa’s Bantu region.

        Son Cubano (‘the Cuban sound’) also forms the bedrock for most forms of salsa music and Latin jazz. Top Cuban bandleaders like Arsenio Rodriguez and Beny Moré and bands like Sexteto Habanero and Septeto Nacional helped build the genre’s popularity in Havana.

        Present-day Son Cubano ensembles are known as son conjunto and incorporate a wide variety of instruments, as well as vocals.

        These include piano, tres – a Cuban variation on guitar – trumpet, double bass, claves, guiro and timbales.

        Influential Artists

        ‘First and foremost, music is political. It’s societal. It’s resistance. It’s survival. Black people and Afro-descendents from all countries in Latin America have held on to music and dance as a means for joy and liberation,’ music journalist Jennifer Mota told Refinery29 Somos. Here’s our pick of the artists and bands you should know.

        Celia Cruz

        Cuban legend Celia Cruz, aka the Queen of Salsa, proudly embraced her Afro-Latina heritage through her music.

        Beginning her career in Cuba in the 1950s, she took salsa music to the US and around the world, receiving the National Medal of Arts from Bill Clinton in 1994. One of her most famous songs is ‘La Negra Tiene Tumbao’ (‘The Black Woman has Rhythm’.)

        Chocquibtown

        Chocquibtown is a Colombian hip hop group that draws influences from hip hop, electronica, salsa, reggaetón, ska and Afro-Latin rhythms.

        Their track, ‘De Donde Vengo Yo’ won a Latin Grammy in 2011. Lyrically, they discuss Afro-Latino identity, with a common theme of attaining more inclusion for Afro-Colombians in the rest of Colombian society.

        Combo Chimbita

        Combo Chimbita refer to their sound as ‘tropical futurism’. They explore Afro-Caribbean rhythms and traditions such as sacred drumming.

        Novalima

        Peruvian band Novalima blend Afro-Peruvian music with electronica and Latin American beats and chants (many from times of slavery).

        They’ve released six studio albums and have played prestigious festivals such as Womad, and the Montreal Jazz Fest.

        Aloe Blacc

        Songwriter, musician and philanthropist Aloe Blacc’s parents hail from Panama.

        Global hits such as ‘The Man’ and ‘I Need a Dollar’ have their roots in meringue and salsa.

        La Tribu de Abrante

        The New York Times described La Tribu de Abrante as, ‘a high-energy, 12-piece fusion orchestra [that] has blended the sounds of bomba with reggaetón, reggae and hip-hop.’

        They’ve also been credited as being part of the resurgence of the traditional Afro-Puerto Rican music and dance known as bomba.

        More Latin Music

        Latin music has a huge variety of genres – read our deep-dive blog to find out their roots and rhythms and most importantly, check out our incredible Latin Series collection. These are the diverse musical stories of Latin America. From reggaeton to rumba, son to tango, discover authentic Afro-Latin music shaped by its African, European and Indigenous origins and its evolution in the Caribbean, North, South and Central American continental regions.

        If that isn't enough, our World Lifestyle series has even more Latin tracks for you to license for your content, from YouTube videos to TV shows.

        latin series

        Want more? Listen to our hand-picked Latin playlist on Spotify:

        And for more on Black music and its place in history, check out our Black History Month playlist.

        Need Music for Your Project?

        At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!

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        HOW DID AFRICAN ARTISTS INFLUENCE LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC? Read More »

        Most Notable Classical Female Composers

        THE MOST NOTABLE CLASSICAL FEMALE COMPOSERS

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          Being a female composer has always been a challenge; even now, a Classic FM survey last year of 100 of the world’s top orchestras revealed that only five percent of the music scheduled in their concerts is composed by women. The study took in 4,857 events scheduled by orchestras and over 88% of them didn’t represent female composers at all.

          Chief exec of the Royal Philharmonic Society, James Murphy, said, ‘Music can enliven and empower us all. But people are less inclined to engage with it if they don’t see themselves in it. That risks marginalising and diminishing something that ought to be universally cherished.’

          He added, ‘History’s done a brilliant job of making us think classical music is white and male. It’s not.’

          So, who have been the most famous female composers through history? Our list takes in everything from a medieval abbess to a Turkish pianist who’s bringing classical and rock music together.

          • Hildegard von Bingen
          • Francesca Caccini
          • Barbara Strozzi
          • Isabella Leonarda
          • Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre
          • Marianna Martines
          • Louise Farrenc
          • Fanny Mendelssohn
          • Clara Schumann
          • Teresa Carreño
          • Cécile Chaminade
          • Ethel Smyth
          • Lili Boulanger
          • Florence Price
          • Anne Dudley
          • Judith Weir
          • Debbie Wiseman
          • AyseDeniz Gokcin

          Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)

          Hildegard was a true trailblaizer – an abbess, a visionary, a poet, a dramatist, herbalist and composer. She has a musical legacy of nearly 80 surviving works – one of the largest of any Medieval composer. She never formally studied musical notation or singing, but her music is tremendously bold, with ecstatic melodies and a dramatic use of flowing lines. One of Hildegard’s compositions, the Ordo Virtutum, is acknowledged as the oldest surviving morality play.

          Francesca Caccini (1587-1640)

          The daughter of the great Renaissance composer Giulio Caccini was a singer, lutenist, poet and teacher known as ‘La Ceccina’. She became one of Europe’s most influential female composers, but sadly, little of her music survives. Her work, ‘La Liberazione di Ruggiero’ is considered to be the first opera by a woman, first staged in 1625.

          Francesca is known to have composed 32 songs and at least 16 stage works; she also provided music for court and liturgical settings.

          Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677)

          Barbara Strozzi was said to be, ‘the most prolific composer – man or woman – of printed secular vocal music in Venice’ in the mid-17th century. She was the composer of 8 volumes of dramatic vocal music during the Baroque period. Her first book of songs were settings of her father’s lyrics. Guilio Strozzi was an enlightened dramatist and librettist who encouraged both Barbara’s performing as a singer and her composing. Her works – three quarters of which were written for soprano – have a lyrical sound and her lyrics were often poetic; she published one known work of religious pieces.

          Strozzi also broke new ground as the first woman to publish her music under her own name, instead of using a male pseudonym.

          Isabella Leonarda (1620-1704)

          Leonarda spent her life – from the age of 16 onwards – in a convent, where she worked on her compositions and taught her fellow nuns. Her published compositions span a period of 60 years – she’s credited with producing nearly 200 compositions in the Baroque era. She wrote music in nearly every sacred genre, from motets and sacred concertos to sacred Latin dialogues, psalm settings, Magnificats and masses. Her ‘Sonata da Chiesa, Op. 16’ was the first published instrumental sonata by a woman.

          Leonarda’s music is notable for its intricate use of harmonies; she was educated in formal counterpoint, and uses it in many of her pieces. Her sonatas were unusual, often departing from the standard four movement form; Sonata 4 has as many as 13 movements.

          Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre (1665-1729)

          Parisian harpsichord prodigy Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre was born into a family of musicians. She played for Louis XIV at the age of five and a contemporary chronicler described how, ‘sometimes she improvises one or another for a whole half hour with tunes and harmonies of great variety and in the quite the best possible taste, quite charming her listeners.’

          She mainly composed for the harpsichord, and Cephale et Procris in 1694 was the first opera by a woman to be staged in France. She also created dramatic violin sonatas, noted for their bold, structural freedom.

          Marianna Martines (1744-1812)

          Marianna Martines’s neighbour in Vienna was Joseph Haydn. Her family arranged for the precocious Marianna to have a wide-ranging education – including piano lessons from Haydn - and the prodigy performed in front of the imperial court and played with Mozart.

          Marianna wrote everything from masses to motets and three litanies for choir. She wrote in the Italian style, which was typical for the early Classical period in Vienna. Her music became known throughout Europe and she became the first woman to gain admission to the Accademia Filarmonica of Bologna in 1773. Her list of surviving works comprises two oratorios; four masses; six motets; psalm cantatas; secular cantatas; three keyboard sonatas, three keyboard concertos; and a symphony.

          Louise Farrenc (1804-1875)

          France’s first major female composer of the 19th century was also influential as a performer and Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatoire for 30 years. She married flautist Aristide Farrenc, and he founded Editions Farrenc, which led to the publication of her works – it became of one of France’s leading music publishers for nearly 40 years. Farrenc’s compositions in the Romantic period include three symphonies, a few choral works, numerous chamber pieces and a wide variety of piano music.

          She progressed from composing exclusively for the piano in the 1820s and 1830s to branching out into orchestral and chamber music – the latter is regarded as her best work.

          Fanny Mendelssohn (1805-1847)

          The German sister of composer Felix Mendelssohn composed more than 450 works, including a piano trio, 250 lieder (art songs) and several books of piano pieces and songs. She grew up in Berlin and received a thorough musical education from teachers including her mother and composers Ludwig Berger and Carl Friedrich Zelter. Zelter wrote to Goethe that Fanny, ‘could give you something of Sebastian Bach. This child is really something special.’

          In 1841, Fanny composed a cycle of piano pieces depicting the months of the year, Das Jahr. In a letter she revealed that, ‘I have been composing a good deal lately, and have called my piano pieces after the names of my favourite haunts, partly because they really came into my mind at these spots, partly because our pleasant excursions were in my mind while I was writing them. They will form a delightful souvenir, a kind of second diary. But do not imagine that I give these names when playing them in society, they are for home use entirely.’

          Her music was strongly influenced by Beethoven’s later music in terms of form, tonality and fugal counterpoint. There’s been renewed interest in Mendelssohn and her works from the 1980s onwards, with the Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn Museum opening in 2018 in Hamburg.

          Clara Schumann (1819-1896)

          Clara Schumann composed virtuoso piano music from a young age, including her Variations on a Theme by Bellini when she was just 16. Married to Robert Schumann, Clara’s career as a composer was undoubtedly hampered by having to support their eight children.

          Clara enjoyed a 61-year concert career during the Romantic era, but lost confidence in her composing in her mid-30s: ‘I once believed that I possessed creative talent, but I have given up this idea. A woman must not desire to compose – there has never yet been one able to do it. Should I expect to be the one?’

          Nevertheless, Classical-music.com declared that, ‘A towering musician, Clara Schumann’s influence on the repertoire, on the recital format and on an approach to the piano that favoured searching musicianship over display are as important legacies as her music.’

          Having written piano pieces in her youth, after her marriage, she turned to lieder and choral works. Most of her music was never played by anyone else, and largely forgotten until a resurgence of interest in her work in the 1970s.

          Teresa Carreño (1853-1917)

          Hailing from Venezuela, Carreño was a pianist, singer and composer who performed for Abraham Lincoln at the White House in 1863. She composed at least 75 works for solo piano, voice and piano, choir and orchestra and instrumental ensemble.

          Carreño had a 54-year concert career and became internationally famous, often referred to as the ‘Valkyrie of the piano’, as she played the works of Chopin, Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Schumann, Beethoven, Schuber, Mendelssohn and more.

          Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944)

          Chaminade was a French composer and pianist who in 1913 became the first female composer to be awarded the Legion d’Honneur, and of whom Ambroise Thomas said, ‘this is not a woman who composes, but a composer who is a woman.’

          In 1869, she performed some of her music for Georges Bizet, who was impressed with her talents. From 1878 onwards, she only performed her own works at concerts. Having performed concerts in the US in 1908, her compositions became favourites with the American public. She went on to compose the ballet music for Callirhoe and other orchestral works.

          Her most popular piece is the Flute Concertino in D major, Op. 107, composed for the 1902 Paris Conservatoire Concours. Describing her own style, Chaminade wrote, ‘I am essentially of the Romantic school, as all my work shows.’

          Ethel Smyth (1858-1944)

          Ethel Smyth was an English composer and suffragist – her 1911 composition, ‘The March of the Women’, became an anthem of the Suffrage Movement (she even served to months in Holloway Prison for breaking a window.)

          As you’d probably expect from a suffragist, Smyth wasn’t interested in composing ‘feminine’ songs or piano miniatures. Her work instead embraced ambitious, large-scale forms, including the Double Concerto for horn and violin, the Mass in D and six operas. Der Wald was staged at New York’s Metropolitan Opera in 1903; it remained the only opera by a woman composer produced at the Met till 2016.

          Smyth’s opera The Wreckers is considered by some critics to be ‘the most important English opera composed during the period between Purcell and Britten.’ In 2022, it was performed at the Glyndebourne Festival Opera – the first professional production in its original French libretto.

          Lili Boulanger (1893-1918)

          Marie Juliette ‘Lili’ Boulanger was a French composer and the first female winner of the Prix de Rome composition prize at the age of just 19. Lili was a prodigy whose talent burned brightly – but was extinguished when she died aged only 24.

          Gabriel Fauré, a friend of the family, discovered that Boulanger had perfect pitch when she was two years old, and her parents encouraged her musical education.  Boulanger and her sister, Nadia, were both influenced by Debussy and her music fits easily into what was becoming defined as a post-Romantic style.

          Florence Price (1887-1953)

          Price was a pioneering force in the US, overcoming tough odds to become the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer, and, in 1933, the first whose work was played by a major orchestra.

          Her prolific output resulted in around 300 works – including four symphonies, four concertos, choral works and chamber music - many of which weren’t discovered until years after she had died. In 1940, Price was inducted into the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers for her work as a composer.

          Anne Dudley (b. 1956)

          Anne Dudley originally made her name as a session musician, working with producer Trevor Horn on albums such as ABC’s The Lexicon of Love. She was a founding member of Art of Noise, who helped to pioneer sampling within pop. After a lengthy career working with and producing pop acts, she turned her hand to composing for the orchestra, with Northern Lights, a 14-minute reflection of Norway’s Aurora Borealis for a full orchestra, in 2005.

          As well as claiming an Oscar, Dudley also has a Grammy award, two BRIT awards, and three Ivor Novello Award nominations.

          Judith Weir (b. 1954)

          Judith Weir CBE trained with John Tavener, and her music often draws on sources from medieval history, as well as traditional stories and music from her native Scotland. Best known for her operas – Blond Eckbert and Armida – and theatrical works, she has also composed orchestral and chamber works.

          Weir became the first woman to hold the office of Master of the King’s Music when she was appointed in 2014 by Queen Elizabeth (when the post was known as the Master of the Queen’s Music.) She was commissioned to compose an a capella work for the state funeral of Elizabeth II and wrote a setting of Psalm 42, ‘Like as the Hart’; her piece ‘Brighter Visions Shine Afar’ was performed at King Charles III’s Coronation. She won the Ivors Classical Music Award at the Ivor Novello Awards in 2015.

          Debbie Wiseman OBE (b. 1963)

          Classic FM’s Composer in residence is one of the UK’s most successful female music ambassadors. Over the past 20 years, she’s amassed over 200 credits for both the big and small screen.

          Debbie has been nominated for two Ivor Novello Awards and won an RTS Award. She was one of 11 composers chosen to compose music for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Pageant and was the official composer and musical director of the Platinum Jubilee Celebration at Windsor in May 1922.

          In 2022, Debbie was voted the most popular living British composer for the first time in Classic FM’s Hall of fame, with seven entries, including The Mythos Suite.

          AyseDeniz Gokcin (b. 1988)

          AyseDeniz Gokcin is a Turkish classical crossover pianist and neo-romantic composer. She started playing piano aged five and was considered a child prodigy. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Eastman School of Music, she completed a master’s degree at the Royal Academy of Music in 2011.

          She has recorded an EP of her arrangements for solo piano in the style of Liszt of Pink Floyd tracks, Pink Floyd Lisztified, a Nirvana album and a classical album recording of Chopin, making her one of today’s composers who are taking inspiration from the classical greats to push the boundary of what it means to be a ‘classical composer’.

          She told NetInfluencer.com that she feels strongly that everyone should be able to listen to as many types of music as they’d like, which is why she does a lot of rock covers and composes her own music – to inspire others to listen to different genres and styles of music.

          When it came to her own compositions, she said, ‘I started doing more original compositions because I thought, “Okay, why not? Since I’m doing all these arrangements [that] are very different than the originals, I could definitely compose my own things”… the album I recorded became top two in the US classical charts and in the UK as well.’

          Take a listen to her new tracks on her album, Patterns, which includes tracks such as ‘After Bach’.

          Looking For More Inspiration?

          If you want to learn more about the history of women in music then we have a wealth of articles, from the top female Nigerian artists to the key women in hip hop, the trailblazing women in music, film and art to the female directors you need to know.

          Need Music for Your Project?

          At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!

          SIGN UP

          This page was updated 24/04/2024.

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          Why Is Music So Powerful in Video Games

          WHY IS MUSIC SO POWERFUL IN VIDEO GAMES?

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            You’ve nailed the perfect heist. You’ve stormed the villain’s lair and decimated a horde of henchmen. You’ve suffered the loss of a beloved character. When it comes to the components of a good video game, alongside fantastic graphics, involving plots and stellar characters, is there something that you’re not paying as much attention to?

            Movies can be taken up a whole level by a brilliant soundtrack, and the music for games is equally important. Why is music so powerful in video games? Read on for our deep dive on the effect of music in video games, and some of its most celebrated composers.

            Regular gamer? Bet you can hum composer Koji Kondo’s chirpy theme for Super Mario Bros, or recognise the cinematic score for Medal of Honour (composer Michael Giacchino later won an Oscar for his score for Up). Want a blockbuster feel? Look to the Halo franchise – its soundtrack is still the best-selling video game soundtrack of all time. The NFL’s Madden soundtracks have even become an annual event, with artists clamouring to be featured and often releasing tracks only available in-game.

            But what would the gaming experience be like without these iconic soundtracks? They’d definitely be a lot less engaging and fun to play.

            Early Video Games

            During the 8-bit era, developers brought in composers to score the games – however, they were pretty simple (as were the games themselves, to be fair.) The move to 16-bit meant that games music could be more than catchy little jingles and use better quality music, with many using full orchestral arrangements.

            Soundtracks changed forever, though, in the 64-bit era, when new tech capabilities enabled game designers to be more influenced by the movie industry. Game music emerged from the background and was used to drive forward the experience, by being integrated with each part of a game’s story and play.

            In this new era, music could turn games into unforgettable experiences – and transport gamers to somewhere else entirely, immersing them fully into the world.

            Music + Games = Global Success

            When it comes to games with good music, Madden NFL has been building its reputation for a long time. And the President of EA Music, Steve Schnur, told EA.com that no-one should underestimate the impact of its soundtracks: ‘Over the past decades, Madden NFL has become a platform for fans to discover new music, launching new stars and establishing trends that have changed the way players play the game and how they experience NFL football itself.’ The soundtracks are innovative and, ‘connect gaming, football and music culture for the next generation.’

            For their ground-breaking 2022 album, EA worked hand-in-hand with Interscope and their artists to create 11 custom songs from scratch, conceptualising, writing and ensuring the tracks worked on every level to fit – and elevate – the vibe of Madden NFL 22, which promises fresh experiences with every kick-off.

            Good game music has to fit in with gameplay, as well as connecting with the visuals. When the two come together, it can really contribute to a game’s overall success. Video games composer Winifred Philips, who created the soundtrack for Assassin’s Creed: Liberations, and the original God of War, revealed that the energy levels and rhythm of the gameplay are particularly important to lock into:

            ‘Gameplay is, for a composer, very much a structure that we wrap our music around. There is an inherent energy level and a visual kinetic rhythm to gameplay that as a composer I try to pay very close attention to. If I’m doing my job correctly, my music is going to kind of jigsaw well into the overall visual rhythm of gameplay, it’s going to feel like it really marries well to the energy level and promotes the players’ immersion and involvement.’

            How to Make Music for Video Games

            When you’re watching a film, the story is linear. Shots are edited into a set order, accompanied by pre-defined musical cues. Within a game, however, the player is, to varying degrees, much more in control of how the story plays out. So the music needs to adapt to the player’s choices within the narrative.

            Music in games, much like music in films, acts as a guide to the player. You’re not just watching out for visual cues, but also listening to the sound and music to see if there’s danger approaching. Are you in fight or flight mode? Is there time to just enjoy the world you’re in and wander around, as in Animal Crossing, guided by the sound of bees, or apples falling from trees?

            A games music composer talks to the game’s developers about what emotions they want to evoke from the player and also, where possible, they play the latest version of the game to get a feel for it. Video game composer Grant Kirkhope told Mashable that, ‘the images tell the story, but the music tells you how to feel.’

            Gareth Coker composed the soundtrack for 2020’s Ori and the Will of Wisps and stresses the importance of creating defined ‘moments’ for games players, when thinking about video game background music: ‘Having that differentiation between combat music and boss fight music and then regular gameplay music – and there being quite a wide dynamic range between all three of them – is the key to building an emotional experience. If you have everything at ten all the time, it’s just not going to register.’

            With platform games, where you may have to try, try and try again to make it through each level, the music also provides an encouraging backdrop to keep players motivated. Games music can create the subliminal messages that you’re on the right track, or that something is about to change – i.e. that you’re progressing.

            This is where it helps if a composer can play the game; a level may need far more music than you think, if it’s going to take hours to complete. The gamer doesn’t want to be hearing the same thing over and over, leading to a sense of monotony.

            The Last of Us Soundscape

            Argentinian composer Gustavo Santaolalla has become famous worldwide for his distinctive soundtracks for The Last of Us games. For the second game, as well as the ronroco (an Andean instrument like a mandolin) and the Fender bass and acoustic guitar he’d used to create the themes for the first part, he brought in a banjo to create a new element, tying into the game’s American setting.

            He discusses the similarities between composing for games and movies (he took home an Oscar for his original score for Brokeback Mountain) and the thinking behind his choice of instruments for The Last of Us.

            Santaolalla highlights the fact that, as a games music composer, you’re tasked with creating many hours of music – not all of which may be used.

            Plus, as Gramophone highlights, ‘compositions today are primarily interactive: composers cannot know in advance how players will react – each will have a different approach. This entails complex work with audio tracks; whether it’s menacing layers of strings that glide into the soundtrack when players put themselves in danger, or brass fanfares when they’re successful.’

            Lorne Balfe is one of the most prolific video games composers. The Grammy Award winner earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Original Music for his soundtrack for Assassin’s Creed: Revelations while Assassin’s Creed III earned him his second. Together with Beyond: Two Souls and Skylanders: Swap Force, Balfe has also made his mark with Call of Duty:Modern Warfare 2.

            Balfe, who composes for TV (His Dark Materials) and films as well (including last year’s all-conquering Top Gun: Maverick) told PCPlayerHub.com that if you want to try your hand as a composer, you don’t necessarily need to be a hardcore gamer:

            ‘A lot of people think you’ve got to be a gamer to do game music, but I have worked on a lot of games and I know a lot of the guys who make them and they don’t have free time to play them. Just like I know people who act and don’t have TVs. I don’t think it makes a difference, as long as you understand the technical points of what it has to do. I don’t think anyone wants me to write game music, they want me to write music that matches the game.’

            He also flags that games and movie music have diverged in recent years: ‘When I first started, games used to reference film. Music was a reference from films. Now, in the last year or two, I haven’t gone into a meeting with a game company where they’ve referenced a film. They want their own identity. Now it’s a role reversal.’

            Licensed Music for Video Games

            However, if you’re looking to create atmosphere, then you can also use licensed music, rather than getting music composed from scratch, which can be an advantage if you’re dealing with a smaller budget.

            Games such as Crazy Taxi, Gran Turismo and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater used licensed songs. As well as tapping into pop culture, licensed music has been used in innovative ways in games. The Grand Theft Auto franchise is widely regarded as one of the greatest ever game series. Its in-game radio stations let players choose the songs they wanted to listen to as they drove around, making the whole scenario feel even more ‘real world’.

            Saints Row 2 took this even further: you have the option to create your own mixtapes.

            If you need music to license for a game you’re developing, then look no further than the Audio Network catalogue. We have literally hundreds of thousands of tracks to choose from – and a ton of specially-chosen playlists for inspiration and to get you started. From blockbusters to action, whimsical comedy to otherworldly fantasy, you’ll be levelling up in no time.

            Using our original, high-quality music will make your games stand out from the crowd. Plus, we’ve got a variety of different subscriptions, depending on how much music you need. Why not have a free trial of our Essential Edit?

            Discovering Music Through Gaming

            Games can be an entry point for discovering all kinds of music. According to YPulse.com, two in five Gen Z-ers say video games influence the music they listen to – and with 96% of them playing video games in some capacity, that’s a huge opportunity to introduce them to music.

            With its mix of artists on the cusp of huge success and globally established names, NFL’s Madden soundtracks are almost as eagerly anticipated as the annual game release itself. FIFA also got in on the action last year, showcasing their music from video games by collaborating with Spotify to release a playlist of players’ favourite songs from their soundtracks over the past 25 years.

            Gen Z gamers spend an average of five to seven hours a week playing games and 30% of them overall say they use video games to listen to music. Fortnite and League of Legends have joined Madden NFL in collaborating with major artists for game songs and events.

            A poll by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra suggested that computer games are an important ‘access point’ for young people to experience classical music for the first time, as the orchestra’s managing director James Williams told the Telegraph:

            ‘It is encouraging to hear that there are platforms and opportunities for young people to engage with orchestral music, albeit in different mediums. It is about sparking their interest. What we are finding is once we have lit that fire there is a real desire to carry that journey on and explore. If [computer games] are the trigger and the catalyst that can only be a really positive thing.’

            Children aged six to 16 were asked about how they experience classical music; around one in six said they listened to it, ‘when it’s part of a computer game I’m playing.’

            Winifred Phillips thinks that games music is, ‘essentially a form of contemporary classical music, but it has a connection with a more immediate contemporary culture, so that it’s more identifiable, accessible to a more mainstream audience.’ Her music for Assassin’s Creed, for example, has a definite baroque feel to it.

            West Australian Symphony Orchestra ex-principal conductor Paul Daniel believes that the best video game scores, ‘reference great symphonic composers like Wagner, Mahler, Shostakovich, Holst and John Williams’.

            Similarly, many of the most celebrated Japanese video games composers have revealed that they’ve been influenced by classical composers in the same way. Pokemon’s Junichi Masuda, who cites Stravinsky and Shostakovich as inspirations, to, ‘the Beethoven of video game music’, Nobuo Uematsu, who based the lyrics for the intro to ‘One-Winged Angel’ from Final Fantasy VII on the medieval poetry Carl Orff used for Carmina Burana.

            Awards for Video Game Music

            In 2012 Journey became the first ever video game to be nominated for a Grammy for its score, proving that game music is now celebrated for its quality and popularity outside of the games industry. The Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Videogames and Other Interactive Media was first presented at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in 2023. This award was introduced to recognise the impact of music specifically written for video games (it’s a sister category to the Grammy for Best Score soundtrack for Visual Media, which covered film, TV and video games).

            The winner of this inaugural Grammy was Stephanie Economou’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarok.

            At the 2022 Game Awards, Bear McCreary won Best Score and Music for God of War Ragnarok. Clearly there was something about Norse mythology that caught the judges’ ear this year.

            McCreary’s work for the God of War saga brings in an Icelandic choir, Nordic instruments like the nyckelharpa and hurdy gurdy, together with plenty of orchestral bass to create an epic feel that’s also tied to its Norse roots.

            The 2022 BAFTA Games Award for best music was taken home by the night’s big winner, Playstation 5’s Returnal. The soundtrack was written by British composer Bobby Krlic, aka The Haxan Cloak. Krlic has worked with Björk, Father John Misty and Goldfrapp, and composed the soundtracks for horror film Midsommar and TV series Snowpiercer.

            On the Playstation blog, Krlic explained his approach to Returnal’s soundtrack:

            ‘[The game] is really about one person’s determination to get to the bottom of this mystery that’s surrounding her. There are so many different things to speak to: there’s determination. There’s sadness, confusion. An ever-lingering threat and horror that never really subsides through the game. It’s figuring out how to then have all these things complement each other and theoretically have them be a bit like a liquid jigsaw; everything tessellating together but also keep moving along.

            Building things, custom synths, using a theme, then breaking that theme down to its DNA and reassembling it… there’s so many musical elements to this that I’ve just found really stimulating. I think it made something that – for me – sounds really fresh to my ears, in terms of my catalogue.’

            Live Music

            As well as games music being showcased by awards ceremonies, its importance as an art form is demonstrated by the fact that live performances, staged in concert halls around the world, have become hugely popular over the last couple of decades. Video Games Live is an immersive event featuring music from the most popular video games of all time. Top orchestras and choirs perform along with exclusive video footage and music arrangements, live action and unique interactive segments.

            Japanese conductor and composer Koichi Sugiyama kick-started the trend with his first Family Classic Concert in Tokyo in 1987. He wanted to bring families to classical music, so took the unusual approach of combining music from Camille Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals with his own work – the music from the Dragon Quest video games series.

            In Europe, a 2003 performance at the Leipzig Gewandhaus launched a series of world tours with renowned orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

            Plus, artists are seeing the value of connecting with games audiences, creating even more of a crossover. In 2019, electronic musician Marshmello played his set to 10 million people in the multiplayer battle royale game Fortnite, and Lil Nas X has performed live in Roblox.

            Level Up

            Find out more about the wonderful world of games music with our deep dive articles on iconic Japanese composers, NFL’s Madden soundtracks and different types of animation.

            Or check out our music for games for inspiration:

            Plus, listen to acclaimed Call of Duty-composer Lorne Balfe’s new tracks for Audio Network.

            The Lorne Balfe Collection of hybrid orchestral music brings you the real sound of Hollywood, produced and curated for production music use. Whether you need a track for an epic trailer, a huge action set piece, music to create a world of fantasy or adventure, this is the collection that consistently delivers, creating an impact as well as setting the scene. Check it out below.

            lorne balfe

            Need Music for Your Project?

            At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!

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            How to Record High Quality Audio on Set

            HOW TO RECORD HIGH QUALITY AUDIO ON SET

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              When it comes to recording high quality audio, for music, video or podcasts, what are the tips that will help you to minimise things like hum, buzz and hiss, and maximise your sound?

              Read on for our top tips on equipment, location, editing, testing and more.

              Equipment

              If you’re aiming for a really clean sound, then investing in the right microphone is your key starting point. But how to choose which one is the best for you?

              It’ll depend on whether you’re recording vocals or instruments. One way to decide is to book a session at a professional recording studio and try out a variety of microphones. Then listen back to your recordings and get some feedback. (Make sure to note down which mics you used on which track!)

              Check out mics from brands such as Rode, Shure, Sennheiser, Blue and Audio Technica. Plug in an external microphone into your camera’s microphone jack if you’re recording video as well, or record your audio completely separately.

              NPR Music’s video shows you how to mic up speakers and amps in the same way as they do for their ‘Tiny Desk’ performances, which have featured everyone from London’s Ezra Collective to cast and musicians from The Lion King and Santigold:

               

              Get the microphone – or your speaker/amp – as close as you can to you, to minimise crowd noise if you’re playing at a live gig. And unless you’re aiming to record ambient sound, the closer your mic is to the source of the sound you’re recording, the lower the sensitivity setting can be on your microphone. Which means that any sounds you’re not trying to record will sound fainter.

              Audio for Video Content

              What kind of mic is best for YouTube or podcasts? Javier Mercedes has you covered, across a variety of budgets:

               

              Ideally, mics should be at a distance of around 6-14 inches from your subject. If you can’t get that close because you’re using an overhead mic and it’ll appear in the shot, then just get as near to it as possible. This will then avoid picking up ambient noise or any reverb that’s bouncing around your space.

              Different Microphone Types

              To record sound on a set, depending on what you’re shooting, these are the microphone options: handheld, mounted, suspended, boundary, lavalier (or lav) and wireless. Most handheld mics can also be mounted to stands, booms or camera attachments.

              Videomaker.com advises that ‘stage productions use a blend of suspended overheads, dynamic boundary mics along the front of the stage and flesh-coloured wireless headsets.’

              Lavaliers are the small, clip or tape-on mics that you often see newsreaders wearing – you attach them to clothes. They have the advantage of being discreet and portable, and they’re easy to conceal under clothes if you don’t want to see them on-screen.

              If you’re shooting music videos, where people are moving around a lot, you’ll need a boom operator to track your subject(s) to keep the mic as close as possible.

              Where possible, always have at least two mics, so that you have a back-up recording if anything goes wrong!

              Location

              Not everyone gets to record in spaces that are specifically designed for it. Which was something that a lot of broadcasters and podcasters realised when they had to broadcast from home during the pandemic lockdowns.

              To make audio sound better, you need to be really attuned to the acoustics and subtle sounds in the background – whether these are in the room, or coming from outside.

              To check if you’re in a room with a lot of echo, or reverb, you can do a quick clap test – see how much sound bounces back from things like hardwood floors, bare walls and ceilings.

              How do you record clear and crisp audio? Here are some options:

              • Try to eliminate or minimise those hard surfaces – the sound will bounce off them
              • Books can be a good option for covering hard surfaces – making a study a good place to record, if you have one
              • With hard floors, try to cover them with a rug or carpet
              • Add curtains or blankets to the walls. Or put up acoustic materials like sound dampening panels or acoustic foam
              • Put up lights stands, with blankets over them
              • Furniture also works, if you have room – a big couch will block echo
              • Are there things in the room that are generating noise? Look out for computer fans, heating, air con or fluorescent lights.
              • What about outside noise? Think about how to screen out traffic if you’re near a road

              For outside noise, try to choose the best location for recording. Think about somewhere that’s out of the wind (it can sound surprisingly loud!), away from traffic or noise such as building work and other street sounds. You can even record later at night, when most people are at home, have stopped working, or are sleeping, if you’re recording in a flat or building where there are lots of other people around.

              If you’re recording audio indoors, then if you don’t need a huge amount of space, using a small room – even a closet – is often easier than trying acoustically treat a bigger room.

              For podcasts, tutorials or video content you’re recording at home, or in an office, try noise-cancelling tool Krisp, which removes background voices, noises and echo.

              How to Improve the Audio Quality of a Recording

              So, you’ve tried as hard as possible to follow all the advice above, but your audio still has a few problems. Or, you had to record something on the fly, without being able to go through all your usual noise-reduction hacks. What are the best ways to remove background noise from your recording?

              Repairing damaged audio files is called audio restoration. Engineers most often recommend audio repair plugin bundles, such as iZotope’s RX 7 bundle. BlackGhostAudio.com recommends RX 7 Elements, which will remove clicks, clips, hum and noise: ‘Most music producers dealing with controlled environment recordings will be happy with RX 7 Standard, while post-production engineers dealing with problematic field recordings will want to take a look at RX 7 Advanced.’

              They also recommend Waves’ Restoration bundle and Accsuonus’ ERA Bundle PRO. Clicks and other digital impulse noise can be fixed using a de-click plugin. Vinyl crackle or dry-mouthed dialogue on podcasts can be tackled with iZotope’s De-crackle, or Waves’ X-Crackle.

              If you’re dealing with the kind of ambient noise from recording in a flat or house, then de-noise plugins are your friend. Ideally, you want to capture a ‘noise profile’ by analysing a section of your audio recording in which there’s only noise, and nothing else. The plugin will then use the profile to remove that noise from beneath vocals or instruments. iZotope’s RX 7 Voice De-noise and Waves’ Z-Noise will both do the trick.

              Other recommended software includes Camtasia, which has a built-in noise removal feature, or use Audiate, which also makes audio editing easy.

              If you’re recording podcasts, then you need to get close to the mic. However, this can result in ‘plosives’, the air from consonant sounds. Grab yourself a pop filter – the screen that goes around or in front of the microphone – and you’ll have instantly improved your audio quality. (Some mics have a built-in pop filter.)

              Editing

              Videomaker.com advises that, ‘editing means lining up your tracks, creating your timeline, stripping away silence, removing unwanted sounds and checking for correctness.’ Quality editing and production will massively improve your audio quality. If you’re creating podcasts, then hire a producer if you have the budget. Alternatively, check out Auphonic, a useful piece of software which helps you to level your audio and remove background hiss and noise.

              Audacity is a free, cross-platform audio software for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux that’s a multi-track audio editor and recorder. Check out this beginner’s tutorial to get started:

              Using a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and editing tools in post-production will help your audio sound the best it can. You can use these tools to fix common problems such as changing audio levels through a recording, from very loud to very quiet. If you’re using Premiere Pro, then try the EQ (parametric equalizer) and compression tools.

              Simply put, compression closes the gap between the loud and quiet parts of an audio track by making the loud parts quieter, and the quiet parts louder, evening out the audio track so that it’s playing at a consistent volume. The Premiere Pro tool you’re looking for is ‘Dynamics’.

              A top tip when you’re editing and mixing is to listen to the audio through different headphones and speakers. Studio monitors will have a lot more ‘low end’ than cheap laptop or phone speakers.

              Expert Guides

              So there you have it – how to record high quality audio in a few easy steps. Want more expert advice? Check out our articles on how to make a great YouTube video and tips on making music videos, or the ultimate guide to starting as a podcaster.

              Want to Get Your Hands on Our Latest Releases?

              When you need to license music for your production, we have thousands of original, high-quality tracks to discover.

              For example, if you're after a west coast sound with a UK twist, then we definitely encourage you to check out our latest release from Johnny Lloyd and Clif Norrell.

              Titled Reanimate, this is an uplifting and laid-back collection of guitar and vocal led indie-rock. Take a listen below.

              Need Music for Your Project?

              At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!

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              How to Record a Live Session

              HOW TO RECORD A LIVE SESSION: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

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                Live music is big business and it’s one of the key ways that fans discover up and coming singers and bands. But if you’re not equipped with an Ed Sheeran-level touring budget to hit the stadiums, then recording a live session can be a great way to show people what you’re made of.

                Here’s our step-by-step guide on how to record a live session, covering all things audio and visual – as well as some of the challenges you might come acrossif you’re new to videoing your music. We’ll be covering:

                • Why record live sessions?
                • Videoing a band
                • Location
                • Prepping the space
                • Lighting
                • Video quality
                • How to record live music
                • Mics, mixers and digital recorders
                • What are the challenges?
                • Editing (mixing and mastering, video editing)
                • How to promote your video

                Why Record Live Sessions?

                If you’re an artist or a band, then even something as simple as recording one of your practice sessions has plenty of benefits. It gives you instant feedback on your performance and where you can improve. If someone improvises a brilliant solo or riff, or just comes up with an idea you can expand on later, then you’ve captured it. Plus, it’s all potential content to connect with fans and get their feedback through social media.

                You can film a live studio recording as a demo or use it to try out a different direction for a particular track – with moody, stripped-back lighting for something that’s usually more high-impact, for example, or to try out an acoustic set if that’s not your usual vibe.

                Videoing a Band

                For a filmmaker, shooting a band playing live can give you a great insight into learning how they play and flow together, and how to capture the band’s dynamics.

                If you’re starting out as a filmmaker, or a video creator, then it’s great to practise with these kinds of sessions. You don’t need a huge budget, with a mass of sets, effects or costumes dictated by an ambitious concept. You can film with something as simple as an iPhone, or experiment with a three-camera set up, making it easier to vary your shots.

                Location

                Recording spaces can range from your living room to a practice hall or studio, or a set at a venue.

                If you’re in a studio or quite a ‘blank’ space, though, you may have to work out some ways to give your location a bit of personality or atmosphere and mood, through lighting and camera placements.

                Prepping the Space

                Ideally, go into the space where you’ll be shooting to do some planning with your cameras and pre-lighting, the day before the shoot. If you can get stand-ins, then all the better! This means you can experiment, for example with top-down lighting to spotlight a singer.

                If you don’t own a huge variety of lights, remember, you can always hire a few key ones.

                Discuss with the band beforehand what kind of feel they want from the video and how it matches their track. Work out which of the band’s members you’re primarily focusing on, and what part the others are playing. How much attention do you need to give each one? This will help you to nail down the lighting and a shot list, which will make editing the final video easier.

                This video has great tips on lighting live music set-ups if you’re on a budget, including utilising natural light, if you have it.

                Video Quality

                To give yourself plenty of choice when you’re editing the video, get a variety of shots. If time permits, then aim to get a variety of single, long takes of each band member, even if they’re not playing or singing throughout the whole take; this will give you more options when it comes to the edit. Start by shooting your priority band member, to make sure you have all your key shots covered, from wides to close ups, and then work down the list.

                Harv Video has tips on using three cameras to film a band in a studio, which is a fairly standard filming set up, and enables you to capture specialist shots like drum fills or guitar solos easily:

                He also covers colour and contrast grading and shot-matching during the editing process. If you have a multi-camera setup, compare your white balance, ISO, shutter speed, picture profile, etc. Try to get a uniform-looking footage with all the cameras, as this will make the post-production procedure much easier.

                Low-To-No-Budget?

                No budget for professional cameras? You can film on an iPhone – you’ll get the best result if you can set up multiple ones – and mount some of them on tripods for static shots.

                If you’re filming a gig at a venue, then check out these five essential tips – complete with a full list of recommended cameras, lenses, etc:

                How to Record Live Music

                What Will You Need?

                First up, make sure you’ve got all the right equipment. From instruments and amps to a laptop with DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software – for example GarageBand - you’ll also need an interface that can take multiple XLR inputs. Plus enough XLR cables. Make life easier by labelling them with each source, so the signal paths don’t get confused. And, of course, don’t forget the mics.

                Mics

                When it comes to recording live music, a must-have is dynamic mics for the amps, plus condenser and dynamic mics for the drums.

                Musician’s Friend has a great how-to on how to mike up a standard 4-piece band, comprising vocals, guitars, bass and drums:

                You can also ask in a music shop to see what mics they recommend.

                Using multiple mics to record the instruments means you’ll have to navigate ‘spill’ or ‘bleed’ between them. This is when one mic’s instrument is picking up the sound of another’s – particularly from drums. A hack to minimise bleed is to position your band members in a semi-circle, so they’re spaced out, but close enough to communicate. For vocals, you might want to record them in a separate session, or a stand-alone take.

                Mic everything as closely as possible – and MacProVideo.com advises utilising direct outs/direct boxes whenever possible. ‘The more direct and isolated you can capture a sound, the more you can manipulate that sound in the mix.’

                Audio Interface

                This is a conduit that allows you to capture the direct signal from your soundboard into your recording device. This then connects to your computer, or even an iPad.

                Mixers & Multi-Track Recorders

                Bands need a mixer, so why not have one that’s also a recorder? Look at TouchMix or Tascam for a variety of models.

                Portable Digital Recorders

                Alternatively, if you’re on a budget, you can record your instruments on a portable digital recorder, such as the Zoom or Tascam, into which you can plug mic inputs.

                You can then import your tracks into the DAW in order to mix them. Plus, you can use a recorder such as the Zoom if you’re recording audio at a live gig with a crowd. This enables you to mix the live music and bring in some crowd noise, for atmosphere, without the latter drowning out the former.

                Mix Engineers

                If you’re working with live audio, then it’s great if you can get a mix engineer – also known as audio engineers – on board as part of your crew. Again, if you can get access to your location ahead of time, then the mix engineer can check out how the sound carries within the space.

                What Are the Challenges of Recording a Live Session?

                There can be all sorts of issues that come up when you’re recording and filming live sessions. Here are some things to watch out for (sometimes literally!)

                If you’re filming in a studio, or a small space, then there may be a lot of equipment and cables around. You need to plan your shots and your movements if you’re using a hand-held camera, to ensure that you don’t trip over, bang into or knock anything over. Some of this equipment can be worth thousands of pounds!

                If you’re doing multiple takes, because you only have one camera, then you can get your sound engineer to record the audio during the shooting from one angle. The group or band can then play over their recording for the other angles. Ideally, you always want to film the whole session live, to stay truer to the process of a live recording. But when this isn’t possible, this is one way to maximise angle changes, when you only have one camera.

                If you’re filming a live gig in a venue, then there may be someone there to help you to operate the lights, who can play around with gels, colours, etc. to bring more atmosphere and add depth and interest, even on a small stage.

                Jacques Gaines has useful advice on the challenges of shooting at live music events, including using cameras with automatic focusing, so that you can ‘set and forget’

                He also advises negotiating your access with the venue beforehand and asking plenty of questions. Can you go backstage? Are you able to shoot from behind the drummer? What about where the sound and monitor operators are? How close to the front of the stage can you get?

                Editing

                If you’re using software such as Final Cut Pro, then a good tip is to label your files with unique names when you’re filming. If you didn’t do this at the time, then put them in clearly labeled folders that are easy to organise when you import them.

                Then edit the audio files, mixing and editing them to get it sounding great. One of our most successful composers, Terry Devine-King, has great advice on mixing and mastering. Import the audio and then you’re ready to bring the two elements together!

                Read our guide to the best editing software, followed by a cheat’s guide to basic editing cuts, and then our deep dive on how to edit music to picture if you want more in-depth advice!

                How to Promote Your Video

                So you’ve recorded, mastered and edited your audio and your video. Now, how do you go about promoting it?

                Well, YouTube is still the go-to channel, with more than two billion users worldwide, and millions of videos. You can use YouTube ads to increase your visibility – you just need a Google Adwords account. Then choose the format of the ad and its location (in a video, via search, etc.) Create a target audience and set a budget that will be linked to the cost per click, or the cost per view.

                Build a community around your band by offering additional content on your YouTube channel, from behind-the-scenes clips from your live sessions and more, to vlogs on your musical influences.

                When it comes to YouTube searches, the title of your video is crucial and don’t forget to write a description and add relevant, accurate tags.

                Already got a fanbase? Post up some teaser clips and let them know when your video is dropping. Plus, share your video on your personal pages, your artist page and on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and more, depending on your audience. Make sure you optimise the video for each platform individually, as some of them have different preferred video formats.

                Check out what magazines and blogs like to post about new music and reach out to see if they’d like to post yours. Ditto for music influencers. You can also target communities that love your genre – but make sure to participate in these forums and become a part of the community before you promote your video.

                Beyond the Studio

                If you’ve been inspired and want to expand your skills, we’ve got tons of expert articles on everything from using green screen to all you need to know about using music in YouTube videos.

                Want to practise editing picture to music? Then you might want to license some tracks from our huge catalogue of original music! We've got over 200,000 wholly owned tracks from the most incredible albums, including AyseDeniz's latest release 'Patterns'.

                Patterns is an emotive set blending solo piano with lyrical pieces embellished by orchestral strings. Moods range from romantic and wistful to mysterious and dramatic - take a listen below and prepare to fall in love.

                Need Music for Your Project?

                At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!

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                What is bluegrass music

                WHAT IS BLUEGRASS MUSIC?

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                  When we think of bluegrass music, we think of the kind of rural, acoustic music capable of instantly wiping away all your troubles.

                  Often considered a close relative of country music, the genre is built upon soul-stirring sounds and thoughtful lyrics that, together, transport you to pastoral villages located within the Appalachian Mountain region of North America. But what exactly is bluegrass music?

                  We’ve got everything you need know about this hugely popular genre, together with a look at some of the best bluegrass musicians – one of whom is a relatively new contributor to our ever-expanding collection.

                  Contents

                  • What is bluegrass music?
                  • Where did bluegrass originate?
                  • Who came first in the history of bluegrass music?
                  • What are the main characteristics of bluegrass music?
                  • The best bluegrass musicians
                    • Bill Monroe
                    • Alison Krauss and Union Station
                    • Nickel Creek
                    • John Hartford
                    • Earl Scruggs
                    • Yonder Mountain String Band
                    • Trampled By Turtles
                    • Foggy Mountain Boys
                    • Eric Weissberg
                    • Eddie Island
                  • Our music catalogue

                  What is Bluegrass Music?

                  Bluegrass music has a cocktail of influences – an American country and old-time mountain foundation is shaken and stirred with a measure of British folk, a generous helping of blues, a shot of gospel and a dash of jazz.

                  The result is a sound that cools the nerves, warms the heart and fires up one’s desire to become one with the moment.

                  Where Did Bluegrass Originate?

                  Bluegrass originated in the United States’ Appalachian region.

                  Initially, the genre was a combination of the sounds brought to America by British settlers and the West African enslaved peoples; thus, it was the European fiddle and the African banjo that originally defined the sound. Later, the guitar, mandolin and bass became vital to the style of music as it grew in popularity.

                  During the late 1930s, singer, songwriter and mandolin player Bill Monroe officially introduced the genre in a complete and commercial form. The musician formed the Blue Grass Boys – named after the turf that grows across his home of Kentucky – and once they shared their music, people worldwide fell in love with bluegrass.

                  Who Came First in the History of Bluegrass Music?

                  There’s no denying that Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys were absolutely pivotal to the genesis of bluegrass music, as the genre is quite literally named after the collective.

                  It’s said that the official debut of the fully-formed genre was in 1939 when the band appeared on the Grand Ole Opry to play their bluegrass tracks to the station’s multitudinous listeners.

                  What Are the Main Characteristics of Bluegrass Music?

                  Different audiophiles have different perspectives on what defines bluegrass music, but there are certain elements that everyone can agree characterise bluegrass. These also set the bluegrass genre apart from the more familiar country genre.

                  1. Bluegrass bands solely rely on acoustic instruments, eschewing electric instruments to maintain a pure and wholesome sound.

                  2. Bluegrass songs usually contain multi-part vocal harmonies featuring several voices stacked together.

                  3. Bluegrass music is usually a lot faster and more upbeat than country music.

                  4. Bluegrass music has a folk sensibility that keeps the sounds of traditional British music alive.

                  Want to learn a little more about the origins of bluegrass music? Watch this video produced by Hand Productions.

                  The 10 Best Bluegrass Musicians

                  Bill Monroe

                  Not only is Bill Monroe (1911-1996) the founding father of bluegrass, but he’s also recognised as one of the greatest bluegrass musicians to ever exist.

                  The singer, songwriter and mandolin player combined breakneck tempos, stacked harmonies and acoustic string solos to create a sound that was unlike anything else on the music scene at the time.

                  Alison Krauss & Union Station

                  Alison Krauss and Union Station were established in 1987 when Krauss was supported by a bluegrass band composed of Jeff White, Mike Harman and John Pennell.

                  Although its members have changed over the years, the band is still going strong – ensuring modern-day audiences still have access to traditional yet contemporary bluegrass music.

                  Nickel Creek

                  Often dubbed a ‘progressive bluegrass band’, Nickel Creek has always been good at imagining what the future of the music genre looks and sounds like.

                  The Southern Californian band is currently made up of three members – Sara Watkins on the fiddle, Sean Watkins on the guitar and Chris Thile on the mandolin – and, as of 2014, has been signed to Nonesuch Records.

                  John Hartford

                  John Hartford (1937-2001) was an all-rounder in terms of his bluegrass abilities. The New York City-born musician was a master on the fiddle and the banjo and also had an idiosyncratic voice that perfectly lent itself to the genre.

                  His most memorable song was undoubtedly ‘Gentle on My Mind’ – a track that led to the singer picking up two accolades at the 10th Annual Grammy Awards.

                  Earl Scruggs

                  Earl Scruggs (1924-2012) – the man famed for popularising the three-finger banjo-picking style – was just 21 when he was hired to join Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys.

                  Just a few years later, Scruggs resigned from the band alongside Lester Flatt, and together they established their own group called Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys.

                  Yonder Mountain String Band

                  Yonder Mountain String Band is a bluegrass group from Nederland, Colorado that has been active ever since 1998.

                  Thus far, they have released five studio albums and have even established their own independent record label called Frog Pad Records.

                  Trampled By Turtles

                  In fewer than two decades, Duluth-based band Trampled By Turtles have released nine albums, three of which have reached the top spot on the US Billboard bluegrass chart, and played at many of the world’s major festivals, including Coachella, Stagecoach and Bonnaroo festival.

                  Punch Brothers

                  Chris Thile, Gabe Witcher, Noam Pikelny, Chris Eldridge and Paul Kowert make up the Punch Brothers – the bluegrass band signed to Nonsuch Records and was awarded the Grammy Award for the Best Folk Album in 2018.

                  Formed in 2006 in NYC, it’s fascinating to see how the Punch Brothers permeate their bluegrass sounds with urban influences.

                  Eric Weissberg

                  Singer and multi-instrumentalist Eric Weissberg is celebrated as both a solo artist and as part of the American bluegrass group The Tarriers.

                  One of the most significant moments in Weissberg’s career is when his banjo solo ‘Dueling Banjos’ was used as the theme of John Boorman’s 1972 thriller Deliverance.

                  Eddie Island

                  From American Idol to the Audio Network catalogue, Eddie Island has had a whirlwind couple of years.

                  The bluegrass vocalist and guitarist was born and raised in Fairfax, Virginia and, after high school, relocated to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue a career in music.

                  Our Music Catalogue

                  Of course, our catalogue covers a lot more than just bluegrass music. At Audio Network, you can discover albums and playlists of every kind of genre, for every kind of production (including film and television productions, no matter how big or small the budget may be).

                  And if you want to learn more about other types of music before you commit to purchasing and licensing one of our tracks, check out The Edit. Split into inspiration, expertise and news the content explores how the industry uses music in everything from ads to films, TV and documentaries.

                  Need Music for Your Project?

                  At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!

                  SIGN UP

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                  The Best Wildlife Documentaries

                  THE BEST WILDLIFE DOCUMENTARIES & THEIR SOUNDTRACKS

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                    Nature provides a constant world of wonders, awesome spectacle and species adapting to often challenging environments. But which are the top nature documentaries, and why? We take a look at the best work by the BBC’s legendary Natural History Unit, fascinating campaigning films tackling the climate emergency – and humans’ part in it – and even documentaries that bring extinct animals back to life.

                    Plus, as the official sponsor of the Wildscreen Festival, we’ve also highlighted scores and soundtracks, ranging from Philip Glass to Hans Zimmer. The latter revealed the power of music in the best nature documentaries when he spoke to National Geographic recently:

                    ‘There is an inherent mystery and element of extraordinary chance in the world of nature. The music mercilessly seduces you into paying attention to what is going on onscreen… We make everything look beautiful, absolutely wonderful, and for a moment you love it all. When really, we should be saying, wake up – we’re destroying it all. And when we destroy it, we will destroy ourselves.’

                    Here are the nature docs we’ll be diving into:

                    • Life on Earth
                    • Planet Earth II
                    • An Inconvenient Truth
                    • The Blue Planet
                    • The Frozen Planet
                    • Walking with Dinosaurs
                    • Racing Extinction
                    • Kiss the Ground
                    • Blackfish
                    • The Cove
                    • Wild China
                    • Wild Caribbean
                    • Earthshot: Repairing our Planet
                    • Attenborough’s Life in Colour
                    • March of the Penguins
                    • Chris Packham’s Animal Einsteins
                    • Natural History Museum: World of Wonder
                    • A Perfect Planet
                    • Cheetah Family and Me
                    • Koyaanisqatsi
                    • Forest of the Golden Monkey – China’s Hidden Kingdoms
                    • Jane
                    • Our Planet
                    • Cowspiracy
                    • My Octopus Teacher
                    • Seaspiracy

                    The Best Nature Documentaries

                    Life on Earth (1979)

                    The OG of nature documentaries was made by the BBC in 1979, and featured David Attenborough travelling the globe, tracing the story of the evolution of life on our planet. This was the show that really established David Attenborough as not only TV’s foremost naturalist, but also an icon of British culture.

                    From building replicas of mole rat burrows to spending hundreds of hours waiting for a Darwin’s frog, which incubates its young in its mouth, to finally spit them out, the show pioneered a number of filming techniques to capture often rare, elusive animals.

                    The series’ most iconic sequence was when Attenborough interacted with a group of mountain gorillas in Dian Fossey’s sanctuary in Rwanda. He described the encounter in his memoirs as, ‘one of the most exciting encounters of my life.’

                    The series’ soundtrack was just as innovative. Composer Edward Williams’ avant-garde score was recorded with a traditional chamber music ensemble, combined with electronic sounds, processed through an early British synthesizer, the EMS VCS 3.

                    Planet Earth II (2017)

                    For natural history filmmaking at its most riveting, look no further than Planet Earth II’s most celebrated sequence. Baby iguanas have to run the gauntlet across a sandy beach to the safety of the rocks, whilst chased by a cascade of beady-eyed, super-fast racer snakes.

                    The desperate chase sequence is so gripping that it’s been watched over 26 million times on YouTube (and it won Virgin TV’s ‘Must See Moment’ awards at the BAFTAs). The final iguana’s near-miraculous escape is soundtracked by blockbuster supremo and Oscar-winner Hans Zimmer, who expertly ramps up the tension.

                    When it came to writing the music for it, Zimmer said, ‘Imagine you’re a Hollywood composer, and so you know a lot of Hollywood directors who are all doing their car chases and whatever. Nobody ever had as exciting a chase, as exciting footage, as that. It’s incredibly emotional stuff. All the music is trying to do is shine an additional light onto things. Make it something that gets under your skin.’

                    Zimmer has also scored Seven Worlds, One Planet and Blue Planet II for the BBC. This year saw him combine forces with another BBC favourite, George Fenton, to conduct the Earth Prom, a musical celebration of the iconic moments filmed by the BBC’s Natural History Unit, at the Royal Albert Hall, to celebrate the BBC’s centenary.

                    An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

                    Director Davis Guggenheim eloquently weaves the science of global warming with former Vice President Al Gore’s personal history and lifelong commitment to reversing the effects of global climate change in the nature documentary that kick-started a worldwide discussion of climate change.

                    Gore presents a wide array of facts and information in a thoughtful and compelling way - often humorous, frequently emotional, and always fascinating. In the end, An Inconvenient Truth accomplishes what all great films should: it leaves the viewer shaken, involved and inspired.

                    Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to obtain and disseminate information about the climate challenge and put it on the political agenda. According to the Nobel Committee at that time, Gore was probably the single individual who had done most to rouse the public and the governments that action had to be taken to meet the climate challenge. ‘He is,’ in the words of the Committee, ‘the great communicator’.

                    The Blue Planet (2001)

                    ‘Our planet is a blue planet: over 70% of it is covered by the sea. The Pacific Ocean alone covers half the globe. You can fly across it non-stop for twelve hours and still see nothing more than a speck of land. This series will reveal the complete natural history of our ocean planet, from its familiar shores to the mysteries of its deepest seas.’

                    The natural history of the world’s oceans is captured in this beautifully-filmed documentary. Yet another ground-breaking series from the BBC, state of the art underwater photography techniques were used to capture previously un-filmed species and their behaviour. From tidal to coral, seasonal to frozen, The Blue Planet revealed the extraordinary wonders and surprises of life underwater.

                    The series took almost five years to make, covering nearly 200 filming locations. The camera team spent three years on standby, waiting to film blue whales – they finally caught up with them in the Gulf of California. Whilst in South Africa, the team spent two seasons attempting to film the annual sardine run.

                    George Fenton’s gorgeous score, which won a BAFTA for Best Original Music, kick-started the fashion for live orchestral performances of TV scores – The Blue Planet Live! toured the UK from 2006-2008. The show featured some of the most spectacular sequences, displayed on a huge screen, 18 metres wide and three storeys high.

                    The Frozen Planet (2011)

                    With The Frozen Planet, the BBC revealed the last great wildernesses on the planet – the Polar regions. The seven episodes take the viewer across the frozen lands of the Arctic and the Antarctic to observe the climactic conditions and examine the challenges faced by indigenous wildlife.

                    Despite being so seemingly inhospitable, these vast, frigid landscapes are surprisingly rich with life. The Natural History Unit once again captures unimaginable imagery above and below the ice, using cutting-edge camera technology and crystal-clear high-definition cinematography.

                    Featuring polar bears, Arctic terns, krill, minke whales and penguins, the series won BAFTAs for Best Sound: Factual, Best Photography: Factual and Best Editing: Factual, together with four Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

                    George Fenton once again composed the musical score and songs, conducting the BBC Concert Orchestra.

                    Walking with Dinosaurs (1999)

                    If you’re a Jurassic Park fan, then why not watch the ‘real’ thing? Combining fact and informed speculation with computer graphics and animatronics effects that were cutting-edge at the time, the series took two years to make and was a huge hit. It made a distant world as real and natural as images from today’s Serengeti.

                    The series begins in the late Triassic period and concludes in the late Cretaceous period, as you watch insectivorous pterosaurs chase moths in the evening air, or bull Torosaurus lock horns over a young female. Tracing the 145-million-year history of dinosaurs, from their first appearances to their abrupt demise, this series marked a watershed in TV imagery.

                    The score was composed by Benjamin Bartlett, who has also written for Vera, Stan Lee’s Lucky Man and He Kills Coppers and took home the BAFTA for Best Original Music.

                    Racing Extinction (2015)

                    As you might expect from the title, this is a documentary exploring the devastating effects of climate change on the world’s oceans. Human activity currently threatens half of the world’s aquatic species with mass extinction.

                    Academy Award-winning documentary director Louie Psihoyos (The Cove) joins scientists, environmentalists, activists, artists and engineers to draw attention to the pressing issue of mankind’s role in mass extinction in this sobering eco-thriller. The filmmakers also offer suggestions as to what each of us can do to protect nature, our oceans and the environment for generations to come.

                    J. Ralph is an Academy Award-nominated composer, and his score for Racing Extinction also includes the original song ‘One Candle’, recorded with SIA.

                    Kiss the Ground (2020)

                    ‘The answers we’ve been looking for to fight climate change are right under our feet. Regenerative agriculture is a way to use the planet’s own natural systems to rebalance our climate while meaningfully supporting the farmers and ranchers we all rely on every day’, Filmmakers Josh and Rebecca Tickell

                    Narrated by Woody Harrelson, Kiss the Ground sheds light on a ‘new, old approach’ to farming called ‘regenerative agriculture’, which has the potential to balance our climate, replenish our water supplies and feed the world.

                    This covers ideas such as reduced tilling, limits on nitrogen fertilisers, use of cover crops and prioritisation of animal and plant diversity. Based on a book of the same name, and directed by award-winning filmmakers Josh and Rebecca Tickell, the film shows how soil health is tied to our planet’s overall heath.

                    Blackfish (2013)

                    Blackfish tells the story of Tilikum, a notoriously aggressive orca that killed three people while in captivity at SeaWorld in Florida. Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite uses shocking footage and emotional interviews to present a convincing case against keeping these wild animals for human entertainment.

                    The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw praised Blackfish for being, ‘as horribly gripping as a serial-killer thriller, though the real villain is not the ostensible culprit, but its human captors’. He concluded that, ‘we frown on circus animals and we would be horrified by zoos which featured the keepers riding around on lions’ backs or sitting on the shoulders of gorillas. Yet the whale acts are still acceptable. Not for much longer, perhaps.’

                    Highly regarded as a jazz instrumentalist, American composer Jeff Beal creates music that often incorporates improvisatory and composed elements. His dramatic soundtrack for Blackfish shows the scope of using a full orchestra to create storytelling tension.

                    The Cove (2009)

                    Using state-of-the-art equipment, a group of activists, led by renowned dolphin trainer Ric O’Barry, infiltrate a cove near Taijii, Japan to expose both a shocking instance of animal abuse and a serious threat to human health.

                    In September every year, over 2,000 small whales and dolphins may be captured or killed in the dolphin drive hunting season. The Cove, directed by Racing Extinction’s Louie Psihoyos, is a provocative mix of investigative journalism and eco-adventure, whose arresting imagery makes this an unforgettable and courageous story, inspiring both outrage and action.

                    Wild China (2008)

                    The best animal documentaries show you something unexpected and transformative. Billed as ‘the last hidden world’, this ground-breaking six-part series brought never-before-seen images of Chinese wildlife, landscapes and people into our homes. From the world’s highest mountains to steaming forests, grassy plains and rich tropical seas, the programme took more than two years to complete and includes rare footage of some of China’s most remote regions, including the Mongolian steppes and the Yuanyang rice terraces.

                    The beautiful score was composed by Barnaby Taylor and performed by Cheng Yu and the UK Chinese Ensemble.

                    Wild Caribbean (2007)

                    Along with Wild China, Wild Caribbean was part of the BBC Natural History Unit’s ‘Continents’ programmes, surveying the natural history of each of the world’s major land areas.

                    The four-part series was narrated by actor Steve Toussaint – now starring as Lord Corlys Velaryon in HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon. The series reveals the islands’ hidden wild side, including the mangrove forests of Barbuda’s lagoons, which host the Caribbean’s largest colony of frigate birds, Cuba’s limestone caves and the 20,000 Caribbean flamingos that arrive to breed on the southerly ABC islands’ salt pans.

                    The original score was by David Lowe who, fun fact, is also the composer of the iconic BBC News theme, which he originally wrote in 1999.

                    Earthshot: Repairing our Planet (2020)

                    The Earthshot Prize is awarded to five winners each year for their contributions to environmentalism. The five categories were inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals; they are the restoration and protection of nature, air cleanliness, ocean revival, waste-free living, and climate action.

                    Launched in 2020 by Prince William and David Attenborough, the Prince gave a TED Talk discussing climate change and encouraged world leaders to take action, to mark the launch of the ten-year project. Prince William and Attenborough both appeared in the accompanying BBC documentary, which detailed the importance of environmental work and discussed the new prize.

                    Attenborough’s Life in Colour (2021)

                    David Attenborough gets up close and personal with the animal kingdom to bring our colourful world to life through a whole new perspective.

                    Find out why tigers are orange, zebras have stripes and flamingos are pink – and technology enables viewers to look beyond our limited, human, perception and see things from the creatures’ own unique visual perspectives.

                    March of the Penguins (2005)

                    This French feature-length nature documentary, depicting the year-long journey of the Emperor Penguins of Antarctica, was directed and co-written by Luc Jacquet, and co-produced by the National Geographic Society.

                    The beautiful documentary chronicles the heroic and harrowing journey that the penguins make, amid subfreezing temperatures and violent snowstorms at the South Pole, in order to mate. Biologist and filmmaker Jacquet had to be almost as determined as his subjects – he spent more than a year filming, in the harshest of conditions.

                    Empire hailed it for, ‘producing some of the most beautiful images of the Antarctic ever committed to celluloid’, whilst Alex Wurman’s sprightly soundtrack is a stand-alone pleasure.

                    Chris Packham’s Animal Einsteins (2021)

                    Get inside the minds of nature’s savviest species with Chris Packham, and prepare to be amazed. Cunning corvids, fast-fingered chimps and the buzz words of bees all show how smart animals have to be to survive. Packham and the BBC team uncover an array of clever strategies across the animal kingdom.

                    Natural History Museum: World of Wonder (2021)

                    Venture behind the doors of one of the greatest museums in the world, London’s Natural History Museum. Revealing everything from the life story of the 25-metre long skeleton of Hope, the blue whale, to piecing together the skeleton of a T-Rex, you’ll also encounter some of the never-before-displayed items from the museum’s 80 million-strong collection.

                    A Perfect Planet (2021)

                    Covering volcanoes, the sun, weather, oceans and the human impact on the environment, this is another ambitious earth science series from the BBC. Over 3,000 hours of footage were captured for the series, which spans 31 countries.

                    The five-part series shows how the forces of nature, such as ocean currents and solar energy, drive, shape and support Earth’s great diversity of life. In doing so, it reveals how animals are perfectly adapted to whatever their environment throws at them.

                    The beautiful orchestral soundtrack was created by award-winning composer Ilan Eshkeri (Stardust, The Young Victoria), who said that, ‘creating the music for A Perfect Planet has been a hugely rewarding experience. The series celebrates the extraordinary world we are a part of, as well as showing the delicate balance of the systems that support life, and what we need to do to ensure its future stability.

                    ‘It’s a message that’s very important to me and one that I believe we have a responsibility to engage with – in a way that not only educates but inspires the next generation. This influenced my approach to the music, and set me on an unconventional path… I hope my music can play a small part in helping to inspire change.’

                    Cheetah Family and Me (2021)

                    Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan embarks on an adventure to get up close and personal with an animal family, following two cheetah mums as they work against all odds to protect and provide food for their gorgeous young cubs.

                    Based in the Kalahari, Buchanan experiences at first hand the very real dangers these beautiful big cats face from their harsh environment, dangerous wildlife and dwindling prey, with the help of expert cheetah guides Richard Satekge and Julius Mkhize.

                    A subtle soundtrack brings both lightness and drama, according to what the two cheetah families are experiencing.

                    Koyaanisqatsi (1982)

                    This Hopi word means ‘life out of balance’. Director Godfrey Reggio’s unconventional documentary details the inherent conflict between nature and urbanism. An original score by legendary composer Philip Glass complements the stunning cinematography.

                    Featuring extensive footage of natural landscapes and elemental forces, the film gives way to many scenes of modern civilisation and technology. Given its lack of narration and dialogue, the production makes its points solely through imagery and music, with many scenes either slowed down or sped up for dramatic effect.

                    Forest of the Golden Monkey – China’s Hidden Kingdoms (2021)

                    Meet China’s most affectionate and vocal monkeys in the remote, seasonal forests of Central China. Follow the journey of a baby Golden snub-nosed monkey during the first year of her life as she learns all about her forest home and battles the elements to survive, in National Geographic’s stunning documentary.

                    Jane (2017)

                    National Geographic began producing documentaries in 1965, featuring the work of Jane Goodall, Jacques Cousteau and Dian Fossey.

                    They returned to the work of Jane Goodall in 2017, drawing on over 100 hours of never-before-seen footage tucked away in the National Geographic archives for over 50 years. Award-winning director Brett Morgen (Montage of Heck, The Kid Stays in the Picture) tells the story of the extraordinary woman whose chimpanzee research challenged the male-dominated scientific consensus of her time.

                    The story of the trailblazer who defied the odds to become one of the world’s most admired conservationists is soundtracked by a rich orchestral score from legendary composer Philip Glass. The Hollywood Reporter had particular praise for Glass’s music and the part it plays in the documentary: ‘Set to an almost overwhelmingly emotional original score by Philip Glass, this is a wondrous and moving account of a remarkable life, that puts us right there with Goodall.’

                    The Best Nature Documentaries on Netflix

                    Our Planet (2019)

                    Netflix’s ambitious first nature documentary enables viewers to experience our planet’s natural beauty and examines how climate change and humans impacts all living creatures.

                    The series’ spectacular scope was overseen by Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey, the producers behind world-famous nature documentaries Planet Earth, Frozen Planet and The Blue Planet.

                    From frozen worlds to jungles, coastal seas to deserts and grasslands, forests to fresh water, Bryan Resnick of Vox praised the series for its take: ‘Humans have caused staggering amounts of wildlife loss. Our Planet doesn’t hide from it’.

                    Specially commissioned orchestral music by Stephen Price was accompanied by theme song ‘In This Together’ by Ellie Goulding.

                    Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014)

                    Billed as, ‘the film that environmental organisations don’t want you to see!’, Cowspiracy was described by director Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) as, ‘a documentary that will rock and inspire the environmental movement’ and is definitely a conversation-starter.

                    The film follows intrepid filmmaker Kip Andersen as he uncovers the most destructive industry facing the planet today: animal agriculture. As eye-opening as Blackfish, and as inspiring as An Inconvenient Truth, this is a shocking, yet humorous documentary, which reveals the devastating environmental impact of large-scale factory farming.

                    My Octopus Teacher (2020)

                    ‘What Charlotte’s Web did in the popular imagination for the humble, much-maligned barn spider, My Octopus Teacher sets out to achieve for the eight-limbed mollusc of its title — a creature of great, shimmery beauty and mystery regarded by many with more bemusement than affection.’ Variety.com

                    My Octopus Teacher took home the Oscar for the Best Documentary Feature in 2021. Filmmaker Craig Foster forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world.

                    Every day for a year, Foster went free diving, wanting to be ‘more like an amphibious animal’, without barriers between himself and the environment. The spellbinding film, as well as revealing the hidden depths of octopus’ behaviour and intelligence, also showcased the world of the kelp forests, which make up roughly 25% of global coastlines.

                    The soundtrack is by Kevin Smuts, who took home the award for best score at the International Documentary Awards.

                    Seaspiracy (2021)

                    Passionate about ocean life, British filmmaker Ali Tabrizi sets out to document the harm that humans do to marine species — and uncovers alarming global corruption. Seaspiracy examines the global fishing industry and shows how human actions cause widespread environmental destruction.

                    Fishing has wiped out 90% of the world’s large fish and is the greatest threat to marine wildlife. An astonishing 30,000 sharks are killed every hour, whilst 70% of macro plastic at sea comes from fishing gear. Plus, there’s a human cost, with 24,000 fisheries workers dying on the job every year and widespread forced labour reported in 47 countries.

                    It’s another bold, eye-opening documentary from Netflix that changed many people’s ideas on the ‘sustainability’ of fishing.

                    Wildscreen Festival 2022

                    As you can see, whether you want to be awed by its power, or inspired to make changes in order to conserve wildlife and ecosystems, there’s a nature documentary for you. Nature docs are one of our favourite genres – so much so that we’re very proud to be the official Music Partner of Wildscreen Festival 2022. Wildscreen celebrates the very best in natural world storytelling, and is taking place from October 10th-14th.

                    For more on TV, films and ads check out the Edit, our expertise and inspiration-packed blog.

                    WILDSCREEN FESTIVAL 2022

                    Soundtracking Nature

                    Looking for inspiration for your nature documentary score? We have a wealth of fantastic tracks for you to license, including:

                    • ‘Beautiful Life’ by Patrick Hawes combines joyful piano with busy, nostalgic strings, ideal for a positive, slightly quirky sequence.
                    • Kes Loy’s ‘As I Go Higher’ is a thoughtful picked acoustic guitar track, perfect for a section full of warmth and optimism.
                    • If you’re looking for ‘Active Optimism’, then choose Mark Petrie’s track, with uplifting, warm synths, strings and a melodic piano build. It’s also got a triumphant ending, making it great for a ‘journey’-type section.
                    • If there’s another Walking with Dinosaurs doc, then may we suggest including ‘March of the Mammoth’? Emotional strings blend with battle drums and a haunting vocal chant.
                    • ‘Peek a Boo’ is giving us cheeky monkey vibes, or inquisitive young animals exploring and getting into trouble with its jaunty, mischievous pizzicato strings, xylophone and clarinet.
                    • For dreamy aerial, or underwater shots, Luke Richards’ aptly-titled ‘Electricity in the Air’ features hypnotic, floaty piano arpeggios, with light pulsing synths and atmospheric textures.
                    • Any Aussie nature doc can take Alies Sluiter’s ‘Edible Emus’ as its musical starting point. Full of didgeridoo and pizzicato strings, it’s also got animal noise effects to fully seal the deal.
                    • If you’ve got a quieter interlude to score, then why not give Matt Nasir’s ‘Not a Care in the World’ a listen? Its serene piano and strings are laid over a light female vocal bed.
                    • Or for something a bit darker, try ‘Heart of the Storm’ – its slow, moody soundscape features a drone and clarinet, which remind us of deep space, or alien-looking life forms miles down in the ocean.
                    • If you loved Frozen Planet, then ‘Arctic Blue’ will transport you back to the icy landscapes, courtesy of its wistful piano and harp.

                    Or do some globe-trotting with our world documentary series playlist, our hand-picked seasonal playlists, such as Spring, or discover our wide-ranging, cross-genre playlists and latest albums, which are updated every fortnight.

                    Need Music for Your Project?

                    At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!

                    SIGN UP

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                    Harry potter commercials

                    TOP HARRY POTTER COMMERCIALS

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                      The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has been thrilling kids and grown-ups alike since the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was published in 1997. Following on from the blockbuster movies, fans can now explore their iconic sets and discover the magic behind bringing the Harry Potter films to life on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Leavesden and go on Harry Potter-themed rides at Universal Studios. Plus, of course, there’s enough merch for generations to come.

                      We’re going to dive into the best Harry Potter commercial campaigns, for the full lowdown on Harry Potter marketing.

                      Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter

                      Step onto the authentic sets, discover the sleight-of-hand behind spellbinding special effects and explore the behind-the-scenes secrets of the Harry Potter films with the Studios Tour. You’ll enter the iconic Hogwarts Great Hall and explore the Forbidden Forest, all before boarding the original Hogwarts Express at Platform 9 ¾ and wandering down Diagon Alley.

                      Located at the Studios where all eight films were produced, the Studio Tour showcases the British talent, imagination and artistry that went into making the impossible a reality on screen – and now, you can even see round Gringott’s Wizarding Bank.

                      This longer ad gives you a better idea of all the wonders you’ll see – including drinking butter beer, visiting Privet Drive and getting to climb aboard various forms of Potter-based transportation, with plenty of fan photos and the fuller, choral version of the theme, which also has plenty of stirring brass.

                      Harry Potter Max Original Series – Official Announcement

                      When it comes to Harry Potter promotional videos, you’d be hard-pressed to find one that’ll generate more excitement than this one. Yes, Harry Potter is finally coming to TV. Warner Bros. Discovery has officially announced its plan for a decade-long TV series that will be a ‘faithful adaptation’ of JK Rowling’s Potter books. The show will serve as an original series for Max – the new streaming service combining HBO Max and Discovery+.

                      The series – due to be released over the course of 10 years – will be exec produced by Rowling, Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts; David Heyman, the exec producer of the films, is also in talks to join. The show will feature an all-new cast, guaranteeing that the series will reach an entirely new generation of fans.

                      You’ll probably have to wait till 2025 to see the premiere, so in the meantime, here’s the announcement trailer, featuring both the iconic floating candles from the dining hall and – will they dare to change it in the future? – that theme…

                      Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

                      Based on an original story written by JK Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, set nineteen years after the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, this play has been lighting up the West End with magic, illusions and stage wizardry ever since its premiere in June 2016. Not to mention receiving a record-breaking eleven nominations and winning nine awards at the 2017 Laurence Olivier Awards. It’s since opened at theatres worldwide.

                      The story follows Harry Potter, now Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic, and his son, Albus Severus Potter, who’s about to attend his first year at Hogwarts.

                      The trailer for the ‘one of a kind theatrical experience’ introduces the characters – including Albus’s friend, Scorpius Malfoy, the son of Harry’s former enemy, Draco, and showcases some of the dramatic effects that the audience will be treated to. Combined with a soundtrack that’s heavy on orchestral drums and which builds to a heroic end, teasing, ‘our journey has only just begun’, it’s a thrilling promise of things to come.

                      Hogwart’s Legacy – PS5

                      Following the success of the original Harry Potter video games, Warner Bros. Games created the label Portkey Games, and expanded the series to include a pair of Lego video games. The games have sold over 50 million units, and grossed over $1.5 billion in video game sales, and an additional $1 billion in mobile game sales.

                      Hogwart’s Legacy made $850 million in its first two weeks post-launch. Set at Hogwarts in the 1800s, your character is a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. Game-players can make allies, battle Dark wizards and decide the fate of the wizarding world…

                      The official reveal trailer uses part of the iconic main orchestral theme, amped up with epic taiko drums, as you’re promised lifelong friends, potion-brewing and taming fantastic beasts, as well as mastering spells. However, there are also dragons, trolls and all manner of other challenges to do battle with. ‘The journey ahead will reveal what you stand for…’ promises the John Hurt-esque voiceover.

                      Want more detail about what the game has in store for you? Then you need the official launch trailer, which reveals that the main character has ‘a rare ability to see whispers of ancient magic’ and gives an idea of the immersive graphics and some of the danger that you might have to face, as well as all the wizarding lessons.

                      And if you want some extra fun, then watch Tom Felton – aka Draco Malfoy – creating his character look and playing the game (including feeling right at home in the Slytherin common room!)

                      Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Trailer

                      In the epic finale to the whole story, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into a terrifying all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But it’s Harry himself who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice, as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort…

                      Harry Potter movie trailers have rarely been this foreboding or dramatic – there are crashing waves, buildings are ablaze and some of the biggest moments of the series to date are referenced, including Dumbledore’s death, in preparation for ‘the final battle’.

                      Blockbuster trailer music doesn’t come much bigger or better than this, either. We were all on the edge of our seats, desperate to hit the multiplex to find out Harry’s fate.

                      The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

                      This piece of Harry Potter advertising aired during the 2010 Super Bowl, heralding the opening of the Islands of Adventure theme park at the Universal Orlando resort. An owl delivers an invite to two eager kids, who are shown whizzing through the world on broomsticks, being chased by a dragon and following Harry himself into Hogwarts and Diagon Alley.

                      The ad brings in the delicate, twinkling sounds that signify magic ahead, then increases the excitement by introducing more orchestral flourishes.

                      Coca Cola – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

                      Of course, one of the world’s biggest drinks brands is going to pair up for one of the Harry Potter product endorsements. This ad, from 2002, sees a group of boys finding a promo leaflet for a free Harry Potter collectable game piece in their bucket of chilled cans of Coke, which unleashes a Golden Snitch. This zaps around their locker room, turning their kit into broomsticks, and their football clothes into Quidditch robes, as they take to the pitch, accompanied by the main John Williams theme.

                      Welcome to the Magical Diagon Alley – LEGO Harry Potter

                      We love a LEGO ad, and the spot for the Harry Potter/Diagon Alley set is, as you’d expect, loads of fun. Another year at Hogwarts means a trip to the heart of magical London: Diagon Alley. Harry stops off at Ollivander’s Wand Shop; Ron’s been to Quality Quidditch Supplies and who’s that signing his latest book at Flourish and Blotts bookseller? None other than Gilderoy Lockhart! And, of course, Harry, Hermione and Ron would never miss out on stocking up at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. From a tiny LEGO Hedwig carrying the Daily Prophet swooping through the skies over the street onwards, this is an ad filled with tiny joys.

                      More Magic

                      If you can’t get enough Harry Potter, then check out our deep dive into all the films’ soundtracks. And if you want magical music for your project, then we have everything you need, with hand-picked playlists, new releases, blockbuster trailer tracks, epic gaming and more.

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                      This page was updated 23/05/2024.

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