HOW TO CHOOSE ON-BRAND MUSIC

In a time-pressed, attention-poor world, first impressions matter. That’s precisely why marketers and brand specialists deliberate over every tiny detail of each campaign to optimise audience impact, ensure positive brand associations and foster longevity.

Of course, a huge part of every successful marketing campaign comes down to making the right music choices. From audio logos to themes and background music, strong sonic branding is what separates the wheat from the chaff. But in a musical context, what exactly does it mean to be on-brand? And where does one begin when it comes to selecting on-brand music for marketing? These are the kind of questions we’ll be answering in our latest blog.

Why Music Choice Matters for Brand Perception

Music matters because it provokes an involuntary reaction, making people feel. By forging these unspoken, emotional connections with your audience, you can get a huge head start when it comes to building brand loyalty.

One important factor to consider is the quality of the music you use. For example, if you employ rights-free music readily available to the masses, you may cheapen your brand through over-exposure. Equally, if the music you use has poor production values, that will negatively impact on the perception of your brand.

Music is also a vital tool when it comes to shaping the narrative of a campaign. Select upbeat, high-energy music to convey a sense of optimism and excitement, or slower, more minimalist music to imply luxury, à la Mark and Spencer’s use of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Albatross’.

What Does It Mean to Be On-Brand?

To be “on-brand” in a musical context, means selecting the right audio cues to create an image that reflects your identity and product or service. Naturally, what that sounds like will depend on your brand and the story you’re telling, but by staying on brand you build familiarity and trust and push your narrative forward.

Considerations include the tone, mood, tempo, genre, production choices and any lyrical themes. So, when it comes to selecting music for brands and music for business, think hard about your core messaging and the story you want to communicate.

Tips for Picking the Right Track

Begin by looking at your brand identity. Select five words that describe your brand and think about the values you want to communicate. Are there any existing audio guidelines you need to adhere, such as a signature jingle or audio jingle?

Next, look at defining your campaign objective. What emotions do you hope to trigger with your campaign? And what is the action you want your audience to take? For example, you might wish to encourage feelings of joy or nostalgia, a sense of urgency or of trust, with the aim of prompting your audience to subscribe to or sample your product. It’s vital too to consider where your marketing will exist. If it’s purely for social media, such as TikTok, Instagram or Facebook, you will likely require different audio edits or mixes to TV and radio.

Look at your target audience, and consider what music resonates with them. Gen Z or Gen Alpha will likely respond better to trending tracks, high-energy beats or lo-fi bedroom pop, while premium consumers might favour orchestral music or minimalist electronica. Always keep the cultural context in mind – selecting the wrong genre can create a jarring listening experience that is alienating.

It’s crucial too to consider the pacing of your musical choice, to ensure it supports the storytelling arc of your ad. If it’s a video containing lots of sharp cuts and energetic visuals, you might want to consider an upbeat track, and if you’re more focused on emotive storytelling, dial down the pace and choose atmospheric music or tracks with a dynamic build. Remember that music should never compete with the edit – it should support it. Equally, if you’re choosing music featuring lyrics, those words should reinforce the campaign message rather than detract from it.

It's also vital that you test the track. Try playing the track without the visuals – does it still feel on-brand? You could also share it with your wider team to see if it elicits the desired emotional response.

Stay On-Brand With Audio Network

At Audio Network we have decades of experience of assisting marketing managers in keeping campaigns on-brand, helping tell iconic stories for the likes of Coca-Cola, Vice, Disney and Nike. Our expert team are always on-hand to consult on your campaign, supplying curated playlists of suggested tracks, and helping you navigate our expansive catalogue to find the perfect track.

With over 280,000 tracks to choose from, spanning every genre, mood and style imaginable, we offer a wealth of musical choice. We also offer AI-powered search and tools that allow you to filter results by track duration, tempo, mood, production genre, BPM, key, metre, lyrical content and more, meaning it’s never been simpler for you to find the right track fast. And of course, all of our music is licensed worldwide in perpetuity, meaning you don’t have to worry about legal challenges. You can find out more about music licensing in our guide to music licensing, and our music licensing glossary.

A Checklist for Staying On-Brand

In summary, when you’re selecting music for your project, here are the things you need to consider to stay on-brand:

• Does the music for my brand reflect our core identity and values?
• Does the tone of the track match our campaign’s emotional goal?
• Does the track’s pacing fit with the ad’s editing and storytelling?
• Does the track’s tone fit the campaign’s emotional goal and support the call to action?
• Stylistically, does the track resonate with our chosen demographic?
• Is the track’s cultural context appropriate for the audience?
• If using a song with lyrics, do they reflect/help further the campaign’s message?
• Does the music work on the platform it’s intended for?
• Do the melody and mood complement the visuals rather than compete with them?
• Does the music for my business fit with existing sonic branding?

Read More

So now you know all about on-brand music why not dig into some more of guides, covering everything from podcast music rights and production music for ads to music licensing myths. We can also show you how to license a song for video and how to find music for YouTube videos,  TikTok or Instagram.