MUSIC FOR PRODUCTION: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

You may not be familiar with production music as a term, but you’ll definitely have heard it. Most famously used in TV, production music in fact turns up everywhere – and it’s the content-producer’s secret weapon when you’re wondering where to find background music for videos.

If you need to know where and when you could use production music, and how to find the very best, read on. We’ll be covering:

• What is production music?
• What might you need production music for?
• How music can help your production
• Where to get production music
• Audio Network’s licence model
• Hand-picked playlists
• Soundscapes
• Audio Network’s key search tools

What Is Production Music?

Production music is also known as stock music or library music.

Simply put, it’s recorded music that can be licensed by customers for use in film, TV, radio, advertising and media such as YouTube content and podcasts. Often the music is produced and owned by music libraries.

A production music library owns all the copyright of its music. Thus, it can be licensed without getting the composer’s permission separately. Licensing either specially-commissioned music or pre-existing tracks can be very expensive and getting permission to use it can also be notoriously difficult and time-consuming.

You may not have heard of many of the successful artists and composers creating production music, but some of Audio Network’s most acclaimed creators, such as Terry Devine-King and Mark Petrie, have had their work featured on everything from blockbuster trailers (Avengers: Endgame) to commercials for Guinness, Rover and Barclays.

Plus, unlike composers such as Hans Zimmer or Danny Elfman – who become known for their film and, occasionally, TV work  – a production music composer’s tracks can be used for any kind of product, from games to ads, Powerpoint presentations to big screen epics.

What Might You Need Production Music For?

In short – any kind of content! The best advertisements all have either memorable music – everything from the ‘Old Spice’ music (aka classical piece ‘Carmina Burana’) to the McDonald’s or Intel’s ‘audio signatures’, which are just a few notes.

What’s a horror film without scary music? TV programmes can be full of atmosphere and tension, romance or comedy, all of which can use music to enhance the effect or guide the audience’s reaction. And not all of it has been specially composed for the show in question.

Production music can also help you to stand out from the crowd in terms of video content – whether it’s a big presentation, a YouTube how-to or a reaction video.

How Music Can Help to Improve Your Production

Let’s illustrate just how music can help to improve a film production. We’re all used to seeing the final cut of a movie – it’s been edited, the sound is balanced so you can hear the dialogue, all the SFX are in place. But how does music affect the mood of what you’re watching? Watch this classic ‘throne room’ scene from Star Wars:

Impressive, right? It’s got gravitas, with all those epic strings, orchestrations and the fanfare trumpets creating a suitably regal feel for the sequence of Han, Luke and Chewie being recognised for their heroism.

Now watch it without the music (try not to jump when Chewbacca lets out a terrible screech):

It’s just a long walk, a lot of awkward looks, an extra coughing in the background and what sounds like six people clapping. Zero atmosphere and not much of a way to finish the movie on a high.

However, you don’t need to blow the budget by getting movie legend John Williams to compose an impressive score from scratch. Using production music from a catalogue like Audio Network’s is cheaper and quicker. You can search by genre, by mood, by production type and even by instrument and BPM to find exactly what you need.

Production music can improve your content by giving it polish, making it unique (you’re not using that same Dua Lipa track that everyone else has been trying to license) and, as we’ve shown, creating atmosphere and emotion. You can also use music as a narrative device to push a story along, whether it’s in a documentary or a drama.

Where to Get Production Music

You can find and license production music from music libraries. As a dedicated production music company, Audio Network’s is one of the best. A global company that’s been in the business for over 20 years, Audio Network commissions original, high-quality music from 1,000+ artists and composers from every corner of the world. Often recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios, all our music is written and performed by the world’s best musicians and recorded with renowned producers. The catalogue spans every possible genre, to accompany any mood you wish to create.

Our Licence Model

In terms of licensing, Audio Network makes the process straightforward. We have tailored subscription offers (including licensing a single track) to monthly or annual subscriptions. We offer account management, and you can also contact our in-house experts for music consultancy. Give them a brief and they will pinpoint exactly the right track for you. Our music can be licensed anywhere, forever – no matter what device you’re using.

Where Can I Find Music For…

If you’re looking for music for a specific type of content, then we have you covered! Check out these production areas:

• TV and radio advertising
• TV programming
• Music for podcasts
• Corporate videos
• Showreels
• Video content
• Film
• Trailers
• Digital entertainment
• Digital branded content

Hand-Picked Playlists

At Audio Network, we want to make sure that finding production music is quick, easy and fun – and that you have plenty of choice. So, our expert in-house team selects the best of our original music and assembles the tracks into playlists that you can browse.

Because our catalogue has such a huge depth and breadth, it can be a bit daunting, but hit up a playlist and most of the work has already been done for you. Here are a few of our most useful and versatile playlists:

• World Cup – When it comes to music for sport, we have a huge array. You’ll have everything to conjure sport’s emotion at your fingertips, from music showcasing determination and anticipation, to the joy of victory and the heartbreak of a narrow defeat.
• Reality – Reality, aka factual entertainment – is now one of TV’s most popular genres. Dating shows, celebrity, cookery and travel, 24 Hours in A&E: literally all human life is here. So we have all the reality show music you need – from uplifting and easy-going to world music, and tracks to ramp up the tension for shows like Bake Off and Masterchef, which have a competitive element.
• Dramedy such as Succession needs a balance of music that combines both dramatic elements and comedy, depending on which accent you need to focus on in a particular scene.
• True Crime – When it comes to true crime, with podcasts such as Serial and The Dropout – many of which have then been turned into successful TV series – production music can be crucial in adding atmosphere, suspense and emotion. True Crime may need beds and soundscapes, or even a unique theme.
• Drama – Music for drama can span literally any genre and mood. You might want an orchestral ballad, or an intense track to soundtrack a chase sequence. On the hunt for exciting background music? Our selections are incredibly versatile.
• Holidays – Ah, it’s time to celebrate! For the ho-ho-holidays, choose from traditional to contemporary, orchestral to big band, rock ‘n’ roll to R&B. Our Holidays playlist has everything you could possibly want to get you into the festive spirit.
• Summer – When you’re after happy background music for videos or content, look no further than our summer playlist. Uplifting and feelgood, bring the sunshine with a popular music playlist, indie-rock and mellow alt-folk.
• Schools Out – Whoop! Ditch the homework and park the dissertation: it’s time to kick back and enjoy yourself, with tracks that celebrate freedom and those long, fun-filled days and nights.
• Current Affairs – From hard news to investigations and the weather forecast, our news and current affairs playlist has stings, themes and beds with pulses, tension builds, dynamic, exciting orchestra tracks and bright, positive marimba for the lighter news stories.
• New Year – Whether you’re making resolutions or celebrating Chinese New Year, this is a playlist that’s full of positive, inspirational tracks for new beginnings!
• Documentaries – Documentaries span everything from lifestyle features to wildlife programmes. Bring diverse stories to life with this expansive playlist, including dedicated picks for historical, international and travel-based documentaries, plus tracks to add atmosphere.
• Trailer – There’s a real art to trailer music, and our artists and composers are some of the best in the business. These mini masterpieces are fantastic for film, TV, video and advertising. Inspiration, excitement, anticipation – these tracks have it all.
• Promos – Short and sweet cutdowns, these are ready to be dropped straight into your project!
• Drones – Drone footage can be truly magical, as you float high above a scene. Often, it’s accompanied by eerie or ethereal sound design with either dreamlike or mysterious feels and textures. From cinematic to minimalist and even menacing, this drones playlist has the perfect mix of moods.
• Beds – Music beds are there mainly to add atmosphere or a particular mood. Our beds – ideal if you’re looking for background music for videos – are split into ‘light beds’ and brooding, unnerving beds to add tension.
• Risers & Hits – Want a quick sting or hit? From a horror rise to a sci-fi zap, this playlist shows that short doesn’t always have to mean sharp.
• Transitions – Need the perfect accompaniment to a scene change? Take your pick from this expansive playlist.

Soundscapes

Creating soundscapes can be a real challenge, but also one of the most important parts of dramas or movies, as Hans Zimmer explains in this explanation of how he created the soundscape for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, including inventing instruments:

We have a huge array of soundscapes. For something sinister and atmospheric, suitable for dystopian settings, check out our dark soundscapes, or go for an uplifting underscore with our light soundscape selection.

Audio Network’s Key Search Tools

We want you to be a search dynamo! By providing a super-powerful set of search tools, our platform is here to help you find exactly what you’re looking for, in just a few clicks. We also have a wide range of workflow enhancements, including the AI-powered suggested search, various types of metadata, file formats and easy offline solutions to help simplify your editing and reporting process.

Search tips:

• Use keywords or filters to find what you’re looking for. Enter keywords into the search field and these will appear as tags above your search.
• With search filters you can view our most popular styles or click to show all.
• Refine your search even further by clicking on Advanced Filters to specify track duration, tempo, BPM, key, metre and by lyrical content.
• Use the ‘filter vocal’ option to find instrumental-only tracks.
• Look out for the ‘E’ symbol next to track titles which identifies explicit lyrical content. These can be removed from search results in the Advanced Filters section.
• Listen to additional tracks from the same artist or album by clicking the (...) icon next to the track.
• Scroll to the footer of the page to see a range of music menus, artists and albums.

Workflow Tools

Our curated playlist hub is updated every fortnight with new music. Plus, when you need to collaborate with colleagues or clients, we have Projects, making it easy to share potential tracks. You can rate tracks and add notes, email the project details to colleagues and see all your projects in one place at a glance.

Looking For Inspiration?

So, now you know the basics about production music and where to find it! If you want to know what the experts think, then read our round-up of our composers’ favourite movie trailer music; or explore award-winning ads and how their soundtracks help to tell their story. You can also see how our artists’ and composers’ work is used in our regular sync updates. And if you need everything all in one easy-to-navigate place, then head straight over to our music made for sync page.

Plus, if you’re a composer who’s looking to get your work into production music libraries, then read this guide by the hugely prolific Terry Devine-King and then learn how to submit your work to Audio Network.