Despite the enormous growth of web-based content and viewership, when it comes to the biggest brands in the world advertising their most prestigious work, it’s still all about broadcast TV commercials.
Though there’s a wide range in quality amongst songs pitched for commercials, the music selection process is curiously subjective. Every step of this journey is met with a new team of people, many of whom will determine if they like or dislike a song within the first few seconds of listening. Music runs deep in our emotions and can evoke visceral reactions. There are also times when a presentation lands flat, and the entire creative brief, including the music, needs to be reoriented.
One may assume that landing music in one of these highly competitive and coveted spots is a challenge, but how many hurdles are there? The infographic below illustrates the journey of a song in advertising, pinpointing all of the gatekeepers, decision-makers and executives who are involved along the way:
In examining the process from creation to picture lock, I wanted to highlight the extreme competition that a song faces before it can even get passed the first barrier of entry. Zachary Pollakoff, VP Senior Music Producer at Grey Group/Townhouse, explains his typical process, from the major ad agency perspective. “I treat every situation differently, but, depending on the specifics of the project, I typically start by pulling a round of tracks from my own library that I have collected from labels, publishers and third party pitchers," Pollakoff says. "If my creative teams require more, which they inevitably do, I'll curate a select group of vendors that I believe will have the right track for the job. Even three to five of those key sources can provide a large enough number of tracks which I'll need to cull down based on the criteria of the production before sharing.”
Music supervisors like Pollakoff have hundreds of sources to choose from, so they rely heavily on trusted third party licensors to help with filtration. While independent musicians pitch to him as well, the agency and their clients prefer third party companies (music libraries, custom music houses, indie labels, major publishers and the list goes on). These preferred vendors can be expected to help with quality control, meet the agency’s E&O (errors and omissions) insurance requirements, and streamline the creative process.
The song that makes the final cut for TV is competing from the very beginning until the very end. Pollakoff listens to hundreds of songs a day, whittles them down and often has to deliver multiple rounds to his colleagues. They may go through 300 songs before sending the client one to consider, but when it lands it’s worth it. Payment for a license on a broadcast TV spot varies depending on a number of factors but is typically within the five- to six-figure range (not to mention backend royalties, which are paid to the songwriter and publisher every time the spot airs).
The next time you listen to commercials you’ll have a newfound appreciation for the journey behind the music, and know why every win, no matter the size, is miraculous.
Jordan Passman is the Founder & CEO of SCORE A SCORE, an LA-based company focused on simplifying custom music and licensing.
Keep up on Twitter @TheJPPass
