Advertising and Commercial Music

ADVERTISING AND COMMERCIAL MUSIC FIRMS

The world of advertising presents many opportunities and challenges for today's music writer. Understanding how advertising agencies and advertisers work is helpful in developing a strategy for submitting material to them. Advertising agencies exist to service clients who wish to promote and market their products and services. The agency performs a number of duties, including creative development and placement of media (i.e., radio or TV time, print ads and billboards). More simply put, the agency is responsible for both the message and the medium.

THE MEDIUMS Agencies that handle broadcast accounts (for example, shopping malls, car dealers, furniture stores, etc.) are prime targets for the music writer. These advertisers are often heavy users of radio, TV and cable in their advertising campaigns. Their commercials often use musical images, more frequently referred to as jingles, or background music to drive their advertising messages home.
Radio has long been a favorite medium among advertisers and their agencies because of its ability to target a specific demographic segment of the population. For example, a motorcycle dealer will most likely have better success advertising Harley-Davidson motorcycles on a rock radio station than on a classical or easy listening station. Conversely, a Mercedes-Benz dealer would opt for an easy listening station over a rock station to more effectively reach its target audience.
TV, while often too expensive for the small advertiser, is also an effective medium. The ability to build an image with audio and video in a TV commercial gives the advertiser a distinct advantage.
Cable television has become increasingly popular in the past decade. While at present there is no way to measure the audience of cable TV, cable presents an affordable alternative to radio and network TV for the advertiser on a limited budget. One similarity exists between all three of these popular mediums: their need for music. A recent survey shows that nearly 80 percent of all broadcast advertisers use music in their commercials. In fact, it would be difficult to think of a major national advertiser that does not.
How THE BUSINESS WORKS
The proliferation of music in commercials has spawned a new industry called "the jingle business." You only need to look in your local Yellow Pages to find a jingle company in your town. They are typically listed under the heading "Commercial?adio and TV" or "Music Production Studios." Jingles provide an advertiser with a sound, an image and an identity that, if well done, can be easily remembered by radio listeners or TV watchers. This can accomplish three very important goals for an advertiser. The first is to generate traffic, or bring people into the business, whether it is a car dealer- ship or a dry cleaner. Hopefully, those consumers will buy the product or service once they enter the establishment, thereby increasing sales. Ultimately, an increase in sales will lead to increased profits, which is why the advertiser is in the business in the first place. While this theory is rather basic, it is important for the music writer to understand the function of music in commercials. If a jingle or piece of instrumental music fails to generate these three important elements -traffic, sales and profits - the music has missed the mark, or the advertiser has not properly exposed the commercial to the public on the medium of choice. Jingle writing has become an art form of sorts. Jingle writers are commissioned and hired to write effective jingles, not songs. While jingles may in fact become songs ("We've Only Just Begun??s actually a jingle for a bank before it was a popular song by the Carpenters), a jingle is designed first and foremost to produce results. Over the years, jingles have become more sophisticated. In many cases, they sound more song-like today than they did previously. In fact, major advertisers will often commission well-known song- writers to write and produce their jingles. The majority of jingles we hear on radio and TV, however, are produced by or through advertising agencies and jingle production companies. Large advertising agencies like those in New York, Chicago or Los Angeles often have staff music producers or broadcast production specialists. In agencies where such positions exist, it is important to establish contact with these people, as they will typically control how and where a jingle for one of the agency's clients is produced. In the largest agencies, there may actually be staff writers who will subcontract arrangers and producers to take a musical idea and develop it into a finished jingle. It's also not unusual for an agency person to develop lyrics only, leaving the music writing chores to freelancers.
Keep in mind when dealing with agency producers or writers that people working in advertising tend to move around frequently. There is no guarantee that the person with whom you have established a relationship at an agency will be there six months later. The opportunity for the freelance music writer in large agencies certainly exists, but it is difficult to uncover until the writer has established a successful track record with other major advertising clients.

SUBMISSION
The writer may have better luck approaching the jingle or music production company with which the large agency regularly works. Many agencies that do not employ staff writers, and even those that do go out-of-house for production of their music. In larger markets such as New York, hundreds of jingle companies exist for the sole purpose of creating and producing jingles for broadcast advertisers. Many use freelance writers on an individual project basis. Whether approaching the advertising agency or the outside production company, your approach should be the same. Here are a few do's and don'ts.

The Query Letter In the music business, like most businesses, time is money. An advertising agency or production company will greatly appreciate the courtesy of a query letter from you prior to the submission of a demo tape.
Keep it short. Creative directors and producers receive tons of mail from writers, so be considerate and businesslike when sending an introductory letter. Include a reply card in the letter a self-addressed note-card that the producer can mail back to you when he receives your query letter.
If the recipient of your query uses freelancers, you will most likely receive your reply card back. Make sure you stamp and address the reply card. This makes it that much easier for the card to be returned to you. In fact, place the person's name to which you sent your query in the upper left hand corner of the reply card so you will know whom it is from and will save the recipient the trouble of having to fill out his name and address.
While your reply card need not be a work of art, you might try to print it on a colored stock, as opposed to white, or you might opt for an unusually sized card ... anything that will help the recipient of your query remember yours above the hundreds of others he has received.
7he Demo Tape Once the card comes back, you have one shot at making an impression with your music. The Proliferation of MIDI studios in the basements and bedrooms of thousands of music writers around the world has made the field of jingle writing and producing a crowded one. Unfortunately, many writers confuse technology with talent. Just because a writer has a hot MIDI rig with all the latest bells and whistles does not necessarily mean the music that comes out of this equipment is going to be suitable or attractive to either an agency or production company. It's the carpenter's skills, not the tools that make or break someone's career in the carpentry business. By the same token, the increased number of writers trying to break through makes the number of submissions an agency or Production Company receives in today's market almost unmanageable. Therefore, be different!
Make certain the demo is appropriate. A creative director or broadcast director at an advertising agency is not interested in the three-minute love song you wrote for your girlfriend or the heavy metal tune you submitted to a record company. Run your music by someone who knows music, preferably a professional musician or composer with experience in commercial or AV music. Your parents may love your tape, but they probably do not accurately reflect the kind of opinion you might get from an advertising pro. The agency or production company wants to know that you are familiar with the form of a jingle. Remember, unlike songwriting, when writing a jingle you have either sixty, thirty or, in some cases, fifteen seconds to make your point.
Keep your tape short; three to five minutes is optimum. And always put your best foot forward. Put the piece of music you are most proud of, the one that truly represents just how good you are, first on the tape. Many listeners will never get beyond that first composition when auditioning your tape. If you save the best for last, it may never be heard.
Mix up the styles on your tape. Show the listener you are capable of writing and producing any type of music. The needs for music in advertising are as varied as the products and services the music sells. You'll get a great deal of mileage out of a varied demo tape. For example, if you open with a hot rock piece, follow it up with a classical tune you've written. Contrast between such cuts will impress the listener and demonstrate that you are a versatile writer, able to fill any musical need and adapt to any style or situation.
If, on the other hand, you shine in one particular style, let the person know that up front. Much like the agency or production company that is hired to target market a product or service for their client, you can do the same. If you are a great country music writer, say so.
Cassettes are the most widely accepted format for demo tapes. However, you might want to determine if the agency to which you're submitting has DAT capability. While considerably more expensive than conventional cassettes, a DAT will make an impression. A DAT will not only sound superior, but it will also show the person reviewing your tape that you are serious about quality. You are more likely to find DAT capability at the production company than the agency, so you will want to check in advance. Consider adding an extra check-off block on your reply card.
If you choose to stick with the conventional cassette format, be certain to use a high bias, chrome or metal formulation tape. The best-written piece of music can sound awful on a second-rate tape. Take pride in the product you are submitting, because it may very well be your one and only chance with a particular agency.

Packaging the Demo
Packaging your tape is of utmost importance. A nice-looking package will attract more attention than a handwritten letter on lined paper with an unlabeled cassette tape. A professional presentation will establish the fact that you are probably professional in your approach to music as well. A poor presentation and a cheap cassette will do little to increase your odds of getting work from the agency or production company.
Always mark your cassette with your name, address and, most importantly, your phone number. Invest in professional-looking cassette labels with this information printed on them. If you want your tape to be returned, always enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) for the respondent's convenience. Make sure you send your tape in a padded mailbag to minimize the risk of damage in the mail. The SASE should also be a padded one with adequate return postage. If you don't want your tape returned, and in some respects that's best, mention in the letter that accompanies your tape that there is no need to return the tape. Assuming your reply card came back requesting a demo tape, you should send a letter with your tape.
By closing your letter with the specific time and day you will follow up on the letter, you will catch the person to whom you are submitting off guard. Although being this precise does not increase your chances of getting through, the person will be more likely to remember you because of the way you wrote your letter.
If you are fortunate enough to have been commissioned by an agency or production company to write a jingle in the past, put some samples of jingles for which you've actually been paid on the demo. Be certain to mention this in your letter. The fact that you've been paid to write a jingle is important and further increases your credibility with the prospect you're pitching.
Close your letter, as always, with the intent to follow up at a later date. As you move forward with new clients, whether agencies or production companies, change your demo often and make certain you update those people who have responded to your queries.
You may want to send out a short press release that you can generate on your computer. Naturally, it is best to send a release when you have more than one thing to talk about. One jingle assignment is not going to bring you the next Coke assignment. But your prospects will never know how and what you're doing if you don't tell them.

FOLLOWING UP ON SUBMISSIONS The telephone is the quickest way to follow up on the demo tape you've submitted, but your odds of getting through may be slim compared to your chance of getting through by mail. Most everyone opens their mail; not everyone will return phone calls.
When you do call, be polite and, as always, respect the person's time. If you do get through, say something like "Mr. Producer, I wanted to follow up on a demo tape I sent a few weeks ago. Did you have a chance to listen to it?" If the response is "No," and often times it will be, courteously say "I know you're busy, so why don't I give you a call in about ten days and get your reaction to the tape?" Your prospect will appreciate the fact that you aren't trying to badger him or monopolize his time.
If the answer to your initial question is "Yes, I did listen," your response should be "And how did you like it?" Get ready for what will hopefully be an honest critique of your tape. If your prospect said, "I like it," you now have an opening to ask if he or she has any projects pending with which you might be able to help. If nothing is happening at the moment, simply thank the person and let them know you'll stay in touch to keep them apprised of any jingles or other types of projects you write and produce in hopes that you might be of service to them down the road.
Persistence is perhaps the most important part of your demo submission strategy. Know when to back off and when to push. Believe it or not, getting an assignment from an agency or production company is sometimes dumb luck the proverbial being in the right place at the right time. Getting an assignment because you just happened to call at the exact moment something was needed is not uncommon. However, once you get up to bat, your music will have to do the talking.

SUBMITTING DEMOS FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS Many music writers feel they have written the ultimate jingle for a major client. How many times have you thought, "If only Coke or McDonald's could hear this concept, they'd buy it for sure??Truth is it is virtually impossible to get an audience for a jingle you have already written for a specific advertiser. Let's say, for example, you have a great idea for Coke and you do a little research to find out the name of Coca-Cola's advertising agency. (This information is readily available in the Standard Directory of advertisers, which you can find in many local libraries). If you send your tape containing your jingle idea for Coke to the agency, it will be returned to you unopened. Why?
Unsolicited submissions are a no-no in the jingle business, and the reason is simple. Let's say someone actually does listen to your tape at the agency. They return your tape to you, thanking you for your submission and informing you that the concept is inappropriate for Coke at this time. If at some later date, this agency creates a jingle or advertising campaign that even remotely resembles the idea you submitted, you could have a case against that agency. That's the legal reason.
Also, advertisers like Coca-Cola pay their advertising agencies and production companies millions of dollars to develop and test-market campaigns, slogans, jingles, etc. How could someone from the outside possibly have any knowledge of the types of marketing strategies and directions being developed for the client? The bottom line is that you will look like an amateur if you submit a jingle to an agency or production company. You may potentially decrease the odds that you will receive a real assignment in the future.
If, however, you are convinced that your idea needs to be heard by the agency, play it safe. Write a query letter to the agency (always get the name of the creative director or account supervisor who works on the specific account).
There is an outside chance the agency or production company will have a standard release they can send to you. This release will give you permission to submit your tape, holding the agency or production company not liable for the remuneration for your idea in the future.

MUSIC LIBRARIES
We have focused primarily on the jingle business in this chapter, but there are other opportunities for music writers in the advertising field that should not be overlooked. Remember, every jingle writer in the world wants to write the next McDonald's jingle. There are thousands of local, regional and national radio and TV advertisers who use not only jingles, but instrumental music as well in their commercials.
While much of the background music we hear in commercials is custom written and produced by agencies and production companies, many spots use music found in "music libraries." The music library business is a fast-growing industry that can offer opportunity and rewards for the music writer. The basic difference between a jingle and custom-written piece of music for a radio or TV commercial and a piece of music found in a music library is that the library piece is "canned" as opposed to custom-written. Canned music has been written, produced and usually placed on a CD collection without any particular purpose in mind. The music is then made available to producers of radio and TV commercials, as well as to film, video and audiovisual producers.
There are two types of music libraries: "needledrop" or licensed libraries, and "no-needledrop" or buyout libraries. Needledrop libraries license music to producers based on a rate schedule. Each time the producer uses a piece of music in the library, he must pay a licensing fee to the library. Fees vary depending on the usage; for instance, a library piece played as a theme for the Super Bowl will cost considerably more than a piece of music being licensed for use by a college film making class.
No-needledrop or buyout libraries work differently. Music in a no needledrop library is sold outright to the producer with no licensing necessary. The producer is free to use the music contained in the no-needledrop library as often as he likes without any further fees or charges.
Both needledrop and no-needledrop libraries are constantly in the market for quality production music. Both offer great opportunity to the talented writer who understands how background music can complement all types of productions, whether commercial or film and audiovisual works.
The demo submission process for music libraries is identical to that for jingles and advertising music. You will be able to locate the names and ad- dresses of music libraries in trade magazines such as MIX, AV Video or Videography. There are scores of publications dedicated to the production industry; all are good sources for production music outlets. Much like advertising agencies and production companies, music libraries receive hundreds of submissions every year. Follow the same guidelines in submitting your demos, including the query and the follow-up process.
The world of advertising presents many opportunities to today's music writer. Uncovering them can lead to a rewarding and lucrative career for the writer who develops an organized and professional approach to demo submissions. Good luck