How to Legally Use Music in Social Media Campaigns (and Why You Should)
Music in advertising has advanced from the jingles of old to the modern sounds of today, as shown by the addition of popular songs by the likes of Icona Pop, Beyonce, or Taylor Swift. My Links Page have consistently demonstrated that the addition of music take a ho-hum ad spot from dull to unforgettable, such as the power of music. http://www.mylinkspage.com/
The role of music in advertising is studied on its own, and statistics as to the prevalence of an ad’s accompanying melodies are few & far between. A 1989 study by Musical Quarterly revealed that approximately three-quarters of advertisements include music in some way, a ratio that appears stable over the years.
The use of music in advertising is unquestionable - but, do differences in video advertisement performance exist between the use of royalty-free music & rights managed music? Does one element lead to (take away) the stickiness that every brand is looking for when they run an advertisement?
In this post, we will discuss all things musical - from the meaning of copyrights to the use of royalty free pieces. Final consideration can be given to the discussion of the differences, if any, between the types of music licenses. Does one perform better than the other?
The buzz words: copyrights, licensing & royalty free My Links Page
The U.S. Copyright Office, protection occurs at “the time the work is created in fixed form.” It is the property of the creator and any rights are owned in its entirety by the individual.
If an employer commissions a piece, then the original work belongs to the employer and not the employee.
If made by an individual, then that person can give permission for use by other people, or they could give permission to a free library to sell the use of the music on their behalf.
This is a necessary distinction because all music - including royalty free music - belongs to the creator, who could distribute licenses for use by other individuals. A royalty free library only sells a license to use & not the original copyright.
Licensing
Once a song has been copyrighted, the creator can designate how his music will be used & by whom.
A license falls under 3 different purviews:
• Mechanical - Gives an organization, a record company, the right to reproduce a piece of music onto CDs, DVDs, records / tapes.
• Performance - Grants an entity the right to perform, broadcast / use an original, copyrighted creation in the public space. The type of license includes uses such as, when a song is sung, played, recorded / performed live, and covers mediums such as TV, radio, the internet, live concerts, hotels, bars, stores & so forth.
• Synchronization - Gives the purchaser the right to reproduce the purchased song into something else, like the soundtrack of a film, TV show / a music video.
An advertising video will fall under synchronization, and it is up to the video creator / agency to negotiate directly with the copyright holder.
In some cases, like what occurs with a popular, heavily played song, final approval & financial terms, will be discussed directly with the artist & his or her agent.
If the song was sold to a royalty free library, you will negotiate directly with the artists designated representative.
Royalty free music
With the rise of YouTube video, the need for inexpensive melodies to accompany both personal & commercial videos has developed exponentially. The purchase of royalty free music gives a buyer the right to synchronize, plus it affords you the right to use the music time & time again on your video.
Now that we understand the differences between copyrights, licenses & royalty-free, let’s discuss which type of music performs great in an advertising My Links Page
And the winner is…..
A study from the University of Basque tested 4 ads across a random sample of 540 consumers, ages 15 - 65. All 4 ads contained an identical script for a fictitious brand of water; one ad had no music while the other 3 included music as an ad component.
According to the report:
“The music selected had no lyrics, to stop any interference with the generation of memories among the participants, and it was selected following several group sessions with experts from an advertising agency. Finally, 2 musical versions (with music unknown to the public) were made specifically for the adverts, while the third version used What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong.”
Every subject heard only one version of the ad, and tests were conducted to determine the listeners’ perception, the emotional reactions elicited & the resulting brand sentiment. Researchers discovered that subject scores were “significantly higher” for the advertisements with music than the one without. The reports “the average scores were significantly higher in the version using the song by Louis Armstrong than in the other 2 versions that used unknown songs."
Additionally, a 2015 study conducted by Nielsen further examined the memorability of advertisements. Their research showed that popular songs perform great at evoking emotions, a key ingredient to an ad’s stickiness, but for information heavy commercials, a generic, unobtrusive melody develops message recall.
The conclusion by Nielsen? Music advertisements vs. non-music advertisements can influence as many as 4 metrics: creative, empathy, emotive & information. Combine the use of popular music with a trendy artist - as seen, for instance, in a Hewlett-Packard (HP) ad that used the artist Meghan Trainor & her song “Lips are Movin” - and the results prove positive all around. HP saw a 26% develop in total dollar volume during ad air & a 6.53% increase in lift over the previous year.
Putting it all together
The great news from both studies is that the addition of any music type performs better than an ad without music.
For brands with a limited budget
• Look to royalty-free music for your video advertisements. A library houses a wide, variety of musical genres from heavy metal to country to classical.
• Libraries vary in quality, so do your research to seek one where the music is hand-picked & the artists are screened.
• Look for music that complements your advertisement & matches the tempo of the music with the pace of the video.
• Explore different genres to seek a style that best suits the advertisement - you can be surprised by what song clicks.
• Ensure the music coordinates with the video and maintains the structure & theme of the ad.
Money's no object
• Look for an artist or song that appeals to your targeted audiences. Ask yourself, what music are they downloading?
• Research the artists you are considering. Do they match up well with the brand's principles, mission & vision? Select wisely, with a critical eye to maintaining your brand's reputation.
• The use of a popular artist can result in higher sales, but it is important to find the right song that moves the story along at a pace set to engage viewers & form connections.
• Consider including the artist in videos, for maximum engagement.
Through careful consideration of all the available music, and by obtaining the correct license for your needs & budget, you will be on your way to a successful video ad.
Take your time, for as we have learned through research, music brings it all together.
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