Music Used In Commercials
Published: Wed, 09/10/08
Today let's take a look at the use of independent music used in commercials. While licensing fees for songs used in television shows are in the range of five hundred to several thousand dollars, songs licensed for use in television commercials can generate very substantial sums of money. For example, Washington based band Trans Am was once offered $180,000.00 for the use of their song "total information awereness" to be used in a Hummer commercial! And these spots typically start at about $50,000.00. Have you ever heard of Tran's Am? Me neither, until I read about them in a recent article about the music licensing business.
"Lance Jensen, president of the advertising agency Modernista, is the creative mind behind the Hummer campaign, and has seen firsthand what prime-time, 30-second spots can do for unheard artists.
Six years ago, he used cult-folk hero Nick Drake's "Pink Moon" in a Volkswagen commercial, which triggered a Drake renaissance and probably led to what we now call "yup-rock" (polite indie rock for the upwardly mobile).
Jensen insisted that he and the rest of the marketing brains at Modernista have no strict M.O. when it comes to the music they pursue. "We just pick music that we like as people," said Jensen, a former DJ at Boston College's WZBC radio station. "Being a music lover, there's so much interesting work out there, I wonder -- why not let people hear it? ... I guess I just want artists to make money. I don't want them to be poor."
Jensen's Modernista has produced some of the most innovative car commercials ever. They avoid pitchmen and focus on visual spectacle. And a big part of attracting eyeballs is giving people a sound that will turn their heads."
If you're serious about licensing your music and generating a passive income stream with your music then be sure to check out my program "The A-Z Of Music Licensing". It's the most comprehensive program I offer and explains very clearly EVERYTHING you need to know to start licensing your songs and making money from your music. I also offer the program with one on one coaching where I work with you directly to help you get started. I'll work with you personally both via the phone and email to help you develop a game plan based on your own unique situation that you can implement immediately.
The A-Z Of Music Licensing is also available online for a discount of more than 20% off of the hard copy version. Get the entire program for less than $40.00! The Online Program is also available with coaching as well!
If you're already pretty business savvy and understand how the music licensing business works, I also offer the 2008 Industry Directory that comes with my program separately. The directory is a list of over 130 supervisors, publishers, music libraries, etc all working in the music licensing business. Get the directory by itself here.
Happy Songwriting!
Aaron Davison
How To License Your Music.com