Using Loops or Beats in Your Music Tracks

Q & A

I got this question from a very good songwriter in one of my songwriting courses. He was wondering about using loops or beats that are longer than one or two bars. These might consist of an acoustic rhythm guitar playing a 4-bar chord progression or a keyboard, or even a whole band that can be looped to form a song section.

You’ll find these kinds of loops in “construction kits” from Big Fish Audio or websites like Splice. They can be a great way to launch yourself into a song or even a new genre.

My student was asking if it’s okay to pitch song demos using these loops. Will there be a problem with music publishers and Film & TV music libraries? Is it legal? Will he need to tell them what he’s doing?  I’m not a lawyer and I can’t give legal advice (disclaimer, disclaimer) but I do have some thoughts for you if you’re doing this or considering it.

Advice from Wendy Levy, Music Supervisor

I just read an excellent interview with music supervisor Wendy Levy. If you’re thinking about writing and pitching your songs to the Film & TV market (and you should be) here’s some information from a music supe who has used A LOT of songs in shows like The Fosters, Beauty and the Beast, Ravenswood, 90210, The Client List, Life Unexpected, and many more.

One thing in particular struck me as especially good advice. Levy says: “My job as a music supervisor is to identify the unique voice of each show – like a sonic paint box – with the tone and voice of the production. I present material to the producers to find out what they like. As characters evolve each season, the music changes to fit into that world.”

As a songwriter, you should be aware of the “unique voice” of a show. Watch a few episodes of a show like The Fosters, Gossip Girl, Parenthood, or Nashville. You’ll notice that the songs are quite different on each show. Keep a record of the songs being used, or look them up on Tunefind.com. Then study those songs to get a feel for the type of lyric, melody, production, and vocal style that works for the show. When you get a chance to pitch to the music supervisor – or to a music library that will do the pitching for you – be sure you’re on target and nail the signature sound.

Here’s the rest of the interview. (Interview with Wendy Levy by Shantell Ogden for Berklee Blogs.)

Put Yourself in a Music Supervisor’s Shoes

Want to sharpen your pitching skills to Film & TV opportunities and get more forwards? Here’s the best exercise I’ve ever found for strengthening your Film & TV songwriting and pitches: Do what a music supervisor does.  Find songs that underscore the emotion, energy, or atmosphere in a scene and test them against the picture!

At the end of this post, I’ll give you some resources for contacting music supervisors and pitching your songs. But before you do that, make sure you have what they’re looking for. Don’t burn a contact because you didn’t do your research.  If you’ll spend a couple of afternoons following these instructions, I promise your pitches will be closer to the mark and your film and TV songwriting will be stronger.

SONG PLAYLISTS: A Film & TV Songwriter’s Secret Weapon!

When I asked successful music supervisors how they manage to find the song they’re looking for among the thousands of song links, mp3s, and CDs they collect every year, they all told me they keep “song playlists.”

Music supes have to find songs quickly. When a film director or TV series producer shouts “Get me a quirky, upbeat love song!” the music supe has to scramble to find three to four songs that fit that description ASAP. A playlist of “Quirky, Upbeat Love Songs” will be just what’s needed. If they don’t have that, the chances of uncovering the right song in a few short hours will be next to zero.