This year there are close to a dozen TV series using songs in the broad, acoustic-based Americana songwriter style. This trend started with Yellowstone, a series that popularized the music of many Americana artists. Zach Bryan’s songs appeared six times in the 2022 season, driving his song “Something In the Orange” to the top of the Country Music Charts and launching his career.
Category: SONGS FOR FILM & TV
Many of today’s hottest TV series, films, and commercials feature songs by unknown artists and songwriters. Learn how to write and pitch to this fast-growing market.
Where to Find New Songs & Artists to Listen To
Q: I want to learn more about what kind of music is current. Where do you find new music and artists to listen to? Also I want to pitch my songs to film & TV. Where can I hear artists that are being used in that market?
A: If you’ve been getting my monthly emails, you know that I’m big on listening. I recommend that songwriters spend as much time listening as they spend writing. That means listening to successful songs, current songs, songs that inspire you as often as you can.
But there’s a huge amount of music out there—more every week, every day— so much that it can seem overwhelming. So, how do you find new music and artists to listen to? How do you know where to look and how to focus on what will be helpful to you as a songwriter? Here’s my guide to finding new music that will deliver plenty of inspiration, knowledge, and ideas for your own songs.
Cover Songs Are a Big Deal
I’ve been hearing a lot of great cover songs in TV series and commercials lately. Last week, The Handmaid’s Tale featured a spooky, electro cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” by Kerala Dust. VRBO is re-airing a commercial with John Legend covering the Johnny Nash hit “I Can See Clearly Now.” An INXS cover version of “Never Tear Us Apart”—a hit for both Tom Jones and Joe Cocker—is currently being used in a long-form commercial for Michael Hill Jewelry. And recently NCIS: Hawai’i used Kina Grannis’ great guitar/vocal cover of “Shut Up and Dance” originally by Walk the Moon.
Cover songs are giving old favorites a new life and new, indie artists added traction!
Alternate Versions of Your Songs
I’m often asked if it’s a good idea to record and mix multiple or alternate versions of a song. The short answer is YES! Because…
- There are versions of your song that you’ll need to have.
- There are optional versions that can be useful to have.
- There are versions that you make just because you’re dying to hear what they sound like.
For the long answer, let’s take a look at a variety of alternate versions and how they can help you in a whole lot of important ways.
MUST-HAVE VERSIONS
THE MAIN VERSION
If you’re an artist, the main version of your song is the one you’ll release as your single. It’s the definitive version, the one you’ll promote first, and the one you want people to hear.
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.