# What kinds of songs work best for music licensing?



## Desire Inspires (Aug 13, 2016)

This is a question I am sure many of you ask on a regular basis. After browsing, searching, observing, and struggling, I have found some answers for instrumental cues.

INSTRUMENTALS: 
*ELECTRONICA – EDM or TECHNO – super high energy/upbeat – CLUB/DANCE 
*POP ELECTRONICA – Uptempo, high-energy 
*POP ELECTRONICA – Inspirational, Synthy 
*LATIN - Traditional/Miami-Cuban style, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, etc. 
*QUIRKIES/DRAMEDY – Pizzicato strings, Marimbas – funny, cute, sneaky 
*ORCHESTRAL/ELECTRONICA hybrids - tension/trailer type music for reality tv
*ORCHESTRAL – Anticipation, pensive, drones, didgeridoo – but not terroristic.
*ORCHESTRAL/POP - Inspirational, Emotional, big swells 
*URBAN/TRAP/DIRTY SOUTH – upbeat, Party, Anthemic 
*URBAN/ELECTRONICA/CLUB/DANCE – upbeat, Party, Anthemic, Fashion 
*URBAN/ORCHESTRAL hybrids – Tension - all tempos
*URBAN POP R&B/DANCE – uptempo only 
*URBAN 60’s/70’s FUNK/R&B or DISCO 
*NOVELTY/GEO – MARIACHI/Traditional Mexican music, PRE-1980’s instrumentals, but non-Renaissance period, Circus music, Silent movie music, etc. 
*PUNK ROCK – super fast/upbeat 
*CINEMATIC – MINIMALISM - not too big, too fast or too orchestral/cinematic


Take notes and write to your strengths!


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## Daryl (Aug 13, 2016)

Do you actually mean songs?


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## Baron Greuner (Aug 13, 2016)

Songs?


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## Baron Greuner (Aug 13, 2016)

What the hell is a 'cinematic minimalist' song?


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## Saxer (Aug 13, 2016)

This is interesting. But a lot of questions come into my mind when reading this. May I ask?

Is the list the answer to your thread question?
If so: how did you research your results?
Is it determined empirically?
Based on which sources?


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## Desire Inspires (Aug 13, 2016)

Saxer said:


> This is interesting. But a lot of questions come into my mind when reading this. May I ask?
> 
> Is the list the answer to your thread question?
> If so: how did you research your results?
> ...



Yes
Trial and error
Yes
Feedback from music libraries


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## Saxer (Aug 13, 2016)

Thanks


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## InLight-Tone (Aug 13, 2016)

Don't forget Ukulele & Glockenspiel happy music?!?


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## Baron Greuner (Aug 13, 2016)

By adding the uke and glockenspiel, you have now covered very *genre* known to man.


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## Carbs (Aug 13, 2016)

Baron Greuner said:


> By adding the uke and glockenspiel, you have now covered very gentle known to man.



Every genre*


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## muk (Aug 14, 2016)

ORCHESTRAL - but not terroristic???


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## patrick76 (Aug 14, 2016)

muk said:


> ORCHESTRAL - but not terroristic???


Are you not familiar with the orchestral works of ISIS? There used to be a strong demand from the major libraries for their work, but it has waned with the rise in popularity of ukulele music.


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## muk (Aug 14, 2016)

Oh, that explains it then. Here I thought it was a typo.


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## milesito (Aug 14, 2016)

surprised there is nothing like "rock" on the list below


INSTRUMENTALS: 
*ELECTRONICA – EDM or TECHNO – super high energy/upbeat – CLUB/DANCE 
*POP ELECTRONICA – Uptempo, high-energy 
*POP ELECTRONICA – Inspirational, Synthy 
*LATIN - Traditional/Miami-Cuban style, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, etc. 
*QUIRKIES/DRAMEDY – Pizzicato strings, Marimbas – funny, cute, sneaky 
*ORCHESTRAL/ELECTRONICA hybrids - tension/trailer type music for reality tv
*ORCHESTRAL – Anticipation, pensive, drones, didgeridoo – but not terroristic.
*ORCHESTRAL/POP - Inspirational, Emotional, big swells 
*URBAN/TRAP/DIRTY SOUTH – upbeat, Party, Anthemic 
*URBAN/ELECTRONICA/CLUB/DANCE – upbeat, Party, Anthemic, Fashion 
*URBAN/ORCHESTRAL hybrids – Tension - all tempos
*URBAN POP R&B/DANCE – uptempo only 
*URBAN 60’s/70’s FUNK/R&B or DISCO 
*NOVELTY/GEO – MARIACHI/Traditional Mexican music, PRE-1980’s instrumentals, but non-Renaissance period, Circus music, Silent movie music, etc. 
*PUNK ROCK – super fast/upbeat 
*CINEMATIC – MINIMALISM - not too big, too fast or too orchestral/cinematic


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## Desire Inspires (Aug 14, 2016)

So get to it.


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## doctornine (Aug 16, 2016)

Thats a very generalised list - depends on the country of usage to some extent. Also lets face it, everybody and their dog has been doing either Latin or Triumphant Sports for the last twelve months for the Olympics....
And.... there's always that time of year ( usually months in advance ) when it's wall to wall Christmas.


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## Baron Greuner (Aug 16, 2016)

I've done my one and only Christmas track. But it's awesome!

Well OK, not awesome, but it's good.

Fairly good.

OK. I was lucky to get it accepted but I have hopes.


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## Daryl (Aug 16, 2016)

Baron Greuner said:


> I've done my one and only Christmas track. But it's awesome!


I've done a Christmas track for my next album and it's probably almost as awesome as yours. I have to say the guy playing the Sleigh bells looked like was enjoying himself. Not sure exactly what he was doing behind the music stand though.


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## doctornine (Aug 16, 2016)

I am not sharing, but I will confess to EDM christmas'ness


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## Baron Greuner (Aug 17, 2016)

EDM is a genre that I see on the library but is a complete mystery to me. You always feel like you should have a go until you do have a go and wind up sounding like an imbecile and the library owners kind of metaphorically pat you on the back in sympathy and suggest you might want to leave all of that to the younger writers.


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## Daryl (Aug 17, 2016)

Baron Greuner said:


> EDM is a genre that I see on the library but is a complete mystery to me. You always feel like you should have a go until you do have a go and wind up sounding like an imbecile and the library owners kind of metaphorically pat you on the back in sympathy and suggest you might want to leave all of that to the younger writers.


There's an easy solution. Write using a pseudonym, and it will all suddenly sound better. Not only will you not have to worry about wrecking your hard earned reputation, but as the library will have no idea that it's you, and not some young wanna-be you have taken under your wing, they won't be approaching the track with a pre-conceived bias.


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## Baron Greuner (Aug 17, 2016)

Hehe Daryl. A pseudo wouldn't help. I have taken young wannabes on and sadly they're all better than I am. That wasn't supposed to happen. But hey ho! As the yanks always say, Whaddya gonna do? Whaddy gonna do? Got to look after the youngsters. Some of them are as young as 37 and they sulk if they're not looked after.


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## Daryl (Aug 17, 2016)

Baron Greuner said:


> Hehe Daryl. A pseudo wouldn't help. I have taken young wannabes on and sadly they're all better than I am. That wasn't supposed to happen. But hey ho! As the yanks always say, Whaddya gonna do? Whaddy gonna do? Got to look after the youngsters. Some of them are as young as 37 and they sulk if they're not looked after.


No, that's fine. Just tell them that you need to be executive producer on their tracks, and that costs them 50% of their PRS. Sorted.


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## Baron Greuner (Aug 17, 2016)

You know Daryl, on a serious note, you may or may not believe this, but that actually happens. I can, in all truth say, never ever suggested that to anyone. Couldn't live with myself. But! But! It happens and funnily enough I was in conversation with a cohort recently who brought the subject up. A good guy who played keyboards with Caravan so he's a bit of a hero. He warned me off even dealing with one particular source. I can understand why it goes on and don't make any judgement, but I couldn't do it. Maybe I'm going soft. 
That said, I made a bit of a bollocks of track the other day which took 3 days to sort out and I offered 50% unequivocally to the other party. No problem with that at all.


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## Daryl (Aug 17, 2016)

Baron Greuner said:


> You know Daryl, on a serious note, you may or may not believe this, but that actually happens.


Oh I know it happens, and I could name names. It is equally as bad as the whole ghost writing thing, but composers have to start sticking up for themselves.

To be fair, as you said, sometimes the sleeping partner is putting a lot of effort into the track, and gets a share in lieu of being paid upfront, but when people start claiming a share simply because they were involved in getting the gig, you know that it's borderline criminal. Well in the UK it is criminal.


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## doctornine (Aug 18, 2016)

Baron Greuner said:


> EDM is a genre that I see on the library but is a complete mystery to me. You always feel like you should have a go until you do have a go and wind up sounding like an imbecile and the library owners kind of metaphorically pat you on the back in sympathy and suggest you might want to leave all of that to the younger writers.



Hah, I'm probably older than you think  

But my background prior to Library was electronica.......


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## Cruciform (Aug 20, 2016)

Baron Greuner said:


> What the hell is a 'cinematic minimalist' song?


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## Baron Greuner (Aug 21, 2016)

Minimalist? You sure?

For a start they have definitive melodies. Not in any way minimal in my book.


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## GonzoFB (Aug 21, 2016)

Daryl said:


> I've done a Christmas track for my next album and it's probably almost as awesome as yours. I have to say the guy playing the Sleigh bells looked like was enjoying himself. Not sure exactly what he was doing behind the music stand though.


What happens behind the music stand, stays behind the music stand


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## GonzoFB (Aug 21, 2016)

Baron Greuner said:


> You know Daryl, on a serious note, you may or may not believe this, but that actually happens. I can, in all truth say, never ever suggested that to anyone. Couldn't live with myself. But! But! It happens and funnily enough I was in conversation with a cohort recently who brought the subject up. A good guy who played keyboards with Caravan so he's a bit of a hero. He warned me off even dealing with one particular source. I can understand why it goes on and don't make any judgement, but I couldn't do it. Maybe I'm going soft.
> That said, I made a bit of a bollocks of track the other day which took 3 days to sort out and I offered 50% unequivocally to the other party. No problem with that at all.


 As someone who currently has no links into the industry I'd offer my poor granny along with the 50%!


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