On the Right Track: Tips for Selecting Music for Video and Animation

Derek Williams, Origo’s Graphic Designer, is pretty in tune with music.

A talented guitarist, Derek is our go-to team member when it comes to selecting music for video and animation. Here are some of his music direction tips:

Identify your audience

Knowing who you’re trying to appeal to makes it much easier to choose the ideal rhythm and genre of music for your project. If your audience is mostly younger children, for example, you want something that will speak to them. Think about kids’ TV shows, games, and other influences you could pull from for inspiration. 

Understand your content

Starting with an understanding of what your message is can determine the tone and mood of your track. Is it hopeful? Sad? What do you want to convey to the viewer with your visual content and how can music further strengthen that?

Use visuals to your advantage

I always read through the preliminary storyboards of a video project as I’m listening to different soundtracks. This allows you to feel the music out to see if it makes sense with the overall story and imagery. If there’s a voiceover, imagine that being spoken over your music as you listen. Is the beat too distracting? Are there too many instruments? Being thoughtful about your choice can be helpful in sorting out good and bad tracks based on your project goals.

If you have any questions about our creative capabilities, feel free to email us at solutions@origobranding.com.