Sep 21, 2017, 12:05

In season 2 of Mad Men, Sterling Cooper advertising agency brings in two young creative superstars to help Martinson Coffee – an old iconic brand – reach a younger audience. Here’s the dialog:

“We don’t want to be told what to do,” says the hip, twenty-something copywriter. “That’s over. We want to find things for ourselves. We want to feel. Martinson is a great coffee. It’s delicious. It’s hot and it’s brown. That’s all you need to say. We don’t need more than that.”

The client is then presented with a breezy, bossa nova jingle that brilliantly transports any listener to South America (*We couldn’t find it on YouTube. Sorry).

Client: It’s a jingle right?

Young Hip Copywriter: It’s a song. It’s a mood. It’s a feeling.

Client: Where are the pictures that go with this?

Don Draper: If you sign, we’ll show you.

The client signed. And they were wise to do so. Cheerios recently made the same good decision when they launched this infectious, life-affirming TV commercial jingle (sorry….song) performed by Boston-based rapper Latrell James:

Cheerios Commercial: Good Goes Round Anthem

It’s awesome when brands muster their massive resources to just remind us we’re ok. Or to quote Don Draper in Mad Men‘s pilot episode as he pitches a feel-good campaign to Lucky Strike cigarettes:

“Advertising is based on the one thing. Happiness. You know what happiness is? Happiness is the smell of a new car. It’s freedom from fear. It’s a billboard on the side of the ride screaming with reassurance that whatever you’re doing is ok. You are ok.”

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Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace with over 50,000 tracks online where media producers, video producers, filmmakers, game developers, businesses  and other music buyers can license high-quality, affordable royalty-free music from an online community of musicians. mbielenberg@musicrevolution.com.

Sep 12, 2017, 10:15

We have over 50,000 tracks covering every genre of music on MusicRevolution.com (www.musicrevolution.com). This week’s featured track is “Summer’s Gone” by Reel People Music. This is a dreamy, sentimental track featuring the acoustic guitar and harmonica that is perfect for advertising and film use.

Summer’s Gone” (#00027025)

http://www.musicrevolution.com/royalty-free-music-track/00027025/summer-s-gone

Track Description

Summer’s Gone” — Late September afternoon when you were a kid. This is a dreamy, sentimental track featuring the acoustic guitar and harmonica.

Track Metadata

Moods— Dreamy, sentimental

Instruments— Acoustic guitar, harmonica

Genres—Folk, new age

Applications—Advertising, film, Internet, on hold

Influenced by– Acoustic Alchemy, Michael Hedges, Chet Atkins

Length– 3:44

About Reel People Music–

ReelPeopleMusicBased, in the Atlanta, Georgia  area, Reel People Music produces great music ranging from Acoustic Guitar, Holiday Music, Smooth Jazz, Island Music, Classical Guitar, Ethnic Music, Pop/Rock, and Sci Fi. Click here to listen to more of Reel People Music’s tracks.

With over 50,000 tracks online in our production music library, MusicRevolution.com (www.musicrevolution.com) has some of the best royalty-free music available anywhere.

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Chris Cardell is the co-founder of MusicRevolution.com http://www.musicrevolution.com, a royalty-free music marketplace with over 50,000 tracks online where media producers, video producers, filmmakers, game developers, advertisers, businesses and other music buyers can license high-quality, affordable royalty-free music from an online community of professional musicians. MusicRevolution.com also provides custom music production and custom background music streams. The entire MusicRevolution.com production music library, which includes an extensive selection of “Non-PRO” royalty-free music, is available for third-party distribution and bulk licensing for background music / in-store music for retail, restaurants, hotels and businesses, and for other commercial applications.

Sep 7, 2017, 12:03

Most of us know how “runners high” works. After an intense workout, our bodies produce endorphins. Then those “feel good” chemicals pump through our veins while our muscles heal. We feel achy, but we’re grinning. Free anti-depressants!

But did you know that laughter – which has absolutely nothing to do with working out – is also physically driven by endorphins? When comedian Louis C.K. talks about raising kids, he exposes deep truths to which any parent can relate, but would never say outloud. Those truths hurt; and our body’s physiological remedy is no different than that which happens after twenty pushups. Our body throws pain-killers at us because it’s hard to hear, “Sometimes I hate my kids.” That’s what’s happening when we laugh our butts off.

Truth tellers are more important in 2017 than ever before. If comedians don’t give voice to the raw truths we think but do not say, who will? CEO’s? Politicians? Advertisers? Don’t think so Hence, it is with sober and un-funny reverence that we pay homage to those in the creative arts who tickle funny bones. May this collection of royalty-free tracks catalyze the healing qualities of your punchlines and help you save us all.

Sources:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-laughter-may-be-the-best-pain-medicine/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReRcHdeUG9Y
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/happiness-in-world/201101/why-we-laugh

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Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace with over 50,000 tracks online where media producers, video producers, filmmakers, game developers, businesses  and other music buyers can license high-quality, affordable royalty-free music from an online community of musicians. mbielenberg@musicrevolution.com.

Aug 30, 2017, 10:17

We have over 50,000 tracks covering every genre of music on MusicRevolution.com (www.musicrevolution.com). This week’s featured track is “A Walk In The Sunshine” by Graham Trust. This is a bright, breezy, bouncy and impossibly catchy track that is perfect for advertising and broadcast programming.

A Walk In The Sunshine” (#00857625) (vocal version)

http://www.musicrevolution.com/royalty-free-music-track/00857625/a-walk-in-the-sunshine

A Walk In The Sunshine – instrumental” (#01415881)

http://www.musicrevolution.com/royalty-free-music-track/01415881/a-walk-in-the-sunshine-instrumental

Track Description

A Walk In The Sunshine” — Bright, breezy, bouncy and impossibly catchy. This is irresistible acoustic pop / rock at its best. This track is a gleaming ray of sunshine that will make you break into a smile. Available in vocal and instrumental versions.

Track Metadata

Moods— Energetic, fun, sentimental

Instruments— Acoustic guitar, bass, electric guitar, organ, vocals

Genres—Folk, pop, rock

Applications—Advertising, broadcast programming, film, product for sale

Influenced by- The Beatles, Train, REM

Length– 2:49

About Graham Trust–

GrahamTrustGraham Trust is an independent musician from Liverpool, England. Graham’s music can be described as bright, catchy pop / rock songs with profound lyrical content. Click here to listen to more of Graham Trust’s tracks.

With over 50,000 tracks online in our production music library, MusicRevolution.com (www.musicrevolution.com) has some of the best royalty-free music available anywhere.

________________________________________________________________________

Chris Cardell is the co-founder of MusicRevolution.com http://www.musicrevolution.com, a royalty-free music marketplace with over 50,000 tracks online where media producers, video producers, filmmakers, game developers, advertisers, businesses and other music buyers can license high-quality, affordable royalty-free music from an online community of professional musicians. MusicRevolution.com also provides custom music production and custom background music streams. The entire MusicRevolution.com production music library, which includes an extensive selection of “Non-PRO” royalty-free music, is available for third-party distribution and bulk licensing for background music / in-store music for retail, restaurants, hotels and businesses, and for other commercial applications.

Aug 23, 2017, 12:25

If you’ve ever felt like your music composition career is stalling because of things beyond your control, read the below article by Michael A. Levine.

Levine worked with Oscar-winning film composer Hans Zimmer for 13 years. For those of us who heard Zimmer’s simplistic film score to Thelma and Louise; then wrote him off as a hack; then wondered why film directors weren’t beating down our door, this is downright confronting:

Why Hans Zimmer Got the Job You Wanted (And You Didn’t)
https://behindtheaudio.com/2013/07/hans-zimmer/

Author Michael A. Levine wrote and produced the theme song for the new Resident Evil VII Biohazard VR game, the first ever Virtual Reality game in the series. He is also the composer for the upcoming George Lucas-produced Star Wars Detours animated series featuring Seth Green and Seth MacFarlane.

His website is: http://michaellevinemusic.com/

Congrats to Levine for publishing this great article. It is rare to see this much truth, humility and eye-witness testimony in one place.

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Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace with over 50,000 tracks online where media producers, video producers, filmmakers, game developers, businesses  and other music buyers can license high-quality, affordable royalty-free music from an online community of musicians. mbielenberg@musicrevolution.com.

Aug 15, 2017, 10:30

We have over 50,000 tracks covering every genre of music on MusicRevolution.com (www.musicrevolution.com). This week’s featured track, which is also new to MusicRevolution.com, is “Love Train” by Anthony Alleeson. This is a smooth, sultry, dreamy track that is perfect for broadcast programming and advertising.

Love Train” (#03560393)

http://www.musicrevolution.com/royalty-free-music-track/03560393/love-train

Track Description

Love Train” — A melodic, happy, smooth, moody, sultry, dreamy instrumental track perfect for creating moods in any media setting such as TV, film, movie, documentary, corporate promo, website,  advertising, commercial video, retail, leisure or phone on hold.

Track Metadata

Moods— Corporate, dreamy, inspiring

Instruments— Acoustic guitar, electric guitar

Genres—Corporate, documentary, drama, rock

Applications—Advertising, broadcast programming, film, Internet

Length– 3:05

About Anthony Alleeson–

AnthonyAlleesonUK Composer Anthony Alleeson has musical influences that range from classical orchestral and piano music, easy listening, progressive rock and music from around the world to film scores, TV and commercial music.  Anthony’s music ranges from dark and dangerous to elegant, romantic, cool, mellow, and inspiring. His versatile catalog reflects his varied background in musical styles, which includes Dramatic, Classical, Progressive, Latin, Ambient, New Age, Jazz, World, Pop, and Rock. Anthony’s music is perfect for a wide variety of commercial, corporate, Film, TV, and Commercial projects.

Click here to listen to more of Anthony Alleeson’s tracks.

With over 50,000 tracks online in our production music library, MusicRevolution.com (www.musicrevolution.com) has some of the best royalty-free music available anywhere.

________________________________________________________________________

Chris Cardell is the co-founder of MusicRevolution.com http://www.musicrevolution.com, a royalty-free music marketplace with over 50,000 tracks online where media producers, video producers, filmmakers, game developers, advertisers, businesses and other music buyers can license high-quality, affordable royalty-free music from an online community of professional musicians. MusicRevolution.com also provides custom music production and custom background music streams. The entire MusicRevolution.com production music library, which includes an extensive selection of “Non-PRO” royalty-free music, is available for third-party distribution and bulk licensing for background music / in-store music for retail, restaurants, hotels and businesses, and for other commercial applications.

Aug 10, 2017, 01:33
I once had a steady gig playing piano at a Sunday brunch on a military base. I was never happy with my pay, so after a few months I met with the club manager to politely asked for a raise. “We can’t do that,” he said. “And in fact, next weekend will be your last weekend.” D’oh!
 
That’s kind of what happened to ASCAP and BMI when they recently asked the U.S. Justice Department to revisit a 1941 consent decree against them. The decree, borne out of concern that ASCAP and BMI are monopolies, stated that ASCAP and BMI must grant businesses a license for their music, even if ASCAP/BMI doesn’t like the offered price. The decree has been like a pair of handcuffs on ASCAP/BMI for decades.

“Nothing’s changed, guys,” the Justice Department said. “It’s 2014. And you still look like monopolies. So you still have to grant a license to any who asks. And no, you can’t make exceptions such as Katy Perry’s Firework being used by Pandora but NOT by Spotify. Your song ownership records are a mess. And business owners don’t have time to sort through all that.”

“Oh, yeah. And one more thing. When songs created by your writers were co-written by non-ASCAP members, you STILL have to grant licenses to business owners for that song. The royalty accounting headache is your problem.”*

Ouch.

So what does this mean for restaurant owners? It means that theoretically, business owners can play music written by ASCAP and BMI members in their establishments….at any price they want. But good luck trying to cite a government consent decree with their sales rep.

Business owners should also be aware that a new entity, unbound by ancient leglislation, lurks on the horizon. In an epic case of talking out of both sides of one’s mouth, the US government gave just one organization monopolistic control over every “sound recording” of every song ever made.

They’re like one of those myserious, deep-voiced characters you meet for the first time while the credits are rolling at the end of a Marvel film.

I give you….SoundExchange. Stay tuned.

*The U.S. Justice Department did not say those exact words. I’m paraphrasing.

Source:

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ed-ascap-bmi-justice-department-20160804-snap-story.html

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Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace with over 50,000 tracks online where media producers, video producers, filmmakers, game developers, businesses  and other music buyers can license high-quality, affordable royalty-free music from an online community of musicians. mbielenberg@musicrevolution.com.

Aug 1, 2017, 00:03

We have over 50,000 tracks covering every genre of music on MusicRevolution.com (www.musicrevolution.com). This week’s featured track is “Words Often Fail” by Alex Grant. This is a sentimental, inspiring, piano track that is perfect for broadcast programming– a beautiful piano solo.

Words Often Fail” (#00001433)

http://www.musicrevolution.com/royalty-free-music-track/00001433/words-often-fail

Track Description

Words Often Fail” — Sentimental, inspiring, moving, warm piano music that is perfect for a range of broadcast programming projects. Think Bruce Hornsby.

Track Metadata

Moods— Sentimental, inspiring, moving

Instruments— Piano solo

Genres—New age, jazz, solo

Applications—Broadcast programming, retail, special events

Influenced by: Bruce Hornsby

Length– 2:42

About Alex Grant–

AlexGrantFrom Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A., Alex Grant’s style of contemporary piano is clearly evident in his emotionally evocative recordings.  Piano, Classical, New Age, Beautiful, Relaxing, Serene, Tranquil, Thoughtful, Quiet, Meditation, Peace, Nature, Everyday are keywords to describe Alex’s music.

Click here to listen to more of Alex Grant’s tracks.

With over 50,000 tracks online in our production music library, MusicRevolution.com (www.musicrevolution.com) has some of the best royalty-free music available anywhere.

________________________________________________________________________

Chris Cardell is the co-founder of MusicRevolution.com http://www.musicrevolution.com, a royalty-free music marketplace with over 50,000 tracks online where media producers, video producers, filmmakers, game developers, advertisers, businesses and other music buyers can license high-quality, affordable royalty-free music from an online community of professional musicians. MusicRevolution.com also provides custom music production and custom background music streams. The entire MusicRevolution.com production music library, which includes an extensive selection of “Non-PRO” royalty-free music, is available for third-party distribution and bulk licensing for background music / in-store music for retail, restaurants, hotels and businesses, and for other commercial applications.

Jul 26, 2017, 15:39

We have over 50,000 tracks covering every genre of music on MusicRevolution.com (www.musicrevolution.com). This week’s featured track is “Calling And Calling” by B.L.R. This is a dreamy, sensual, exotic track that is perfect for projects that need the sound of high fashion, luxury, exotic destinations, mystery, intrigue, sensual, travel or espionage.

Calling and Calling” (#01708264)

http://www.musicrevolution.com/royalty-free-music-track/01708264/calling-and-calling

Track Description

Calling And Calling” —This is the sound of international intrigue and exotic destinations– from the catwalk in Paris to a back alley in Morocco. If your next project needs the sound of high fashion, luxury, exotic destinations, mystery, intrigue, sensual, travel or espionage, this is the track. Think James Bond 007.

Track Metadata

Moods— Dreamy, sensual, exotic

Instruments— Electric guitar, marimba, sitar, synth pad, vocals, World percussion

Genres—Corporate, electronica, vocals

Applications—Advertising, broadcast programming, film, retail

Length– 3:32

About B.L.R.–

BLRFrom Marietta, Georgia, U.S.A., B.L.R. covers the musical gamut from spy-themes to new age and chillout to dance-pop. Click here to listen to more of B.L.R.’s tracks.

With over 50,000 tracks online in our production music library, MusicRevolution.com (www.musicrevolution.com) has some of the best royalty-free music available anywhere.

________________________________________________________________________

Chris Cardell is the co-founder of MusicRevolution.com http://www.musicrevolution.com, a royalty-free music marketplace with over 50,000 tracks online where media producers, video producers, filmmakers, game developers, advertisers, businesses and other music buyers can license high-quality, affordable royalty-free music from an online community of professional musicians. MusicRevolution.com also provides custom music production and custom background music streams. The entire MusicRevolution.com production music library, which includes an extensive selection of “Non-PRO” royalty-free music, is available for third-party distribution and bulk licensing for background music / in-store music for retail, restaurants, hotels and businesses, and for other commercial applications.

Jul 16, 2017, 19:47

My latest binge has been “The Defiant Ones” on HBO, an edgy documentary that profiles the career paths of music moguls Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre. These are the men who brought you Nine Inch Nails, Snoop Dog, Ice Cube, Tupac Shakur, Lady Gaga, Eminem, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, Katy Perry and more.

Gangsta rap is not in my blood. And I’ve always struggled with a personal bias against music creators who don’t know basic music theory. But multi-platinum record sales and the beats that boom out of my teenagers’ bedrooms make it clear I’ve been left behind on this one.

That’s why I’m glad I watched this series. I now understand that in 1986, Dr. Dre, Easy-E and Ice Cube had more pressing things to worry about than music theory. They were experiencing things in in life, in their hearts and in Compton that – like a pregnancy – had to come out.

The resulting passion and authenticity resonated with young music fans everywhere; and cultural connections like that have nothing to do with properly inverting a minor 7th chord.

So with my newfound humility and appreciation for the most brutally honest art form in existence, I proudly present this collection of rap/hip-hop tracks in the MusicRevolution.com library; tracks that don’t aim for complexity. But rather to reference a movement in American culture. A movement about being angry with the way things are. I think we can all relate to that.

P.S. My fifteen year old son helped me pick these tracks.

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Mike Bielenberg is a professional musician and co-founder of http://www.musicrevolution.com, a production music marketplace with over 50,000 tracks online where media producers, video producers, filmmakers, game developers, businesses  and other music buyers can license high-quality, affordable royalty-free music from an online community of musicians. mbielenberg@musicrevolution.com.