by Robin Frederick, author “Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting”

The hottest outlets for original songs in today’s market are film and television. Shows like Grey’s Anatomy, One Tree Hill, House, Smallville, Hannah Montana, and daytime dramas like The Young and the Restless all need songs to add emotional impact to scenes. You can find lists of songs used by many of these shows at tvshowsongs.com.

Songs for film and TV require some special thought. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you write for this market:

=> Music supervisors and Music Libraries are looking for songs that focus on a single emotion. If a song switches emotions, loses emotional focus, or is unclear about the emotion at its heart, it will be a tough sell.

=> Music supervisors LOVE to hear songs that are in the style of today’s hits. If you’ve got a song that has the emotional intensity of hits by Daughtry or Nickelback, you’re in good shape. Be sure that your demo is well recorded with tight musical performances and a lead singer who handles the style well. Take a look at the charts and listen to what’s hot right now. (Go to Billboard.com and click on “Charts.” You can stream the songs you’re interested in.) Look for songs and artists you think sound similar to you. If you don’t have a sound that’s close to any of the artists in the top 20 to 30 spots, consider writing and recording a new song just for this purpose. I don’t mean that you should copy a hit artist, but try to capture the emotional essence of the sound and style.

=> Avoid using proper names, place names, and any references to specific years or time periods. As you can guess, this will limit the opportunities for placing your song. If the hook of your song is “Sarah, I Love You,” a Music Supervisor will have a hard time using it if there’s no character named Sarah in the scene! (It could work as “source music” — music that is playing on a radio in the scene, for instance — but there are fewer opportunities in this area.)

=> Music libraries are looking to get the most placements for the songs they sign. That means that even though there are times when a show might use 15 seconds of a song, there will be another show that needs a minute and a half. Make sure your entire song is well written and the track is broadcast quality — no out-of-tune guitar solos in the bridge, no pitchy vocals. A Music Supervisor or Music Library will not take the time to go through your song looking for the best bits!

=> Notice what works and what doesn’t by watching shows that use a lot of music. Try playing one of your own songs under a scene or two. Does it add to the emotional depth or detract? Try writing a song for a scene. Choose an emotion-filled scene then write a song to underscore it. Keep your demo simple and feature your vocal. Try doing this exercise a few times, then compare these songs with your others to see if there’s a difference in focus and tone.

Copyright 2009 Robin Frederick
“Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting” is available at Amazon.com
For daily song tips: Twitter/RobinFrederick