Including a thoughtful musical score in your corporate video can profoundly shape the audience experience. But choosing arbitrary stock tracks as an afterthought is a missed opportunity. When selected strategically, the right background music taps into viewers' emotions and amplifies engagement.
This guide will explore how impactful music choices complement messaging and reflect brand identity. We’ll also provide tips for selecting, licensing and working with the ideal musical soundtrack for your next corporate video.
The Psychological Power of Music
Before diving into selection strategies, it helps to understand the visceral impact background music has on viewers. Science shows that humans are innately wired to respond emotionally to music. Upbeat tempos and major keys naturally elicit joy and excitement. Meanwhile, slower tempos and minor keys evoke sadness and melancholy.
Background scores leverage this emotional connection throughout the video. Music provides continuity between scenes to shape the ongoing mood. Strategic scores emotionally prime the viewer so they feel exactly what the video creator intends.
Music also directs attention and boosts engagement. Imagine a simple slideshow video without any audio. Now add an uplifting cinematic track. Suddenly, the mundane slides feel far more profound. Music fills sonic space to immerse audiences in the video world.
In summary, skillfully incorporated music:
- Sets the overall tone, mood, and energy level
- Elicits specific emotions from viewers
- Grabs and holds attention through scenes
- Provides continuity and emotional arcs
- Underscores the brand personality
With this powerful impact in mind, let’s explore choosing music that truly complements your video.
Matching Music to Video Type and Brand Identity
Rather than arbitrarily picking tracks, consider what emotional response your music should evoke. This depends on factors like:
Messaging Objectives: Is the video meant to educate, entertain, inspire, or motivate the viewer? Select music that elicits the desired feelings. A corporate training video needs a very different tone than an upbeat, brand awareness-building video.
Target Audience: What styles of music naturally resonate with this group? Avoid tracks that may distract or turn off viewers based on their demographics and psychographics.
Brand Personality: Ensure the background music aligns with the company’s image and values. For example, an innovative tech startup may opt for ambient electronica over traditional orchestral music.
Message Context: A video announcing a new product launch requires a far different tone than one discussing serious global issues. Avoid cognitive dissonance between music and message.
With these factors in mind, some examples of music styles to consider:
- Corporate, Business – Contemporary, motivating, driving
- Technology, Innovation – Futuristic, upbeat, fast-paced
- Healthcare, Wellness - New age, ambient, soothing
- Financial, Professional Services - Classical, reputable
- Retail, Hospitality – Friendly, warm, welcoming
There are certainly no hard rules here. The most important goal is choosing music that fits your brand identity and complements the video’s intended tone.
Complementing the Video’s Visual Pacing and Energy
Music volume, rhythm, and pacing should align with the on-screen visuals. More dynamic scenes with faster cuts and motion pair best with energetic, uptempo music. This helps boost excitement and drive the video forward during transitional B-roll clips.
But softer, sparse music works better for slower-paced scenes - like interviews or testimonials. Loud overpowering music competes with dialogue instead of accentuating it. Often, fading the music out entirely during talking head scenes keeps the focus on the speaker’s message.
In the editing stage, pay close attention to how the music ebbs and flows with the footage's pacing. Allow the music to build energy and momentum between scenes, then pull back modestly when the action slows. This dynamic shaping elicits the desired emotions from viewers as the video progresses.
Finding Legal, Budget-Friendly Music Options
To avoid legal headaches, steer clear of popular commercial tracks unless you have the budget to license them. Instrumental background music often provides the most affordable option. Stock music libraries like PremiumBeat, MusicBed, and Artlist offer diverse, high-quality tracks available for one-time licensing fees.
For complete customization, you can hire composers and producers to create original music tailored to your video. Services like SoundBetter and AirGigs provide access to musicians skilled in scoring to picture. Communicate direction regarding musical style, pacing, and licensing terms to ensure the end result fits your needs.
Pro tip: When editing, use placeholder music from stock libraries first. Swap in the final commissioned track after completing the edit, so that new music doesn't require re-editing footage.
Reinforcing Your Brand Story
At its core, a corporate video tells a story while promoting products, services, or values. Music plays a supporting role, enhancing the emotional experience. Avoid music that distracts or feels disconnected from the content. The ideal score complements both the script and visuals to immerse the viewer.
Thoughtfully chosen music dynamically evolves along with the video narrative. Like a movie soundtrack, it guides the viewer’s emotions from scene to scene. This enhances engagement and resonance with the messaging at a subconscious level.
Choosing fitting music is well worth the time investment. Let the sounds harmonize with the footage to make the video deeply impactful. For assistance producing corporate videos with compelling custom music, connect with a Miami Video Production Services company like ours you'll find the right expertise for your corporate video project. Their team brings creative and technical expertise to craft videos that captivate audiences while conveying your brand story.
Written by Fabrizio Colombi
With a lifelong passion for video that ignited at the young age of 10, Fabrizio has honed his skills in production and direction to mastery. His focus and love for visual storytelling now translate into empowering businesses with engaging videos. By creatively developing videos that resonate with audiences, Fabrizio facilitates growth and innovation for companies, turning his childhood fascination into a professional mission. His dedication to crafting compelling visuals is not merely a career; it's an extension of who he is.
