Music Licensing for Corporate Video -Part Two

Incorporating a review of AKM Music’s new album - AK145 – Aspirations
By Kevin Cook F.Inst.V. (Hon.)
Latest Release – AK142 Aspirations
Maybe it’s only me but they seem to release an album the moment I’m starting to look for a score for my next corporate. The news of the release for ‘AK142 – Aspirations’ came at the perfect moment for a cut I was doing on a corporate for BT. In this case the music just had to follow a similar line to previous films they’d commissioned for that particular department within BT. Whilst they allow plenty of artistic latitude there are boundaries to follow on style and content and the press release from AKM Music gave out all the right signals.
If I had to describe the album in a nutshell it would be, “light and positive”. The album actually consists of seven different (though of a similar style) music scores with various underscores. Some of the tracks also come with an alternate mix of the original – which I think is always worth listening to as it can conjure up completely different images to the original. However, what I find even more useful are the underscore tracks which can give quieter, less impactful, passages within a film a much greater significance and atmosphere. This album in particular has some fantastic underscores which I will no doubt use in some future production – maybe even on their own without their head score.
If I had to pick some favourites from this album the first would be track 4 – ‘A Welcome Sight’. This score is also varied or underscored on tracks 5, 6 & 7 and reminded me straight away of the massively popular ‘Elbow’. I’ve only been a recent follower of Elbow’s music, having been inspired by their BBC Olympic theme tune, but it’s the kind of music that’s going to be backing visuals for years and years to come.
It’s not the only useful track on the album though. When I listened to track 1 – ‘New England Breeze’ it reminded me of some of the best wedding day films I’d seen online. I know this album is aimed at corporate videos but this track tells a story – and a happy one at that. Whilst it created a wedding scene in my mind I’m sure there are corporate video subjects where this will fit perfectly. ‘Happy at Work’, track 13, is also very unique – with a person whistling in it that really does give one the impression of someone being happy at work. I can imagine the variants of this track also being extremely useful – one having a really techno feel to it and another consisting of just the whistle itself.
I could go on describing the images this album conjures up for me but I guess like any creative element it’s going to create different things to different people. The best thing therefore is for you to go off and audition the track online. Better still – if you are at an event where AKM Music are exhibiting take a few minutes out and listen to the album in its entirety.
Final passage
Music plays such a vital role in what we do. If you just slap on any old tune then your videos are not going to be reaching their full potential. Choosing the right track is never a simple process, but having the right choice (at the right price) at your fingertips makes this process a whole lot easier.
For me, copyright-free music is the most logical and most profitable choice. I also happen to think that it’s the right choice for my clients too as they get a high quality and appropriate music score without all the agro of complex licensing issues of Production Music. It’s also a million miles away from the certain humiliation that can result from having to tell your client that either they can’t afford Queen’s ‘We are the champions’ - or the fact that Queen don’t actually want to associate themselves with the client’s company!
I rarely look much further than AKM Music for my scores these days. I’ve also commissioned Anthony to produce a bespoke score before and he’s delivered the perfect solution on that occasion too. Keep an eye out for their next release – and give them a bell if you really find yourself scratching around for a great music score on your next corporate.
www.akmmusic.co.uk