Writing Music for Television and Radio Commercials (and More) : A Manual for Composers and Students

Composers and students and collections catering to them will love Writing Music for Television and Radio Commercials (And More), a detailed manual appearing in its second edition to describe the process of composing and arranging commercials for two different media, TV and radio. This new, expanded edition provides a review of the commercial music business and surveys composition, arranging, and instruction for composing for the commercial market. "Writing Music for Television and Radio Commercials (and more): A Manual for Composers and Students succinctly describes the process of composing and arranging commercials for these two very different media. Expanded from the first edition, this new volume provides a comprehensive overview of the commercial music business, while addressing the tools of composition and arranging and giving helpful instruction for jingle writing and composing for commercials. Michael Zager offers concise methods for analyzing commercials from a musical point of view, properly arranging instruments to get the desired sound, and correctly scoring for each instrument. He often uses interviews with professionals in the field to corroborate his information, and the chapters conclude with assignments for practice. This second edition has been rewritten and reformatted to increase readability and use in the classroom, and it includes new chapters on theatrical trailers, video games, Internet commercials, Web site music, and made-for-the-Internet video. An included audio CD contains examples referenced in the book. This text is a necessary tool for the music student interested in the commercial and advertising business. It is also useful for composers studying film scoring, as well as advertising writers, art directors, and music producers."--Page 4 de la couv Contents ......Page 6 Preface ......Page 8 Acknowledgments ......Page 10 Introduction ......Page 12 1. Advertising Agency and Process Structure ......Page 14 2. Composing for Television and Radio Commercials versus Composing for Films ......Page 34 3. Musical Skills (Approaching Composition for Commercials)......Page 38 4. Analyzing Commercials (From a Musical Viewpoint)......Page 70 5. Underscoring (Compositional Techniques)......Page 78 6. Arranging and Orchestration Concepts (Including Sound Effects and Sound Design)......Page 98 7. Jingle Writing ......Page 158 8. Composing Music for Radio Commercials ......Page 178 9. Corporate Videos and Infomercials (Long-Form Commercials)......Page 184 10. Theatrical Trailer Music (Motion Picture Trailer Music) ......Page 194 11. Video Game Music ......Page 202 12. Internet Commercials, Website Music, and Made-for-the-Internet Video Programs ......Page 224 13. The Business of Commercials ......Page 228 14. Conclusion ......Page 256 Index ......Page 258 About the Author......Page 270 The Scarecrow Press, Inc. Contents 6 Preface 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction 12 1. Advertising Agency and Process Structure 14 2. Composing for Television and Radio Commercials versus Composing for Films 34 3. Musical Skills (Approaching Composition for Commercials) 38 4. Analyzing Commercials (From a Musical Viewpoint) 70 5. Underscoring (Compositional Techniques) 78 6. Arranging and Orchestration Concepts (Including Sound Effects and Sound Design) 98 7. Jingle Writing 158 8. Composing Music for Radio Commercials 178 9. Corporate Videos and Infomercials (Long-Form Commercials) 184 10. Theatrical Trailer Music (Motion Picture Trailer Music) 194 11. Video Game Music 202 12. Internet Commercials, Website Music, and Made-for-the-Internet Video Programs 224 13. The Business of Commercials 228 14. Conclusion 256 Index 258 About the Author 270 ISBN-13:,9780810861398 Advertising agency and process structure Composing for television and radio commercials vs. composing for films Musical skills (approaching composition for commercials) Analyzing commercials (from a musical viewpoint) Underscoring (compositional techniques) Arranging and orchestration concepts (including sound effects and sound design) Jingle writing Composing music for radio commercials Corporate videos and infomercials (long-form commercials) Theatrical trailer music (motion picture trailer music) Video game music Internet commercials, web site music, and made-for-the-internet video programs The business of commercials. From the Publisher: This textbook describes the process of composing, arranging, orchestrating, and producing music for jingles and commercials, and provides a comprehensive overview of the commercial music business. Rewritten and reformatted to increase readability and use in the classroom, this second edition includes new chapters on theatrical trailers, video games, Internet commercials, Web site music, and made-for-the-Internet video