Hi, I’m Xiao'an Li , co-founder of Li & Ortega . I’ve created music for international advertising campaigns for Samsung, Glaxosmithkline, and Kinder Bueno, and here are my 7 deadly sins of music for advertising.
One - Design by committee
One person loves it, another hates it, you meet in the middle, and no one’s happy. Team involvement without a unified musical vision is chaos, creates frustration, and drags out approval times - get clear on what that is and stick to it.
Two - Temp track love
The video is cut to a track that the client can’t afford to license. So they ask for a near-exact copy. Just remember - good original music is a lot cheaper than a million dollar copyright lawsuit. All you have to do is... be original. And work from first principles.
Three - Literal scoring of action
This isn’t steamboat willie - don’t go describing what’s literally happening on screen. instead, draw attention to the emotional context. Feelings, not facts - that's what makes someone buy something. Isn't that what we're trying to do here?
Four - Last minute music
Fast can be good, but it’s usually formulaic and/or derivative. Ideally, you should already have engaged a composer by the time you have storyboards, to leave time for iteration and originality. Costs the same, and no one has to rush.
Five - The brief is too brief
The music will fit better if your composer knows exactly what they are trying to portray, and only you know that. With no details, trying to accurately nail a piece is like finding a needle in a haystack. Narrative, backstory, references, emotional beats - details, please.
Six - Client is king. Ignore at your peril
Agencies - if your client has a musical request, relay it to the composer UNCHANGED, before discussion. That way, there is an objective source of truth regarding what has been asked for. If you doctor the feedback, you’ll cause confusion on both the client and vendor side, and you'll almost certainly get another revision request.
Seven - Following instructions exactly
Composers, you can follow a client’s wishes to the letter and still get a revision, and sometimes it’s your fault. Don't just give them what they asked for - clarify with questions, and try to understand what they're really asking. Because it’s your job to interpret INTENT, not to be a robot.
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