How To: Add A Musical Intro Pt. I

Are you more likely to listen to an audio that dazzles you from the beginning with music and sound effects or a recording that begins with a couple of clicks, perhaps a cough or two and then a bit of chatter?

Hint: The above is a rhetorical question.

In part one of How To: Add A Musical Intro, we will share with our readers our favorite resources for royalty-free music and sample libraries as well as a bit of insight as to both free, paid and subscription solutions for acquiring the perfect intro music for your production.

Be Resourceful … and Creative!

Not everyone is a musician, which is more than likely a good thing.  There are many musicians in the world which make their music available to the public to use in their productions however.  These musicians usually only request a link back to their site as accreditation.

Since 2001, Creative Commons (CC) licensing has been growing in popularity among independent musicians and  sound painters alike … not to mention photographers, visual artists, video producers and many other forms of artistic or intellectual property owners.

What is Creative Commons licensing?  Wikipedia defines this form of licensing as that which is  “devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share.”

Where can you find Creative Commons works for use in your productions?  There are many different sites featuring CC works for download.  Some of our favorites include SoundCloud, Magnatune and Jamendo … while CreativeCommons.org also has made a nice list of others available HERE.

You Pay for What You Get

Sometimes, the perfect soundtrack to the opening of your audio or video production isn’t licensed for use under Creative Commons.  If our readers have their heart set on a major-label release, it is possible to acquire the proper clearance … for a price.

If this is the case, and your production just can’t be without … we recommend first determining which royalty collection agency handles the label/artist/song that our readers have in mind.  This could be ASCAP, BMI, Harry Fox, Sound Exchange, SESAC or any of the country-specific agencies found near the bottom of the page HERE.

These types of licensing agreements usually are perpetuating on a recurring annual basis.  This means that as long as your production is in use, the ‘subscription’ license must be paid.

…But Sometimes You Only Have to Pay A Little!

If our readers are seeking professional, high-quality productions which can be purchased for a one-time fee and can be used freely in any of their productions, there are many royalty-free products available for purchase on sites such as Amazon, Producer Loops, Sony Creative Software and more!

Stay tuned for Pt. II of How To: Add A Musical Intro, where we take our readers through the different options/processes of incorporating their musical intro into their productions.

Want to learn more about AudioAcrobat?  Go ahead, give it a try yourself by signing up for a 30 day Free Trial or join one of our FREE Training Classes without signing up for squat.  Already have an account?  Login HERE.

Coming up next … How To: Add A Musical Intro Pt. II!