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

Jingle Writing !! 155

ing advertisers does not allow voices on underscorings. In their opinion,
the cost of residuals makes it prohibitive.

!!I once hired three sing-

ers for an underscoring. The

producer failed to inform

me that it was the policy of

the advertiser not to use

singers on an underscoring.

After the track was com-

pleted, I had to remix the

track and eliminate the sing-

ers. The missing vocal parts

were transcribed for synthe-

sizers.

Overdubbing. Most background
vocals are doubled or tripled during
recording sessions. Lead singers are often
doubled or tripled. Overdubbing creates a
full sound, which is more effective in cer-
tain musical styles than others.
Overdubbing becomes a creative
choice that is determined by the com-
poser, arranger, and/or music producer.
Additional fees are paid for overdubbing.
The agency must approve the expense, in
writing, prior to the session.
In states that do not require musicians
and singers to belong to unions, the per-
formers are generally paid one fee, which is called abuyout. The agency
has the right to use of the jingle in perpetuity.
Hiring musicians.The choice of musicians is vital to the success of
commercials. As previously mentioned, authenticity is the key to success.
Always try to capture the authentic musical style of a jingle. For instance,
if a jazz guitarist is hired to play on a rock-and-roll jingle, the part will
most likely not sound authentic. It would be advantageous to hire a con-
tractor to engage the most qualified musicians—particularly if the style of
music or the instrumentation is unusual.
The following are the most common compositional mistakes and
should be avoided in jingle writing (refer also to chapter 5).

!!Because of new digital

technology, it might not be

necessary to follow this

standard. The music can

begin on the first frame of

picture and end on the last

frame of picture if a station

uses digital technology;

there is no need for a ‘‘roll-

in’’ or stopping the music

half a second before the

film ends. Not all stations,

both in and/or out of the

United States, use the most

current technology.

When writing for television, start the
music approximately seven frames into
the film and finish the music half a sec-
ond before the film ends (30 video
frames per second in the United States).
It takes time for a video to ‘‘roll in’’ and
attain the proper speed; at the end, time is
needed to transition out of the film
smoothly. If the music continues to the
very end, the transition to the next event
would be too abrupt.
Not all music starts at the beginning of
acommercialandstopsattheend.For
instance, the music might begin 10 sec-
onds into the commercial and end at 25
seconds.
Do not compose a jingle that is too
long to accommodate a shorter version of