216 !!Chapter 13
agency is requesting. Three or four examples are usually sufficient. If an
agency is not familiar with a composer’s work, also send a composite reel
that incorporates various musical styles.
It is advisable to keep a music library that is filed by category, such as
jazz, jingles, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and so on. File subgenres,
such as male rock-and-roll vocals, light female vocals, and so on. Design
an easily accessible filing system, which will simplify the process of
accessing samples. Some music companies have numerous reels that are
divided into categories. For instance, they may have children’s reels, World
Music reels, jingle reels, and various other genres. Keep the reels updated.
When new musical genres become popular, assemble new reels (e.g., Reg-
gaeton).
Singers submit demo reels to music companies and advertising agen-
cies, which collect reels of outstanding singers and file them by category.
For example, some singers specialize in rock and roll, others in country
music, and so on. When working on jingles, the creatives will ask the
music house to submit demo reels of lead singers. It is advisable to submit
several reels and ask the agency creatives to choose the lead singer. If they
do not like a singer’s performance at the recording session, they will
request a new singer, and the music company will generally incur the
additional expense unless the agency selected the singer.
It is beneficial for music companies and independent composers to cre-
ate an image. For example, some composers specialize in jingles and oth-
ers in underscoring and sound design. Always market the most exemplary
work. Do not accept an assignment that is not suitable for your talents. A
poorly executed job will cause an unpleasant situation with the agency
(and the client) and result in an irreconcilable relationship with the
agency. No composer is an expert in all musical genres.
Create business cards, stationery, and a website that depicts your com-
pany’s image. Websites enable potential clients to play both video and
audio samples. The websites should include a history of the music com-
pany and bios of each composer and jingle writer. A well-designed web-
site creates a company’s image.
Representatives
Most jingle houses and some individual composers have representatives,
referred to asreps. Their job is to approach advertising agencies in a sales
capacity. They meet with agency creatives and develop relationships that
hopefully lead to employment.
A typical meeting includes playing the music company’s most recent
video and audio sample reels. Their objective is to determine when an
agency will need the services of a music company and the style of music
they will be in search of. Agencies usually arrange their shooting sched-
ules several months in advance and sometimes will reveal the information.