Business Usage of Recording Studios

There’s a pretty good chance that the first things that comes to mind when you hear “recording studio” are images of guitars, drums and an engineer at a mixing board nodding his head to the beat. While this image rings true in many cases there are other sides to the recording studio, sides that people tend to forget about or what some of my friends like to call “the unsexy side of recording”.

Many organizations tend to miss out on a key marketing element that could both help build their credibility and give them a much more approachable image. This element is the voice of the business and can be used in several capacities throughout the marketing initiatives. Integrating audio into the marketing mix helps evoke emotion, increase retention of information and helps leave a more lasting impression on your target audience. In conversations with organizations and businesses, I am amazed at how often the scope of using the recording studio to facilitate marketing needs seems way outside the spectrum. There really are many ways professionally recorded voiceover; music or sound effects can be integrated into just about any business. Below is a short rundown:

• Audio for presentations – Presentations don’t have to be large scale productions, but the addition of custom music and carefully selected voiceover can really help set an overall tone for a meeting. We have added audio to quarterly company meeting Power Point presentations and more complex product launch presentations.

• Audio for websites – Done correctly, a short audio intro to a website can speak volumes for your business. These intros don’t have to be long and drawn out it can be as simple as thanking you web-visitor for stopping by, it can also serve as a virtual traffic director, quickly outlining some helpful hints for navigating the website. This can help your website feel more friendly and welcoming to the visitor and may help them linger on your site longer.

• Audio training manuals – While most companies use hardcopy, traditional training manuals, many have found it more effective to incorporate a recorded version as well. This allows trainees to both listen to and read at the same time the vital information that they are to consume. This will lead to a swifter absorption and longer retention of the information that they are being provided. Training processes can be lengthy and expensive; anything to speed the process can decrease boredom and place the trainee in real-life situations faster, saving the company money.

• Custom voiceover and/or music for slideshows – We are seeing more and more slideshows to be given to clients depicting previous work and achievements by companies. While many times this is simply a series of pictures, it is more entertaining and engaging when there is a spoken explanation of the image and music is used to set the tone. This provides a much more professional and polished product to clients.

• On-hold messaging programs – Business that have any amount of telephone traffic have a unique opportunity to market to a captive audience that wants to hear what they have to say. Taking advantage of the time a client is on-hold by supplying them with information about the company, directing them to the companies website or featuring a lesser known product or service will both enhance image and decrease the likelihood of a hang-up.

There are many other business services recording studios can offer such as radio spots, jingles and audio for video. These and others tend to be the obvious thoughts that businesses have relating to studios. Audio usage by businesses and other organizations can be an amazing tool when used properly and could be what sets a company apart from competition in this global economy. One word of caution to this process; professional voiceover and properly mixed productions are extremely important. You want these audio productions to sound their best and convey professionalism. Hopefully these thoughts have sparked some creative juices and provoked some new ideas. Please do not hesitate to ask or comment if you have any questions or thoughts.

How Does Music Generate Action?

I have spent years playing, researching, recording, writing and analyzing music and am always interested regarding the "whys" behind it. Things like; Why is one song more popular than another? Why do some songs never seem to get old? Why are the same songs played at almost every wedding reception you attend? Why is music used in marketing? Why do we hear music in retail stores (and why does it always seem to be a watered down version of the original)? Some of these questions seem pretty obvious, but when you really think about it, the answers don't come so easily. Obviously, record producers have figured out a "method to the madness" of spinning out a hit, even through the changing climate of digital vs. physical music sales. Hits, however have a definite and fickle life span. Not all #1 singles will be well recognized even 2 years down the road, and not all songs that barely crack the top 20 will be forgotten in 2 years.

Popularity of music is driven in several ways; one way is through synch licensing within a movie. I immediately think of the revitalization of the 1994 single, "I Like To Move" it by Reel 2 Real thanks to the 2005 hit movie "Madagascar". Since then this song has become a stadium anthem across the nation and is known by almost every child in the U.S.A.. Another way music is made popular is through long-term advertising programs. In this instance I think of "We Like To Party" by the Dutch group Vengaboys. You may not know this song by name, but when you hear the music and see the old man dancing, you realize you are listening to a Six Flags advertisement. "We Like To Party" has been used for nearly 6 years in a row now. Finally, there are just some artists that have a brand so well established that popularity of their music is almost guaranteed. In this case brand management has done the leg work for them, I think Black Eyed Peas in this instance. They have done an amazing job at creating a brand that both trusted and well recognized by the music consumer.

Then there are the "evergreens", the songs that may have a very specific genre, but no one seems to care. You will be hard pressed to not see almost everyone in a room take notice when "Sweet Home Alabama" or "Don't Stop Believing" start to play. Not many of these songs are "born" year to year, but when they are, they become iconic songs that can be used in almost any situation.

So how can we use these facts to our advantage? How can music be used to call people to action? Make that puchase, donate money, time or spend just a little longer in a store. First, I have never heard anyone say "I don't like music". Everyone likes some type of music and that music will generate emotions. Sometimes, for products at least, the right song is obvious. For example, you are marketing a pre-paid calling card many songs will spring to your mind that would make sense ("Call Me" by Blondie was what immediately jumped into my mind). Even easier are items designed as romantic gifts, there is any number of love songs out there that would work perfectly. Other products can prove to be more difficult, but the joy of music is there is usually several choices of well known songs that fit well for just about any product or service. You can then begin to filter down song choice by the age, gender and socioeconomic groups you want to market to. Maybe it's not a product you are trying to sell, but an emotion you are trying to generate. Ever notice that many times political advertisements use a grandiose patriotic arrangement as a sound bed? These ads are attempting to portray trust and nobility. Music is the perfect ingredient to accompany a strong voiceover to generate interest and create a sense of urgency, because it establishes some sort of emotional bond with the listener.

Music truly is the "soundtrack" to our lives, we listen to it at birthdays, graduations, weddings and funerals. We use it to get through workouts, to make that flight a little more enjoyable, to wind down before bed and to pump us up before the big game. Music is a crucial additive to just about any media project, without it the project will most likely feel dull and lifeless. Same is true with meetings and presentations. I discovered sometime ago that playing music for a group before I spoke to them and inserting some music throughout my presentation drastically improved the responsiveness of the crowd. Music is not something that should be simply thrown into a project, it needs to be well thought out and edited correctly. The right professional should be able to come up with multiple song recommendations or references in very little time as a starting point. If you are not using music correctly in your media projects, you could really be missing an important opportunity to bond and build trust with your target audience.