What is The Music Playground?
The Music Playground is a full service original music production studio, sync licensing, and music placement company. It is also referred to as The Diner, sub music production company.
As an advertising and research intern, I curate personalized playlists with relevant descriptions and keywords and playlist covers to appeal to certain audiences and their music tastes. The playlists are a mix of The Diner tracks and in-trend songs.
I also do music searches for client requests we receive and make playlists of song selections for their advertisements and projects. Other tasks include database management and social media graphics, album covers creation.
1 \\ Playlists and Playlists Covers
Playlists and their covers. Descriptions of keywords included in playlists.
2 \\ Music Searches
#1: Google TV - Educational Video
Client's Requests:
We are now working on a series of EDU assets to help customers understand how to use the service! Some of them will be VO-led, some will be Supers-led, and due to the additional messaging in this work, the music will not take as much of a lead role.
Creatively, we still really like the John Williams-esque vibes of the launch spot. We do think we’ll need to tone it down just a bit though to play that supporting role. In similar-but-different fashion, the clients would like to possibly find five different tracks that all share some sort of DNA that could be used for this new round of work. If that’s not possible, they’re open to the One Track To Rule Them All approach, as long as that track is tweak-able to work across all the assets.
Spot length: 1 x: 90 and 4 x :30 spots that are Supers-led and 2x :30 spots that are VO-led, plus any further cut-downs, versions, tags, and lifts. Each of these spots will have four different end-card versions, but this should not affect the timing of the track.
Playlist Creatd: http://hrvst.co/if/ef9b2
#2: Domino's Pizza - Commercials
Client's Requests:
I have some Domino’s radio coming up and would love your help pulling some options for us to take a listen to. Scripts are attached. We’re really looking for 3x tracks. 2x of them will be mixed in as a radio track that people in the car are singing along to. So we’ll record a little one liner of a singer to lay on top of the track, and mix it to sound like it’s coming through a radio. Then record and mix a driver singing on top of that too.
1. 80’s upbeat rock & roll. Could explore some hair metal type rock, but the client will likely do something a little easier.
2. Kids bop. Something repetitive and simple that allows for a character type voice/singer. Again just need a snippet to sing along too.
3. Lastly, just a little sting to use under the offer and legal, or perhaps under the entire :15. Just some up-tempo, straightforward modern rock stuff.
Classic 80s Rock Playlist: http://hrvst.co/if/ef9r3
Kids Bop Playlist: http://hrvst.co/if/ef9r4
Modern Upbeat Playlist: http://hrvst.co/if/ef9r5
#3: E-Trade - Highlights Reel
Client's Requests:
On E-Trade, we're making some pre-roll spots around the superbowl and captured our young talent Ben (9 years old) trying to adorably hack it with various football moves. I have a music brief! Thinking 80s iconic chest-thumping, hopeful, pump up mullet jams would be a tight direction We should avoid anything too fast. Ideally looking for mid- to slow-tempo jams.
Playlist Created: http://hrvst.co/if/ef75v
#4: Ford - Commercial
Client's Requests:
Think “I Want To Know What Love Is” By Foreigner, but in a Kenny G/Marvin Gaye/R&B style. It needs to be cheesy to fit lyrics about being in love with a big, building chorus.
Playlist Created: http://hrvst.co/if/ef750
#5: Mayonesa - Commercial
Client's Requests:
A new spot for Mayonesa that is going to be verrrrry music driven; we’re going to be cutting between a number of shots so will lean heavily on the music to drive that. Music should reinforce a modern tone and appeal to a younger audience.
Playlist Created: http://hrvst.co/if/ef843
#6: RacketClub.tv - New Shopping Movement
Client's Requests:
We want a track that feels fresh and contemporary and has a sense of excitement and anticipation but it should be playful too. Something that feels like we're about to be introduced to something new. That a new shopping movement has begun. Something that feels like we're picking up momentum as we go. It should be fun. Bold.
Should be instrumental. No lyrics. The VO will be enthusiastic, fun and witty while the music drives the momentum.
While we are looking for a sense of playfulness in the music, we still want this to have guts. So nothing cutesy. Nothing that smacks of cheesiness or saccharin.
Think LCD Soundsystem, The Social Network OST - We really want it to feel like something is coming, a feeling of anticipation that's modern and a bit electronic. Open to all genres!
Playlist Created: http://hrvst.co/if/ef854
#7: Toyota
Client's Requests:
The primary direction here is that first reference - Home by Edward Sharpe. Creatives love that style of music. If we can feather in some elements of either the second reference (Lumineers) or the Taj Mahal track even better - treat those as secondary references.
The Dolly Parton track on the above link is not the right musical style, but it does work well in that it fits the story. It feels both road-trippy and a little bit urgent. So we’re trying in a sense to recreate that sort of track in the style of Ed Sharpe.
Overall needs to make you tap your foot or nod your head, a strong groove that implies motion. I know that’s sort of intangible - but the creatives keep going back to it - needs to have ‘that head nodding beat’.
Playlist Created: http://hrvst.co/if/ef9yl