Write a jingle?

Why should you consider to write a jingle? How should you approach this part of the music business? Keep reading:)

Will the Jingle Make Your Pockets Jangle?

Writing advertising jingles is a great way to make money with your music. Many times a new song will be written instead of using an existing piece for an advertising campaign. Getting involved with an advertising agency is one way to put music dollars in your pockets and get your work noticed by the public.  write a jingle

How to Get Started

You could attempt to get a job within an advertising agency that has an in-house department for music. Typically when the ad men are consulting with the client, they will come up with ideas for how to sell a product or services and turn over the information to the music department for their input.  

You might also look into joining a production company that focuses on jingles. These are typically units that are self-contained using the services of a recording studio, producers and staff writers. In fact, even though there are a number of others to also pay by the jingle production company, the songwriter will usually get a better payment arrangement at this level than as an independent. The same rules apply – their overall payment will be based upon the size of the contract with the advertising agency.

If an advertising agency determines that new music will be required, they will work up the budget, and consult with the client for ideas, and then, if they have their own in-house music development team, that team will develop the jingle for the new ad. If they don’t have such a department, then they will outsource to a jingle production company. This company will write a song and produce a demo for the commercial. Once the client accepts the work, then full production is done of the commercial.

Sometimes, however the advertising agency goes a different route. They’ll contact a songwriter, working independently, and hire him or her to write the jingle. This normally only works out well for the songwriter if he has had success for writing hit songs or if has already obtained a reputation in the jingle business.

Often the songwriter is hard pressed to produce a high quality demo because he doesn’t have his own production facility. If his track record or his ability to resolve that issue can be overcome, then he may be able to give the advertising agency what they want. write a jingle

Why Jingles are so Lucrative

When a songwriter creates a song or jingle for goods or services and owns the copyrights to said song, then the money can really roll in if the jingle becomes one that sells the product and is on the lips of many consumers. The jingle might only be played on the radio or television or it might be aired on both. If you have accepted a flat fee for your work, you will get a one-time payment whereas if you keep the copyrights to the jingle or song in the ad, each time the commercial is played the money is paid into your pocket. If the jingle is so good that it is used for a long period of time, this can result in big bucks for the jingle or songwriter.

Writing a jingle for an advertisement is much easier than is writing a song for a singer or a band. To begin with a jingle is shorter and coming up with a catchy tune isn’t as difficult as trying to come up with a musical score for a movie or television show. Jingle writing is lighthearted and fun and a great way to stretch your musical muscle.

Just think if your jingle becomes popular and successful you may be hearing it played for many years to come. There are even awards that are given to successful jingle writers. Having your song sung by a large portion of the population even if they don’t buy the goods or services you are trying to sell, is a great way to have your talent and music exposed to the public. It is also a great way to make money with your music. write a jingle

Should I go for it?

Although it can be seen that this could be a rough business to break into for the independent songwriter, it can be lucrative. For example, there have been some rare occasions where the songwriter could receive a minimum of $250,000 for his services. For the independent this is not the norm. The potential amount that the songwriter could make will be tempered by the overall budget and the size of the campaign being planned.

If the songwriter already has hit songs, his chances of getting that type of revenues are even greater. However, for the independent with no track record, it is possible that he may only receive a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, again this will be dependent upon the budget, his work, and his ability to produce the quality of product that is required.

For the songwriter who is also a superstar recording artist, the advertising agency could easily shell out anywhere from $250,000 to a few million. That is typically the type of arrangement you see if the contract is for multiple years. 
write a jingle

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