In one of my past lives, I was a semi-amateur/semi-professional musician. And you know what? It gave me a real good feel for what’s good, and what isn’t.
To be honest, I’m kind of surprised. Between the blur of weed infused jams and binge drinking sessions, I somehow became quite the well inept musician, and I did it for quite a long time before I decided to step away for a while.
Recently I picked my guitar up again, and it’s allowed me to connect some dots.
You see, everything that we do in our lifetime helps to inform the next steps that we take, and I’m not one to brag – but I must say my taste in music is quite exceptional.
Of course, there are folks who are better, there are folks who are worse – there always will be. However, by putting in my time – I’ve developed a keen sense for flow and rhythm.
This informs the cuts I make in my videos, as well as the music choice itself. Am I wrong sometimes? Yeah, of course. We all are. And that’s just the name of the game when you’re working with something as subjective as soundtrack choices.
However, for every 1 time I’m wrong, there are 9 times when I’m really, really right.
I’m grateful for the time I spent as a musician, and if you have an affinity for music – you’re in good shape as far as your content creation is concerned. So does music matter in your content? You bet it does.
When it comes to putting good music on Reels for Instagram, you would be wise to use the real stuff. You know, if you have a business profile on the app, you can only access so much music.
What I would recommend is changing your type of account to entrepreneur or digital creator. This allows you to use any music you want. From Enimem to The Stones, you’ve got access to it all.
When you’re putting Reels together, open your mind and use music that speaks to you. Trust your gut and if it feels right, then most of the time it is. If something feels off about it, then change it up.
When you know, you know.
Also, make sure that whatever track you choose isn’t fighting with the video itself. Even though you can customize the volume of the original video vs. the track volume on the song in the controls section, it’s still pretty easy for, say, a talking head bit to get lost in a Kanye West track.
Choose wisely, and don’t be biased. Pretend you’ve just come across this video and you don’t know the person who made it. Do you like it? Is the music too loud or too quiet?
Did they use a country song when they should have gone with more of a jazzy hip hop vibe?
The musical choices that you make on your Reels will inform the way that your audience feels about your content. Make choices that reflect your brand, and always go by feel.
Music has the power to make or break a situation. It’s the international language, and its energy is unconditional. It’s a powerful tool and it should be used wisely. Don’t overlook the positive effects of proper song choice!
If you need help with this, or you’d just like to have a conversation – reach out!
To Your Success,
Jay Ashcroft
four32 MEDIA
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