If you’ve been hitting social media at all this past year, you’ll have noticed a significant change in commercial videos. And if not, don’t worry, we’ll explain it for you. Here at Oh Video, we are Manchester’s leading video experts, and we work with businesses and companies across the region to provide top quality commercial videos. As a result, we stay on top of all the latest developments, so you dont have to. This includes adding music to your commercial videos.
Videos have gone silent- well almost!
Yep, you read that right, dont worry. It’s true though.
The current trend we are experiencing is a drop in the use of language and spoken word, and an increase in the use of text captions with background music. These are the so called “silent videos” that are perfect for commuters and professionals, as they make sense without the sound switched on.
Instead of listening, people can simply read the captions and follow the video without a loss in clarity or understanding. This may seem bizarre, but think about the amount of time that people are attached to their smartphone devices, flicking through social media. Its no surprise then that professional employees and employers alike, want to get away with watching video while they are in the office or break room, without obviously taking out their earphones and drawing attention to themselves.
These “silent videos” are also perfect for the hearing impaired and means that video content is now a lot more inclusive.
But what has this got to do with music?
Well, silent videos aren’t actually silent, in most cases. Huh? Yep, we know. Bit of a crazy name right? Anyway, the silent part refers to the fact that people aren’t talking to you though video content. And if they are, you wont be listening anyway. For this reason, more and more companies are opting to lose speech altogether, and instead, add background music. This is actually a great idea for a number of reasons, including:
- drawing attention to the video- if someone is absent mindedly scrolling through social media with their volume on, the music loads immediately, and draws their attention back up to the video. Even once they’ve gone past it. Clever.
- adds interest- a video with a catchy little jingle in the background might be slightly annoying, but if matches your video content in terms of light-heartedness or comedy value, it can be a fantastic asset. Especially for dragging the laughs out of those stony faced people. Come on, we all know someone.
- people are going a little crazy with no noise at all- ok this might not be strictly true, but there is a debate about whether or not you can hear a gif. Check it out. (P.S. the answer’s no).
So, where can you source the background music from?
Music is added into the editing stage of the video production process. And its important to legally source your music. Copyright infringement is not cool. And it’s expensive. If you don’t secure the proper permissions, you could face a fine, or legal action.
Some music you will need to pay for outright, while other music is available free, or as part of monthly payment to a stock music supplier.
Where can we get FREE music?
For background music, you’ll probably be content with free music. Check out YouTube Audio Library or Soundcloud Creative Commons to source some free music.
In summary
Silent videos really aren’t silent. There’s just no talking. Background music is cool though, and actually can be a great asset, as long as you source it professionally. For more information or advice, or for professional video production or marketing, get in touch with the experts today, here at Oh Video.