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Music is often used to spice up videos a bit
and make them less...
...you know, lame.
I’ve already talked about how you can find music that you can use legally;
but when it comes to actually choosing the right music for your video,
there are a few other things that you need to bear in mind.
One thing you must never do is to use a particular piece of music
just because it happens to be your favourite.
It has to be not just legal, but also appropriate for the scene.
If it also happens to be your favourite, well, that’s a bonus.
For example, here’s a scene that simply doesn’t work.
[SAD MUSIC]
Why? Because the scene says fun and laughter,
but the music says tears and sadness.
Fun and laughter goes like this.
[COMICAL MUSIC]
But you can be creative and use different music
if there’s a specific effect that you’re after.
So, for example, how does the scene change when you use this music?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
That music implies that something terrible is about to happen.
The people in the video are unaware of the impending catastrophe,
but we the audience know exactly what’s in store for them.
So the way to choose appropriate music is to ask yourself:
what do you want the audience to feel?
That’s easy enough when you use the music on its own.
But when you want to put it under dialogue, there are other difficulties.
[VERY LOUD MUSIC] The most obvious mistake
is to make the music too loud!
Turn it... [MUSIC GOES QUIET]
Turn it down.
I’ve even seen vlogs that use background music with vocals.
The problem with that is... [VOCALS DROWN OUT VOICE]
...the vocals in your music actually clash with your voice.
You’re better off with no music at all.
Even some instrumentals can be too distracting.
For example, this one. [JAUNTY MUSIC]
Lovely piece of music, but really not good to put under dialogue.
No, what you need is something bland:
something more like this. [SIMPLE, QUIET MUSIC]
It doesn’t draw attention to itself with a strong melody,
so it doesn’t distract you from what I’m saying.
And don’t forget that sometimes, silence...
...can be used to great effect.
So here are the rules:
Choose music that evokes the feeling you want to convey;
and if you’re using it under dialogue,
keep it bland, and keep the volume down.