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Planning my next moves as a writer, how can we go about finding the most in-demand and saleable genres for library music?
Cheers!
That’s a very broad question and I don’t believe you will find a simple answer but:
Look at the trends. What genres are popular in film, TV, and advertising? What kinds of music are people listening to on streaming services? You can use tools like Google Trends and Spotify Charts to track trends and see what’s popular.
Check out library music websites. Most library music websites have a section on their homepage where they highlight the most popular and in-demand genres. You can also browse their catalogs by genre to see what they have to offer.
Here are some of the most in-demand and saleable genres for library music in 2023 (or any year):
Hybrid genres. Hybrid genres that combine elements of different styles, such as pop-rock, electronica-jazz, and hip-hop-classical, are becoming increasingly popular.
World music. World music from all over the globe is in high demand, especially for documentaries and travel shows.
Ambient music. Ambient music is often used in corporate videos, commercials, and films to create a sense of mood or atmosphere.
Cinematic music. Cinematic music is perfect for trailers, film scores, and video games.
Upbeat, positive music. Upbeat, positive music is always in demand for commercials, advertising, and other media.
Ultimately, the best way to choose genres for library music is to write music that you love and that you think is unique and original. If you’re writing music that you’re passionate about, it’s more likely to resonate with others and be successful.
Tip #1: watch a range of TV shows that aren’t scored, i.e. that use a ton of library music.
Tip #2: within those genres you hear, focus on ones that you would enjoy working on, are already really good at, or can quickly improve at. You want to be one of the best sources of that genre… being an average version of what’s already being done by 100s of other composers is not the way to go.
I have to agree with what’s been said in that it has to be something you enjoy doing or you won’t be good at and probably lose interest. So pick a style that you hear regularly on TV shows and know you could excel at and go for it.