In today’s media landscape, there have never been more opportunities for music producers to get their music placed in films, commercials, and TV shows. Nobody knows this better than Pablo Nouvelle, whose love of music production comes second only to his artistic talents behind the camera lens.
Not only has Pablo Nouvelle wracked up some truly impressive releases this year on top labels like Armada, but he also came within a hair’s breadth of winning an Oscar for one of his short films.
So, to congratulate him on his myriad accomplishments throughout the year, the most recent one being the release of his studio album Vulnerability, we invited Pablo to sit down and chat with us about the best ways electronic music producers can get their original productions and music placed in film and other media.
Stream and Support The Album Here ️ ️ ️
How does writing music for films differ from DJ sets and clubs?
I love to collaborate with other producers and directors for films. It’s quite similar once I start composing to fit into someone else’s vision.
I really love that and at that point, I see myself as a service provider. When doing music for myself is tough, all the freedom of being a solo artist makes it much harder to define everything. and when I’m producing music for a club then it also offers other challenges than writing a pop song; the club needs a dynamic arc with build and drop over a longer period vs. the clear and short structure of a pop song.
Being a professional producer, it is good to have intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to use your craft, and writing music as a service and passion keeps things fresh every day.
Learn How Tim Green Adds Elements Of Songwriting Into His Dance Music Here
What can writing music for film teach electronic producers they wouldn’t learn otherwise?
Having to fit into a clear frame can help a lot. It wasn’t until I started writing music for film and TV that I really realized how creativity thrives on limitations. Nothing is more limiting than a cue you need to hit in a film at the exact right millisecond or else the entire emotional impact of the moment will be ruined!
Maybe try to set that frame for your self too. If you’re writing club music, try having your breakdown by the length of a TV commercial or background video. Most of the time, ad spots are 30 seconds or one minute long, which at usual club-tempos will be almost 16 bars or 32 bars. The trick is that it won’t line up perfectly with the timing, so you’ll have to build your breakdown around the cues in the advertisement.
It’s a fun, creative exercise that helps you think outside the box.
Curious about where DJs find their killer tracks? Check out ‘Where Do DJs Get Their Music? The Complete Guide for Digital Crate Diggers’ – uncover the secrets here.
Why is now the best time for producers to start trying to write music for film?
What helps is that all the different movie and TV streaming services, like Netflix, Apple, Amazon, Disney Plus, etc, offer an endless stream of TV content that needs music. There is an almost endless demand for music of nearly all genres. And with the rise in popularity of club music, many reality shows and more modern programming love having electronic music in it, which means you might not have to diverge too far from the sound you’re comfortable producing to get placed.
There are also even shorter-form content creators, like YouTubers and TikTokers, who need original music in their videos. The options are out there; you just need to be resourceful and creative in finding ways to get your music into their hands.
Curious about the link between exercise and creativity? Dive into ‘How Exercise Affects a Producer’s Creativity: Wassu Shares How Running Defines His Career in the Studio and on the Road’ – find inspiration here.
Where is the best place for electronic music producers to pitch their music to shows and films?
If you keep doing what you’re doing as a producer, artist, musician, and DJ, and diversify, persevere and be tenacious – That certainly helps.
Music is never about overnight success, and the more you continue grinding and pursuing what you love you are sure to start making connections and meeting the right people.
The bottom rungs of the music industry can feel competitive, but once you have mastered your art and have been chasing your dreams for a while, you might find that there are fewer people dedicated to making music a part of their lives than you think. Just keep pushing! You will get there.
Interested in producing music while traveling? Discover ‘Making Music on the Go: Chris Luno Shares His Secrets to Being a Music-Production Nomad’ – unlock the nomadic producer’s lifestyle here.
Share your golden rule of production when it comes to making music for film
Be diverse and always try to surprise yourself!
While there have never been more opportunities to get your music placed, there also have never been more producers making music. The silver lining is that most of these producers only want to replicate the success of other artists they see crushing it.
But if you seek to separate yourself from the crowd and find what makes you unique, you will have a skillset, sound, or service that film producers and music programming directors can’t find anywhere else.
Looking to master plate reverb in production? Explore ‘How Producers Should Be Using Plate Reverb for Space, Modulation, and That Pro-Grade Polish’ – elevate your sound here. ️ ️ ️
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
