interviews with library music producers - Philip Tagg

14 P Tagg: The Mood Music Libraries
children’s animation, I need some dramatic stuff’. So then we started making
that sort of music. Now the whole thing has become much more sophisticated.
In the worldwide market of television and in the cheaper sort of film
industry I suppose about half, or even more, up to three quarters probably,
of all the music used is either from a recorded music library which makes
music only for that purpose, or is from ordinary gramophone recordings
which can range from the classical repertoire through to Pink Floyd and contemporary
electronic groups.
What about the advent of music for commercials on television? Didn’t this
also contribute to the boom of the music libraries?
No, not really, because it was the some sort of music which was used for
ordinary television series or sponsored films. A large part of our industry is
to make music for the sponsor. He has to pay the bill and he has to make a
film about his activities, whether it’s building ships, dams or plastic cups. He
has to prove to the audience that he’s got it right and that his product’s the
best in the market. It’s the same situation as with an advertising agency or
with a television director who maybe wants to make a documentary about
the Fastnet Race and has beautiful shots of the boats. Perhaps he has a
storm too. Well, he wants the music to show off the film at all costs. At the
end of the day he wants his film to be seen as the best film ever made about
that subject. So the music has to sell the film.
Who are your main clients?
The world of television, the advertising agencies and independent film-makers
doing mostly non-features, i.e. documentaries, instructional films. Audiovisuals,
you know, slides and the automated presentation system are also
important these days. The great thing is that you don’t need a crew, just a
bloke with a camera who goes round clicking away. Then you just put the
pictures together of, let’s say, your factory, and make a really nice presentation
with automatic slow or fast dissolves, plus the music, sound effects
and dialogue. You then have virtually a movie at about one eighth of the
price.
Can that be done on stereo these days?
Yes, but you have to do it on a four-track recorder like a TEAC.
Do you do any tailor-made stuff for people or do you just advise them as to
what they can use out of your catalogue?
No. Of course, we do market research into the sort of material people want
and into trends, whether it’s a trend in music or the sort of presentation or
production the music will be needed for. For example, we’ve been through
a spate of historical drama for television and there has been a great demand
for period music, so we chase people to find out what’s going on and to supply
music which will be suitable in a generic way.
Taking classical music as a case in point, do you have that in your catalogue
at all or do you commission pastiches or pieces in a given historical style to
fit the bill instead?
All the classical repertoire is public domain and is therefore available to the
television industry. We try to create period music in eras, you know, aimed
at the 16th century, aimed at the 17th century, aimed at the 1920s, the turn
of the century, the medieval, or whatever. The music is written either
straight as a suite or in atmospheres, you know, ~ eerie music, horseback