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  1. Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    Canada
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    I'm helping one non-profit organization to shoot a series of 3-min video to promote their community services. It's not a challenge to tape their location, easy access to public traffic, CEO interview and services provided to the community. However, I find it's taking lots of my time to match a royal free, lively, happy and soft background music for this short video. I visited music library websites, listened to most music samples but don't have any idea after 3 hours. I agree picking music is very subjective. I'm a desktop publishing designer. If I need a picture, I go to stock photo web site to browse their samples and pick the right one in minutes. A sunset picture is more easy to understand than a sunset mood music. I don't need more than 2 seconds to sweep every sample displayed on screen. but I need more than 20 seconds to play every music sample. If it is right in the first 20 seconds, I need another 2-3 minute to listen all notes to find out if it is good to use... Mamamia. Do you have better suggestion for me ?

    To manage downloaded stock picture, I saved them to a folder and preview them in future. But to mange a music library is a nightmare. I can't recall the music by reading the names, or without "pre-listen" the music. Again, I have to repeat the searching process to decide if the music match the video theme. Any advice for a dummies like me ?
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  2. Member Cornucopia's Avatar
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    Oct 2001
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    Deep in the Heart of Texas
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    Welcome to the most underrated and underappreciated job in the business!

    Yes, music is impressionistic and/or abstract rather than concrete & representational. Work at the problem from a couple of angles: mood/tone yes, but also tempo, key, timbre & instrumentation, rhythm. Use "thin slicing" and make snap, gut-led decisions: don't overthink it. That will cut down on time spent.
    Understand that it will likely NEVER be a perfect match: don't be too picky.
    Make Use of the music provider's description and selection assistance tools.

    How many clips are you looking for? 1? 6? (Probably within that range)

    Are you being guided at all by any client preferences in this? Use emotion-laden and color-based motifs in describing, cataloging, evaluating.

    Hopefully, that is a little boost...

    Scott
    Last edited by Cornucopia; 18th Jul 2014 at 13:48.
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  3. To echo Scott, yes it's hard.

    Sometimes it's almost impossible to find something good, sometimes they just fall in your lap.

    Many sites now show waveforms of the entire piece so you can get a sense of the overall dynamics and changes. Since introductions can be long and building, be sure to audition both the beginning and some point a little way in.

    Good luck
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  4. Some free BGM or looping music...

    http://www.senses-circuit.com/ (a very comprehensive collection for different mood and situation)
    http://musmus.main.jp/
    http://shw.in/
    http://koncha9137.web.fc2.com/music.html (rearranged game music)

    If you can read Japanese, you can go faster... but you can try your luck to listen through all music...

    These are free to use but NOT in public domain. Please cite the music source in your video's credit roll if you use any of them.
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  5. Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Canada
    Search Comp PM
    Originally Posted by MaverickTse View Post
    Some free BGM or looping music...

    http://www.senses-circuit.com/ (a very comprehensive collection for different mood and situation)
    http://musmus.main.jp/
    http://shw.in/
    http://koncha9137.web.fc2.com/music.html (rearranged game music)

    If you can read Japanese, you can go faster... but you can try your luck to listen through all music...

    These are free to use but NOT in public domain. Please cite the music source in your video's credit roll if you use any of them.

    Great, these sites are good and seem match my video theme. Yes, I know a bit Japanese, thanks for the leads.
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