Understanding the Key Differences Between Commercial and Entertainment Music

The distinction between commercial music and entertainment music is crucial for any musician or producer to understand. While both forms of music share certain production values, their purpose and application differ significantly. Knowing how to approach each can determine your success, especially if you’re interested in music licensing and commercial opportunities.

What is Commercial Music?

Commercial music is created with a specific goal in mind: to support and enhance visuals. Think of all the background music you hear in TV shows, commercials, video games, and movies. The primary function of this type of music is not to be a standalone piece but to complement a visual narrative. Commercial music often helps set the tone, enhance the mood, or underscore specific moments in a production.

The Role of Commercial Music:

• Enhancement: Commercial music serves to improve the overall impact of the visual it accompanies. It doesn’t have to stand out, but rather, it needs to fit seamlessly within the context of the visuals.
• Sync Licensing: A significant part of the commercial music world is sync licensing, where the music is used in conjunction with video content like films, ads, or even online content. The “usefulness” of the track—how easily it syncs with visuals—is the key factor here.
• Broad Usability: Commercial music often has universal appeal because it’s designed to be versatile. Tracks that work well for corporate videos, advertisements, or indie film projects may not be highly entertaining on their own, but their adaptability is what makes them valuable.

What is Entertainment Music?

On the flip side, entertainment music is made with the goal of personal or mass enjoyment. When you listen to an album, stream songs on Spotify, or attend a live performance, you’re engaging with entertainment music. This type of music is created with the intent of expressing creativity, capturing an emotion, or telling a story in a more self-contained, artistically-driven format.

The Role of Entertainment Music:

• For Pure Enjoyment: Entertainment music exists purely for listening pleasure. It’s designed to be consumed as an experience, whether it’s an artist's album, a concert, or a single release.
• Emotional Connection: Entertainment music thrives on emotional engagement. People listen to music to feel something, whether it’s excitement, nostalgia, sadness, or joy.
• Artist-Centric: The artist's personality, creativity, and personal expression are at the forefront of entertainment music. While commercial music often fades into the background, entertainment music takes center stage.

Why the Difference Matters for Producers

It’s essential to keep the differences between commercial and entertainment music in mind, particularly when you’re deciding what to submit for licensing or release. Many producers are interested in both fields, but the expectations are entirely different.

Pursuing Commercial Music and Music Licensing

For those looking to pursue music licensing, understanding commercial music's function is key. Music supervisors, editors, and video producers aren’t looking for the next big pop hit—they want tracks that enhance their projects. Here are some crucial points to consider:

• Sync Opportunities: If you’re focusing on licensing your music, your track needs to be functional and versatile. It doesn’t necessarily need a catchy hook or complex arrangement. What’s important is how well it fits into various types of media, whether that’s a corporate video, an ad, or a game soundtrack.
• Instrumentals are Essential: In the commercial music world, instrumental tracks are often more useful than songs with lyrics. Lyrics can interfere with dialogue in films or voiceovers in commercials, so instrumentals provide more flexibility.
• Simple and Adaptive: Commercial music often favors simplicity. Tracks that are too busy or complex might not sync well with a variety of visuals. This doesn’t mean your music should be boring, but it should be adaptable enough to work across multiple scenarios.

Focusing on Entertainment Music

If your focus is on creating entertainment music, your approach will be different. You’re aiming for emotional resonance, uniqueness, and often, a distinct personality in your music. Here’s what you should focus on:

• Creative Freedom: Entertainment music gives you the opportunity to explore and innovate without the constraints of syncing with visuals. You’re free to use as many layers, dynamics, and stylistic elements as you want, as long as it enhances the overall artistic message.
• Fan Connection: Unlike commercial music, which might be placed in a background role, entertainment music requires audience engagement. Whether it’s through lyrics, melodies, or production techniques, the goal is to make people want to listen to your track repeatedly.
• Building a Brand: When you’re creating entertainment music, you’re not just making songs—you’re building an artist brand. People connect with the artist’s story as much as the music, so make sure your releases reflect your identity as an artist.

Balancing Both Worlds

While commercial music and entertainment music are distinct, that doesn’t mean you can’t dabble in both. In fact, many successful musicians and producers have thriving careers in both fields. You can create entertainment-driven albums while still crafting commercial music for licensing opportunities.

Tips for Navigating Both:

• Separate Your Catalogs: It’s important to keep your commercial music and entertainment music catalogs distinct, especially if you’re submitting to different music libraries or publishers. Music supervisors searching for sync-ready music will have different expectations than fans listening to your latest album.
• Re-Use Tracks in Different Ways: A great way to balance the two is by creating alternate versions of your songs. For example, you can make instrumental versions of your entertainment music tracks to use in commercial settings.
• Know Your Audience: Be aware of your audience's expectations. If you’re submitting to a music library, focus on how usable the track is for their clients. If you’re releasing an album, focus on creativity, cohesion, and how well the music represents you as an artist.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, understanding the difference between commercial music and entertainment music is essential for any musician or producer. While both forms of music have their place, recognizing their distinct purposes will allow you to approach each project with clarity and intention. Whether you’re looking to license your music or captivate an audience with your latest release, knowing the difference will set you up for success.