Music Licensing in a Streaming World
In December of 2020, Warner Brothers announced plans to release its entire 2021 slate on HBO Max the same day the films hit theaters. It was a fitting end to a year that saw Disney reinvent itself as a premium streaming service, Viacom consolidate its entertainment arsenal under the Paramount+ banner, and more people than ever cutting cords with their cable company. The rise of streaming is upon us. Let’s take a look at the way it’s reshaping how trailers are made and used, and how those changes could affect those of us working in trailer audio.
A New Way of Marketing Films
Traditional studios and streamers have very different marketing goals. Studios sell movies, streamers sell a service. Studios use trailers to fill seats in a theater, streamers use them to fill subscriptions. Studios build movie campaigns around theatrical release dates, using A/V, posters, and digital pieces to eventize and drive awareness to the film’s opening weekend. Streamers often take the opposite approach, reserving the bulk of online ad buys for after a movie or show is available to stream. Essentially they’re saying, “We have this, it’s right here waiting along with a bunch of other good stuff. Come have a look.”
Additionally, streamers distribute their trailers almost exclusively online, and don’t have to adhere to MPAA rules that limit run-time and messaging. As more titles shift to online releases, expect more trailers to eschew the restrictions of theatrical exhibition and go all in on the online audience.For example, the trailer for The Suicide Squad clocks in at a robust 3:17. We could even see marketers turn the form on its head and create collections of shorter trailers that better serve online attention spans, each offering its own self-contained value proposition. Per our post from last week, video games are already doing this.
Such changes in form, function, and the ways trailers are shared could create new possibilities in how these pieces are scored. Remember the days of “Trailer Music,” when every marketing exec wanted an epic, driving, cinematic cue that played great in large, packed Dolby-equipped theaters? As the industry moves away from theatrical releases, clients and composers are rethinking the formula. Instead of mimicking campaign choices of recent box office hits, studios are asking, “What piece of music or sound design is best suited to tell our specific story?” As a result, music supervisors are enjoying a little more creative license to tell cinematic stories in new, unexpected ways through less conventional music and sound design choices.
Changes in the music licensing business
This begs the question: what do these changes in the form and function of trailers mean for the business of entertainment advertising? How can those of us working in trailer audio stay ahead of the eight ball and take advantage of the reshuffled deck?
It’s a strange time in our business. Studios are merging and restructuring under streaming banners. License agreements are ending up on new desks. Rates are being restructured by attorneys you’ve never met. The collaborative process we’re used to is undergoing major changes. But, what seems like a time of unprecedented challenges, might also be an opportunity to evolve your business and strengthen your most important client relationships.
For example, one of Sencit’s long-time major studio clients recently asked for our help on a project, but at a significantly lower rate. Rather than express misgivings, we came back to them with a number that worked for both sides. With client and vendor operating from a place of mutual trust, we were able to take our collaboration to new heights, creating a new workflow that facilitated even more creative exploration than before. In the end, Sencit finished over 60 pieces of sound design on the project, far more than we originally signed up for or thought possible. It was a big win for everyone involved.
It’s not just the production companies and artists trying to ride the waves in the ever-changing streaming landscape. Everyone in the industry is trying to find their footing. In times like these, it’s important to use the winds of change to your advantage. Be more than a vendor, become your client’s partner and confidant a trusty consigliere whose expertise and experience in the trenches can help guide them through turbulent waters.
Not only will this help your client feel more grounded, it’s a great way to increase your value and build trust.
What Lies Ahead for Movie Trailer Music?
While there is less premium work in the age of streaming, the sheer number of movies and series being released is staggering. More content means more trailers, which could mean more opportunities for those of us working in trailer audio. At the very least, it’s a good excuse to get your music and sound design into the hands of more editors, creative directors, and clients. And while there is little doubt that streaming is here to stay, let’s not jump the gun on declaring the death of movie theaters just yet. Studios have been holding back tentpole titles for over a year and are prepared to wait longer if it means releasing them into sold-out theaters. Perhaps after months and months of watching content on our televisions, audiences are more ready than ever to make movies a destination again.
