Stock Music or Custom Music - What’s the Real Difference?

Music has the incredible ability to enhance our emotional response to visuals like film or adverts and possibly most effectively when we are not paying particular attention to it.1 This is because background music, like advert or film music, is often processed at low attention levels, which is linked to emotional processing in the brain.

Considering the emotional impact music can have, it is hardly surprising that choosing appropriate music for an advert can have a significant effect on its success and can create a long-term emotional connection to a brand. In a world filled with visual content and an ever-increasing number of product options, it is now more important than ever to effectively engage consumers with a brand.

A lot of research has already been conducted into how different types of music affect advert perception, and it is clear that the fit between music and brand is essential in order to appeal to the desired audience.?

What is not yet certain, however, is whether any music which fits the brand will be effective, or whether custom music has a stronger effect. Although using stock music may be necessary and may fit the brand well in many ways, custom music composed specifically for the advert will be able to follow and enhance key visual and dramatic moments in a way in which stock music is unlikely to be able to do.

?So, if the music fits, does the source really matter?

To answer this question - as part of my MSc in Music, Mind & Brain at Goldsmiths, University of London - we have partnered with amp for an exciting research project looking at the likability and vividness of adverts and comparing stock and custom music on the same visuals. As far as we are aware, this is the first study of its kind.

We have paired 36 real television and social media adverts from six different brands made available by amp (several of which feature highly in the Best Audio Brands ranking), with carefully selected best-fit stock library music, as well as the commissioned music in the form in which they were originally released.

Presenting different audio tracks over the same visuals to consumers for evaluation will give us a better understanding of the differences between these two commonly used types of music so that brands can be confident they are making the best choice. It will also provide a platform for further research, perhaps looking further empirically into the Sonic DNA concept.

The exciting thing about the concept of Sonic DNA is that it allows for the same fundamental elements (e.g., melody, harmony) to be presented in multiple musical styles, therefore creating a variety of moods for different adverts whilst still being recognizable as the brand. It also allows brands to include the sonic logo throughout the track and reinforces the brand identity subconsciously, which is hugely important in building loyalty and trust with customers.

Recent research by neuroscientists at Goldsmiths has shown that the strategic approach of using the same piece of music over several adverts causes neural reactions which indicate positive emotional engagement. Being able to use different versions of the same music - by utilizing Sonic DNA - could trigger a similar neural response, whilst still being able to change the mood of the music to perfectly fit the visuals. This would be invaluable for long-term brand building.

Perhaps this will be something for future Goldsmiths/amp collaborations to delve into, but for now, we are excited to be providing real evidence for brands to consider when choosing music for campaigns and which will help to shape the future of sonic branding.

?Interested to read more about Best Audio Brands 2022? Download the full report here.

1 Heath, 2012, Seducing the Subconscious, The Psychology of Emotional Influence ini Advertising 2 Bhattacharya et al., 2017, Novel or consistent music? An electrophysiological study investigating music use in advertising.