CrucialCustom - Music Licensing, Advertising & Marketing Blog

With the election right around the corner, all eyes are on the two major candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Now more than ever, every detail of the nominees’ campaigns is scrutinized to the highest degree, and every little detail matters. In this month’s blog, let’s take a look at oft-discussed but rarely-clear issue affecting both parties – the use of music at political rallies and events.

If you haven’t been keeping up with music licensing news (let’s be honest, it’s not glamorous, and it’s often complicated), you may be blissfully unaware of the battle between performing rights organizations (such as BMI and ASCAP) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ). The dispute affects anyone who’s even remotely connected to music licensing – composers, clients, venues, advertisers, filmmakers, and music fans. It’s important to know the facts on the issue, if not to join the fight, then to be aware of how it might affect your future as a licensor or licensee.

For our second TV music profile, we’re taking a look at showtime’s critically acclaimed dramedy Shameless. Shameless has been quietly building a dedicated following, as well as a mountain of critical acclaim, since its first season in 2011 (that is, the American version – the show is based on a British show of the same name, with similarly high marks from critics).

For this month’s blog, we thought we’d try something a little different. We’re going to take a look at music licensing in the context of a single show. What kind of music does it use? What makes its music placements successful (or not)? And how is music used to create a consistent vision for the show?

Popular music and advertising have been intimately linked for as long as the two mediums have existed. Advertisers love using their consumers’ favorite bands to stir up positive feelings about a product. Often, the formula is simple – check out the Billboard charts and see who’s selling – then offer the artist a boatload of money for the song.