jingles

[oz_fenda]

Hey guys,
I know this isn't the most 'fitting' topic for this forum, but I thought a few people on here know a bit about the industry etc so I thought someone might be able to help?

Anyways i've been writing music for years and years etc as alot of people have, and I guess I kinda have got this idea in my head after doing abit of research into the 'taxi' concept, and have been racking my brains trying to think of ways to get a 'musical' kind of career apart from being a performing musician (doesn't really pay the bills in Western Australia for the average muso haha) and apart from the usual live/studio sound engineer.
I was thinking along the lines of starting up a small business specialising in sort of 'advertising jingles' for radio/tv media etc.....
Thoughts? Total utterly stupid idea and a more than certain chance of failure or potential goldmine?

Cheers everyone any thoughts would be greatly appreciated
Matt

 

[DavidK]

The market for that is drastically changing but still there.

I have done a lot of Jingles in the past as a session violinist- hundreds of them. These days I do none, they dont do many in this area, and if they do they are synths. To get in that field is more about marketing, salesmanship, knowing the right ad execs etc.

Its been hilarious at times to see the "suits" come to recording sessions. THey know virtually nothing about recording or music, but they own nice suits. I think you would have to figure out if there is ANY market for that in W. Oz, and find out WHO is getting the work. If they are well-connected, there may be no way to compete. You might have to move to an area with less competition, or figure out a more virtual way of getting the work.

In the US it used to be more localized. There would be jingles made in every major city, for local and regional businesses. MOST of that has stopped, they either use a service or have it done in one of the major recording cities ( Nashville, LA, Chicago). I still get called for recording sessions, but mainly for modern classical pieces, stuff for school programs, etc.

When I listen to local TV, I only hear a few that use jingles. Many were done years ago and they use the same jingle. The days of catchy "I am stuck on Band-Aids" or " Oscar Mayer weiner" are long gone. Its mainly background music they buy from a service. Or they find stuff already made and license it, one of my tracks from my CD was licensed by a designer. Somebody heard it on the internet.

I wish you luck, but I am thinking its a deadend. Listen for a few days to every ad on TV, and figure out if you thnk any were done locally as a "jingle" session. That will give you the answer.

 

[oz_fenda]

ah k fair enough some good things to think about haha....
thanks mate

 

[30D30K]

It's not a bad idea at all. I've been in the jingle business for 15 years now.

I'm more on the sales side of it. I am terrible at writing and recording and have people do that side of it for me. I'm always looking for people to work with!

 

[RightOnMusic]

i'm in that business, and it IS drastically changing. players are not needed as much and ad agencies are treating music as an afterthought much more than they used to. it's still a good way to make a living if you can get the work. that's the hard part. i engineer at the music house i work for, but i also play on a lot of projects, and i write demos here and there. it's a competitive market that is saturated with tons of awful composers and idiot advertisers who don't know the difference.