A common question that we get asked about is, “What type of music will be used in a wedding highlight video?” About half of our couples want a say in what music is used in their videos. While we love input from the couple, their song choices don’t always produce the best video. There are a lot of things to consider when selecting the best music for a wedding highlight.
Every wedding is different – so the music must reflect the day.
Usually I will not select any songs before actually meeting the couple and filming the wedding. During the day-of I’m able get a feel for the couple and their personalities. If the wedding is more elegant, it may be better to choose a slower, romantic song. Or, if their wedding day is lively and upbeat, the music in the wedding video should reflect that.
Here are a few tips for choosing the best music for a wedding highlight video:
Variation in Music
Our wedding videos usually run between 5-7 minutes long, so usually two songs are used. The pace/tempo/feel of these two songs should be distinguishably different since the song change usually separates the events of the day (ceremony vs. reception).
Instrumental vs. Lyrical
We love to use at least one instrumental song in every wedding video because it is much easier to overlay any voiceover from vows or toasts. When no one is singing in the background, the vide becomes much more focused on whoever is speaking in the video. There is far less to distract. However, too much instrumental can be boring, so if there is a good lyrical song that works, use it! Just make sure you listen closely to the lyrics beforehand!
Popular vs. Unknown
I always make it my goal to use songs that are not well-known to the public. I don’t like to use music that can be heard on the radio everyday. Using popular songs will automatically date the wedding video – since that song likely won’t be popular five or ten years from now. In my opinion, using a cliched song takes the focus away from the couple in the video and their day. Viewers of the video recognize the song and focus on that, rather than taking in the details of the day. I want my wedding videos to be unique in both content and music.
Building Waveforms
When selecting the perfect song for a wedding video, one of the first things I look at is the waveform of the song. Websites like MusicBed and Songfreedom always show this next to their song selections. I try to choose waveforms that look similar to a rollercoaster. I like my wedding videos to tell a story – and stories have ups and downs – so the music though reflect that.
Legally Licensed
The most important tip to remember is to choose music that can be legally obtained and licensed. Not doing so can create a lot of legal problems down the road – especially if your work is displayed publicly online. Here are a few popular websites for licensing music for videos: MusicBed, Songfreedom, AudioJungle, PremiumBeat.
Hopefully these tips are helpful! For more information, or to check out some of our wedding videos, go to our website.