Writing Music for Television and Radio Commercials (and more): A Manual for Composers and Students

by Michael Zager

Writing Music for Television and Radio Commercials (and more): A Manual for Composers and Students succinctly describes the process of composing and arranging commercials for these two very different media. Expanded from the first edition, this new volume provides a comprehensive overview of the commercial music business, while addressing the tools of composition and arranging and giving helpful instruction for jingle writing and composing for commercials. Michael Zager offers concise methods for analyzing commercials from a musical point of view, properly arranging instruments to get the desired sound, and correctly scoring for each instrument. He often uses interviews with professionals in the field to corroborate his information, and the chapters conclude with assignments for practice. This second edition has been rewritten and reformatted to increase readability and use in the classroom, and it includes new chapters on theatrical trailers, video games, Internet commercials, Web site music, and made-for-the-Internet video. An included audio CD contains examples referenced in the book. This text is a necessary tool for the music student interested in the commercial and advertising business. It is also useful for composers studying film scoring, as well as advertising writers, art directors, and music producers.

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 28, 2003