WnSoft Forums: music choices for background - WnSoft Forums

I am a professional photograher and I use pic2exe as a show for every client to view their images for the first time. I find the impact of the images set to the right music can bring tears to the eyes of anyone. (helps put them in the right mood to spend money too) The problem I'm having is finding a collection of just the right music. I am always looking for something different and wondering what songs does everyone doing this use? some of my choices are Enya-watermark, what a wonderful world-louie Armstrong, you are the sunshine of my life- stevie wonder, Danny Wright-shadows (soft piano solos) Have I told you lately-VanMorrison
some Disney stuff.
Now don't anybody start with the copyright stuff - these are shows the client views one time in my studio and I'm not selling the shows! I remember a show I downloaded from beech\brook a while back called "uninted way" an excellent show with a music background I always wanted to know but never found out. (anybody know?)
Any thoughts on different songs that are apprioate for this would be appreciated

Anything by Andreas Vollenweider is good. I've used his music quite a lot in my slideshows. My favorite album is "Down To The Moon".

Pushu, I have in my PTE collection "United Way", an excellent show made by Jerome Ashley (Ashleyphoto was his nickname), but I haven't his mail address, I know only he is a Canadian. I didn't find him between new forum members.
I don't know what is the music used as soundtrack for this show... I can only "capture" it and send you an mp3 file, if this can be useful.

As for thoughts and suggestions about background music, I could write a long list, but I think this is very personal choice, that depends above all on personal taste...

United Way 2001
(6.2M)

ashleyphoto@hotmail.com

is his address if that is any help
ken

Okay no dirty nine letter words but I agree a slideshow without music just lacks Big Time no matter how good the images are Van The Man ah! yes indeedy Have you ever come across "A love album for the ninties by Acker Bilk I am not a Fan but for background music it is worth a look also Ennio Maraconni ( I think thats how his name is spelt) "At the movies" The Mission Gabriel's Oboe" etc......... As you say it lends a feel good thing to the viewer. I have to convert any music files (with paid for software!!!!) to mp3 format before I can save them to a show, it appears from discussions in this forum that wav are supported but somehow not for me, Does anyone know of Royalty free music , this is a serious question .I use a slideshow promo CD at wedding fairs and for any enquiries and besides the nine letter word I need to be mindfull of any infringments on publishing rights so anything to make it safer or more legitimate would be most welcome ,any ideas folks ???? Regards, Clive

In the old forum someone came up with the name of Gary Lamb for royalty free music. Try www.garylamb.com

You can listen before buying. I have three of his CD's - "Angel", "Language of Love" and "Telve Promises".

Ron [UK]

I haven't even cosidered the royalty free music as there is so much great music out there waiting to be used. I'm no authority on copyright laws but I don't think I'm breaking any law by using the music for background in a show that is not given away or sold. (am I?) I agree with guru that it is a personal taste thing and where I am at with my presentations is using music that people recognize. My latest favorite group is Enigma. some of their songs can add a powerful impact to a show. I think these are some great suggestions - keep them coming.
Guru: thanks for your offer to send the mp3. I will attempt to contact Ashleyphoto first to get the name before I impose on you. Very gratious of you to offer

Thanks for your input Ron I will certainly check it out , unlike Pushu I give away this Cd but with rights and ownership reserved it may look over cautious but there has been some strange rulings in Ireland recently in the courts so that is where I was going with "Royalty Free" and I agree wholeheartedly with you But being able to distribute a Cd of your work is great it to my mind proven and a powerful ad with the help of the greatest PTE so anyone else with some good tips like Ron's is most welcome
keep rocking........ Clive

Clive,

If you're just looking for some royalty-free background sound (some call it "elevator music", or "musak" , you might want to consider MIDI.

These days you can also download a lot of free MIDI files from the net, too, if you don't have the resources to create them yourself, and some of these are pretty good. They sound a lot better nowdays with the better-quality multimedia setups that people are using, than they used to. And MIDI sounds even better when played through a home stereo.

I have found that if you restrict the instruments in MIDI to the piano, it sounds not too bad. And file sizes are a fraction of the equivalent (or similar) music in MP3 or wav format. I agree that it doesn't even come close to being a suitable replacement for a quality slide show, but may be a consideration if all you want is some background sound.

If you are creating MIDI at a home studio, with a good sound module, you will probably want to record the result in MP3 format, anyway, to retain the quality when it is played on someone else's pc, hence eliminating the file size advantage. However, the main advantage in doing so would be that the royalty issue would no longer be a factor.

Ciao,
Al

Al BIG thanks I have just download a couple of sonatas by Mozart there is nothing wrong with the quality for my intended use and no they would not win any awards but then thats not an issue also Al the download time and size is incredible again good thinking . regards , Clive.

ps, neat web site

Thanks!

Glad that I was able to help! Good luck with your shows.

I have been meaning to try to "compose" some background music for my shows, but haven't been able to get around to it. Just want some sounds to put in the background, with "oohs" and "ahs" in the appropriate places, and a neat rhythm to go with them. One of these days!

Ciao,
Al

Hi All,
once again I see that the thorny subject of music and copyright has raised it`s head. Lets look at the positive side first. It goes without saying that the sound track is a major part of any project. If you dont agree, try playing your favorite show with no sound and see how it changes. There is a saying in Audio Visual which goes, if sound =1 and pictures = 1 then the formula for a good Audio Visual is 1 + 1 = 3. I have found that there is a good resource in cinema soundtrack CDs as these have been composed to work with images, which is what we want to do also.as an introduction to this music you can buy a CD called "Cinema Du Monde" whis is a sellection of the better soundtracks available.
It's when you start to use copyright music that things start to go wrong. To simplify things, if someone has registered a copyright on a piece of music, and you use it for any thing other than your personal listining you are in breach of copy right. It can be said that if you play your CD in the car thats OK. But if you roll down the window at the traffic lights then that is a public performance and a breach of copyright. If you use P2E for amature events you will find that your local Audio Visual group will have some kind of group licence to allow you to use copyright music. If you use P2E for comercial gain then I strongly suggest that you arrange a licence for yourself. It can be quite expensive to have to pay fines to people like MRCP. An annual licence fee is by far the cheeper option.
Alan

For weddings how about "From This Moment" by Martina McBride?
Frank

Well Pushu you should not have mentioned copyright in your post "Music choice for background" but its an issue that just won't go to bed anyway I will have to check out Alan Lyons' recommendation , also Al's route via Midi is a sound (excuse the pun) bit of thinking and keeps it safe when its for commercial use ,I would be very intrested to hear what your ooh's and ah's composed by Alrobin would sound like who knows maybe a new canadian rap master of the Future ,I did a wedding fair yesterday and the choice of music for the fashion show was excellent "Melody AM" by Royskopp something along the same lines as "Air" very athmospheric electronic pop but I am still taking Al and Alan's advice.......... me no like the courts.......Keep on rocking ,
Clive

Hi
If you do a search on a search engine for Royalty free music you will find lots of sites
e.g. http://www.royaltyfree.com/
http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/
http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/
http://www.musicbakery.com/
http://www.freshmusic.com/
http://www.soundrangers.com/
http://www.media-tracks.com/
http://www.music2hues.com/
http://www.sounddogs.com/start.asp
http://shockwave-sound.com/
http://www.wickedwavs.com/
http://www.q-music.co.uk/

to name but a few..............................................

Haven't checked these out as we always pay an annual licence fee to both
Institute of Amateur Cinematographers IAC
http://www.theiac.org.uk
and also Mechanical Copyright Protection Society Ltd. MCPS


So if I create an AV I fill in a form & let them know the music I've used.
I get a letter back giving permision to use it.
However we're amateurs and only show our work at festivals or clubs, so we don't make any profit, etc.

Hope this helps.
Best wishes
Maureen

Well ask and you shall recieve,... very impressive Maureen, what a list to choose from I will be trawling through them for the next hour or so also I should check out the cost of said licence fee once again it goes to show the great support this forum gives to us regards ......Clive

some great suggestions here - thanks to all who replied. I was expecting to hear things like pretty woman or american woman (songs like that) I guess the members of this forumn has much more class than to use such popular music. I am always looking for different music and looks like I have lots of direction here.
By the way I did contact the maker of the show "Uninted Way" and all he could tell me was the song was by Enya. He didn't know the title as he didn't make the choice.
I knew this would open the proverbial copyright can of worms! But then I guess that's an issue that will never go away

Like Maureen, I have an MCPS licence that (hopefully) covers the use of copyright music in the sequences I make. The licence is actually quite inexpensive, and even cheaper if you belong to an accredited organisation like the IAC (Institute of Amateur Cinematographers), RPS (Royal Photographic Society) or PAGB (Photographic Association of Great Britain).

The annual fee is something like £7 (can't remember exactly) and covers you for the use of copyrighted material used during the year. Having used the music to make a sequence during the year, it can be shown indefinately afterwards with no further fee payment. The system was originally set up to cover amateur film and slide/tape productions where there was only "one" finished product. How it applies now that shows are freely copyable on CD Roms is a bit of a grey area! If your objective is to send out multiple copies of shows to friends or customers, then this licence probably wouldn't apply.

Ian

Alan, in my opinion a "classical" music is a good solution to copyright problem (perhaps because I like the classical music, but also because the rights are normally expired).
As for your formula, I would correct it a little, even though I cannot have a mathematical demostration. I think pictures are 1 and sound 2, and 1 + 2 = 10...
This is a personal opinion, obviously, but supported by psychological experience.

P.S. - Please my Dubliner friend, close the [color] tag in your signature!

Indeed classical tracks are usually very suitable for creating the right mood it can work well if the viewer (listener)
knows the track but cannot rember from where a good example is The Godfather Part 111 Everyone will associate Impressario (on the steps of the opera house) with the film, but not so Preludio Cavelleria Rusticana it leaves a bit of mystery a little less obvious I think its my personal taste only.......Regards & keep on Rocking...Clive.