How to Win Your First Commercial Scoring Job: A Seven-Step Guide

Composer and music supervisor Wendell Hanes of Volition Sound has scored over 1500 commercials and 30 films. He is the author of The 30-30 Career: Making 30 Grand in 30 Seconds Producing Music for Commercials: Volume 1. Here’s the first in a series of columns from Wendell on building successful careers scoring to picture.

1) Can you create GREAT music?

2) Are you willing to take CRITICISM?

3) Are you willing to do unlimited REVISIONS?

However simple you think these questions are, they can be the key to winning your first commercial and your fiftieth commercial.

There is a fine line between PASSION AND PANIC! It takes PASSION to decide you want to make music for commercials. It takes PANIC to stay up 24 hours creating the music for commercials.

Here’s how to win your first commercial.

Step 1: CREATE A REEL

Composer and music supervisor Wendell Hanes is the owner of NYC’s Volition Sound Branding.

Whether it’s three MP3’s attached to an email, or a SoundCloud link or Vimeo link with spec spots, create something that people can listen to and evaluate your abilities.

This is like a membership card to the advertising business. Showcase ONLY your strengths on a reel so that clients will call you to create the type of music you are very good at. There is no need to be a fish out of water in advertising. If beat making is your strength, create a fantastic reel of beat-driven spots and people will come to you for the fantastic beat-driven music.

Having a reel will give you more clients that want to work with you in the genre you are best at.

Step 2: ACCEPT THE ASSIGNMENT

You have to accept the assignment to get in the game.

Don’t let your ego keep you from working on any opportunity that comes your way. If it’s an Adidas commercial then great, but if it is a local spot for SNOOKIES COOKIES, do that too because you want to build your R & R. (Reel and Relationships)

Step 3: ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

When given an assignment it’s important to ask what your client wants AND also what they don’t want.

Use hit songs or reference tracks to play for clients in order to get on the same musical page. If they want Taylor Swift and you are thinking Eminem, comparing reference tracks will bring YOUR intentions and your client’s expectations closer together.

Once you find tracks that share the same energy and personality that your client is looking for, you can proceed to make your music track with confidence.

Step 4: MAKE MORE THAN ONE TRACK

People like options.

Your potential to win your first commercial grows when your client can listen to multiple tracks before deciding. This allows the client to musically “try on a few clothes” before deciding what to wear to a wedding. You can make music tracks that are out of the box or within the scope of the brief.

The key is to have a range of options that allow the client to decide which music track matches their messaging demographics.

Step 5: MAKE SURE YOUR MUSIC IS HIGH QUALITY

Hanes with the cast of Netflix’ new series “Family Reunion,” premiering July 10th.

All the advice and hard work in the world will never matter if either the music you create is bad or the sound of your mix is bad.

A great musical idea can be ruined by a terrible mix. A great mix cannot save bad musical ideas. Products like McDonalds and Pepsi have an obligation to meet the expectations of millions of customers every day. Make sure that your music is high quality enough to attract your customers. And since your first customer is your client, your music has to be high quality for them to want to buy it.

I’m a terrible painter, but the great thing is that I know it and no one has to tell me. Make sure you are someone that knows when your music is terrible. Never send in terrible music.

Create the music that plays to your strengths.

Step 6: MAKE EVERY REVISION REQUEST 

Winning your first commercial means that every sound from beginning to end has to be perfect.

Often the way you get to “perfect” is through revisions. No matter what your client asks you to change, change it right away. Yes, as you get more experienced, you could suggest alternative ideas that may be cooler than your client’s suggestion, but be careful: Clients know what they like when they hear it, and listening to their opinions should get you closer to your win.

If you have to revise it 10 times, then do it. Your client is working with you towards a common goal. They could easily be working with someone else. Revising a track is often the biggest key to winning the commercial.

Step 7: WHEN YOU WIN YOUR FIRST COMMERCIAL

When you win your first commercial, understand that this is a stepping stone to winning your second commercial.

Celebrate but take a moment to realize the steps that it took to get that first commercial and repeat those same steps to win the second commercial. Think ahead of the game. Sometimes your client may want another track just like the music you just made for a brand new spot. Be prepared to give them another track even before they request it.

This type of thinking will eventually lead to you winning your second commercial. Good Luck!

Hanes scored the music for this spot, part of McDonald’s popular “Black & Positively Golden” campaign.

Composer Wendell Hanes is the owner of Volition Sound Branding in New York City. He has won every major award in advertising including Clios, Cannes Lions, Effies, ADDY’s, London International Awards, ANDY Award, One Shows, and Golden Award of Montreaux’s. He has scored over 1500 commercials and 30 movies, and currently services as Music Composer and Music Supervisor on the new Netflix sitcom “Family Reunion.” Hanes has also brought his classical scoring chops and sound design talents to the world of hip hop by working on major records for Lil Wayne, Drake, Future, Nikki Minaj and Yo Gotti.  

(Homepage photo for this article by Adi Goldstein on Unsplash)

Please note: When you buy products through links on this page, we may earn an affiliate commission.