I have been commissioned to compile a producers guide to radio commercial production. I will upload it onto this blog. I will be investigating the commercial production process and then compiling a guide covering the location, range and content of commercial production facilities, jobs available in radio commercial production, the production, purpose styles of music used and budgeting and financial considerations in radio commercial production.
Monday, 10 March 2014
Financial Consideration
As with any type of commercial broadcasting there are fee's that have to be paid and budgets the be adhered too. Generally radio advertising is charged at a rate of approximately £2 per thousand listeners at one time. This would mean that if a show has 100,00 listeners at 10am then buying a 30 second spot at that time it will cost you £200.
Then later on in the evening at 11pm, the shows 10,000 listeners would only cost £20. You should usually expect a time slot of 30 seconds to cost you around £250 - £1000 per week, this will obviously depend on how often your ad is broadcast and the amount of listeners.
If you're wishing to advertise on the radio you should try and choose the stations that have the highest concentration of target audience, rather than just going for those that are the more popular. For example, you shouldn't just go for Capital as it has more listeners than Gold radio when you're trying to target the elderly generation.
Developing the advertisement should not cost more than 10% of your budget. It will be around £250 for smaller stations, however around £2000 for more popular ones. These fees will include script writing, actors to do the voice - overs, music and sound effects. If you would like to use a popular song in you advert, you will be looking at up to £25,000 in licencing fees.
Then later on in the evening at 11pm, the shows 10,000 listeners would only cost £20. You should usually expect a time slot of 30 seconds to cost you around £250 - £1000 per week, this will obviously depend on how often your ad is broadcast and the amount of listeners.
If you're wishing to advertise on the radio you should try and choose the stations that have the highest concentration of target audience, rather than just going for those that are the more popular. For example, you shouldn't just go for Capital as it has more listeners than Gold radio when you're trying to target the elderly generation.
Developing the advertisement should not cost more than 10% of your budget. It will be around £250 for smaller stations, however around £2000 for more popular ones. These fees will include script writing, actors to do the voice - overs, music and sound effects. If you would like to use a popular song in you advert, you will be looking at up to £25,000 in licencing fees.
The above is an example of a Radio Rate Card. It details all the prices that will be charged depending on the time, listeners, station etc.
Music
In radio advertising, music is crucial. The right track has to be used as it can make or break the ad. There are also laws which dictate what music you can and cant use. Without music, many advertisements would lack ambiance and ultimately leave the listeners feeling emotionally flat. From the background melodies to jingles that stick in you head, music and advertising always go together. Advertisers will usual select music that complements their message and tone of the ad they are making. Music selection does have its complications though as most songs are subject to copyright and may not always be available for commercial use.
Taking this issue even further is the act that a lot of advertisers and some radio stations are not aware of what can and can't be played on their airwaves. Licencing agreements that let radio stations play songs for entertainment purposes only usually will not cover commercial ads. The station will get into trouble if they play unauthorized music in their ads.
The following all have to be taken into account:
- Fair use - Using copyrighted material when it exceeds fair use is illegal. According to is definition, if core components of the material is used then fair use had been exceeded. As a rule, its illegal to use music in radio if you do not have authorization and the tune can be recognized.
- Licensing - It is possible to gain permission to use music that has been copyrighted through a licencing agreement, however two licences will be needed. The first one comes form the party that owns the copyright, and the second being from the party that owns the copyrights for the recording.
- The 7-second rule - Many radio advertisers use something which they call the seven second rule. This means tat you can use any song in a commercial as long as it only plays for 7 seconds or less. From a legal point of view, this is against the law still. There is no legal basis that this runs on and any use of unauthorized inclusion of music from a song which has been copyrighted is a violation of the copyright law.
- Strategies - There are some strategies that are used to avoid the copyright laws which gets rid of the need for expensive licencing. One option is to compose your own music and then have this performed by a hired musician. Another option is to purchase the copyright for the song but have it performed by someone other than the original artist.
Production Roles
When creating radio commercials there are many different production roles that need to be taken into consideration. In this blog post I will be looking at the roles of the creative producer; recording engineer; copywriter; voice over artists, eg voice actors, celebrities; session vocalists.
Creative Producer - This job will consist of creating radio advertisements and station promotions for radio stations. It requires a high level of production skills and a great understanding of the creative potential of Radio and audio content in order to market products and services.
The Commercial Producers work with a radio stations commercial clients interpreting briefs to create effective advertising. They will be expected to manage client briefings, generate and pitch ideas, write scripts or work with writers. They will cast voice overs and select relevant music. The will then organize and run recording sessions, edit and produce the finished commercial and any other advertising material.
Although Radio Commercials Producers may come from radio or advertising backgrounds, there is no particular recognized route into this role.
Commercials Producers need to use their knowledge of their radio station brand, and their insight into the lives of listeners, to create successful advertising on Radio, and other relevant platforms.
Commercials Producers are also responsible for managing budgets, and for ensuring the efficient use of resources.
Following this link will give you more insight into the job of a radio commercial producer. http://www.skillset.org/radio/careers/jobs/article_7768_1.asp
Recording Engineer - This job would take place in a recording studio where you would make high quality recordings of music, speech and sound effects. You will be working with a lot of electronics and different music tracks. This job requires a good sense of hearing and an understanding of musical pitch, timing and rhythm.
As a recording engineer you would use the correct equipment to record sound for many different uses. These include: commercial music recordings, radio commercials, corporate videos, websites, computer games and more.
A typical day would include planning recording sessions with producers and artists, setting up equipment such as microphones in the studio, checking volume levels are correct, operating recording equipment and adding effects to tracks. You will log all of your details of the session into the studio archive.
With experience, there are also opportunities for you to act as the studio manager.
There are lots of opportunities to develop your skills on the job when you're working in the studio. You should always keep up to date with changes in audio technology and equipment, and could also look into moving into sound for television and film.
Copywriter - A radio copywriter will write scripts for radio commercials. This specialty demands a deep understanding of how people listen and respond to radio programming.
It also requires a good sense of what makes a good attention-grabbing radio advertisement. A good Radio Copywriter will often have a background in radio production and will usually serve as both a writer and producer. They will oversee voice talent, studio production, and distribution of radio ads.
Most radio ad scripts are written by employees of production studios.
Voice Over Artist - This is a production technique which is not part of the narrative. It is used in radio and is pre-recorded and placed over the top of a film or video and will be commonly used in documentaries or news reports to explain information.
The use of voice-over in commercials has been popular since the beginning of radio broadcasting. In the early years before sound recording and mixing, announcements were produced live with the entire cast, crew and usually and orchestra too.
Manufacturers will often use a distinctive voice to help them with brand messaging, often retaining talent to a long term exclusive contract.
As a recording engineer you would use the correct equipment to record sound for many different uses. These include: commercial music recordings, radio commercials, corporate videos, websites, computer games and more.
A typical day would include planning recording sessions with producers and artists, setting up equipment such as microphones in the studio, checking volume levels are correct, operating recording equipment and adding effects to tracks. You will log all of your details of the session into the studio archive.
With experience, there are also opportunities for you to act as the studio manager.
With experience, there are also opportunities for you to act as the studio manager.
There are lots of opportunities to develop your skills on the job when you're working in the studio. You should always keep up to date with changes in audio technology and equipment, and could also look into moving into sound for television and film.
Production Facilities
1 In Radio Commercial Production there are different production facilities that have to be taken into account. In order to create radio commercials you need to have certain facilities to do a professional job. Many commercial radio stations have their own facilities and can produce adverts in house themselves.
Another way in which they are made is by using an independent production company would need a production studio and the correct equipment.
This would include a mixing desk is what is used to control the different sounds. This gives the sound quality a much more professional feel. A sound proof audio recording booth will take away any unwanted background noise from the piece resulting in just the recorded sound you want. This recording booth will usually be separated by using a clear glass window so the producer can still be involved and give instructions as to what to do next.
A good production studio will need a PC on which editing software should be installed. This software could be Reaper, which is good for multi track editing which gives you the ability to play around with different tracks and see the results of your work in a clearer way. Audacity takes some getting used to, but when you have got the basics right it is fairly easy to use. Adobe Audition is another software which is fairly easy to use. More professional companies will use a software called Pro-Tools which is a little more advanced but helps to give the piece a more professional feel.
This image is of a recording studio which has all the basic necessities of a mixing board, PC, sound proof booth and most likely software installed.
A lot of radio companies including E6 radio, our own college station, have their own music library which is where we keep the music that is royalty and copyright free. This will save a lot of copyright problems and legal issues will in the end would cost a lot of money. Another idea is to create your own music and keep it in your music library to avoid any legal issues which can also be done on the college system.
The above images show our music library at college which hold many jingles and sounds which are royalty free.
Another way in which they are made is by using an independent production company would need a production studio and the correct equipment.
This would include a mixing desk is what is used to control the different sounds. This gives the sound quality a much more professional feel. A sound proof audio recording booth will take away any unwanted background noise from the piece resulting in just the recorded sound you want. This recording booth will usually be separated by using a clear glass window so the producer can still be involved and give instructions as to what to do next.
A good production studio will need a PC on which editing software should be installed. This software could be Reaper, which is good for multi track editing which gives you the ability to play around with different tracks and see the results of your work in a clearer way. Audacity takes some getting used to, but when you have got the basics right it is fairly easy to use. Adobe Audition is another software which is fairly easy to use. More professional companies will use a software called Pro-Tools which is a little more advanced but helps to give the piece a more professional feel.
This image is of a recording studio which has all the basic necessities of a mixing board, PC, sound proof booth and most likely software installed.
A lot of radio companies including E6 radio, our own college station, have their own music library which is where we keep the music that is royalty and copyright free. This will save a lot of copyright problems and legal issues will in the end would cost a lot of money. Another idea is to create your own music and keep it in your music library to avoid any legal issues which can also be done on the college system.
The above images show our music library at college which hold many jingles and sounds which are royalty free.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)