The right music for your explainer video

Music and sound effects for your explainer video

Clearly, the audio track is very important in any video. It is what gives the film that certain something. Thanks to it, you can understand what is said in the video. And this allows the viewer to get more involved in the action. In addition, the film experience becomes something tangible when you are fully involved with the emotions.

Today, however, we want to leave the dialogue aside for a moment and focus mainly on the music and the sound effects. And we want to answer the following question: Why is music so important in an explainer video?

Content

• The why

• What music for explainer videos?

• The role of music

• An explainer video without any music or sound, is that possible?

• Where can I find background music for my explainer video?

• Summary

Why do I need music in my explainer video?

The purpose of explainer videos is to convey a complex message to the audience. In a captivating way and with a lot of storytelling. The goal is to create an emotional connection and address the customer’s “pain points”. What role do music and sound effects play in this?

Music in explainer videos

Music makes it possible to enliven scenes with a certain atmosphere, to structure the plot, and to influence the perception of a video. It thus serves as a supporting element for generating emotions and can reinforce messages. This is because musical melodies activate specific neurons in the brain that affect our emotional center. A sad music brings tears to our eyes even faster, a rhythmic beat makes not only ourselves but also our heart jump.

Sound effects in explainer videos

Music enhances an explainer video – but you can’t just pick it at random. It should be unobtrusive and yet entertaining. It’s important that the voice over isn’t overshadowed by the music and that the whole thing comes across as restrained and gives the video a positive tone.

Music enables a stronger bond between the target audience and the brand. Provided, however, that they can identify with the music. For this, the demographic aspects of the target group must be taken into account, but also the corporate image, the product and the goals of the campaign. For a younger target group with a new, trendy product, the music should also generate a little “pizzazz.” Even younger children should be additionally motivated and positively tuned by the appropriate music. Take a look at this example that we were allowed to produce for Swiss Ski. The little spectators should be prepared for their big day in the snow. Of course with suitable musical accompaniment – partly even recorded live.

For an older audience in a serious industry, again, a cheerful “All my ducklings” soundtrack would not be quite appropriate. Understandable, right? Listen very carefully to this example. The right choice of music is the icing on the cake here, too.

Certain music can also be quickly associated with a film or vice versa. So you quickly associate music with images if the music is catchy and well chosen. Would you like an example? Our video for Swisspreneur on Startup Mafia has of course been deliberately given a touch of “The Godfather”.

The role of music in explainer videos

The music in a film basically has two roles: a content-related and a functional one. Its goal is to link image and sound. However, it should also take on a mood-supporting role and arouse emotions.

Arouse emotions and give naturalness

Both music and sound effects support the visuals sonically and thus reach the viewer. The music has the role of arousing emotions. The sound effects, which consist of noises, give the film additional naturalness. Imagine flipping a light switch. I’m sure you can hear the corresponding sound in your head!

Of course, this circumstance can also be used in reverse. You then associate the sounds with certain activities to draw attention to them. A door, which is opened very slowly, while we are visually in a dark room, triggers surely also with you not exactly cheerfulness, or?

Building an emotional connection

When introducing a new product, explaining a new process or presenting a service, it is important that the viewer can identify with what they are seeing in the shortest possible time. How do you achieve this? By creating an emotional connection and by making something feel very natural while watching it. This is exactly what is achieved through music and sound effects.

Take a look at this video by Pabio. A cozy, safe and stylish feeling quickly sets in – and we soon feel like we’re at home. And that’s exactly what Pabio wants to achieve with his service.

Holistic identification

But music can do even more! In the best case, holistic identification can be achieved via the sound. For example, if a series of explainer videos is created, a music theme can be chosen that is repeated in all videos. In this way, the viewer not only assigns the video to a company via the style. He also establishes a link only via the music theme he hears.

In the case of explainer videos, only positive emotions are evoked by the music, which has a good side effect … This creates a completely positive link with the company and its products.

An explainer video without any music or sound, is that possible?

A qualitative clip without any sound is hardly imaginable and also generally not recommendable, because only music enables the emotional connection. Of course, as everywhere in life, there can be exceptions.

At this point, it is especially important to determine the place of distribution. For example, on Facebook, about 85% of viewers watch videos without sound. Especially for smaller companies with a very limited budget, you can therefore consider this option. However, subtitles should then not be dispensed with.

Even at a trade fair event, it can often be very loud. Therefore, it can make more sense to work with subtitles than with a speaker’s voice and sound elements.

Where can I find background music for my explainer video?

If you work with a professional agency, an experienced sound designer will surely set the right tone and compose individual music that fits the theme. However, if you’re creating your own explainer video, you can keep the following websites in mind:

Premium Beat

Premium Beat offers a database of high-quality music of various genres. Here you can find both finished songs and shorter loops. Five tracks per month are available for $12.99 each.

Audio Jungle

Audio Jungle is part of the Envato Marketplace for digital products and offers tracks starting at $1. At Audio Jungle you can find both sound tracks and sound effects (SFX) in good quality.

BeatSuite

On BeatSuite there are songs in different lengths, which can be found quickly thanks to the genre search function. Two downloads with a lifetime license are available for $99.00.

Pixabay

First known for images, now also for music. The advantage of Pixabay? Here’s free and royalty-free songs.

Moby Gratis

Moby Gratis offers free music from well-known artists. However, this may only be used for non-commercial projects.

Youtube audio library

Youtube also offers a small selection of sound and sound effects that are available free of charge – and may also be used commercially.

Summary

It doesn’t have to be an orchestra à la John Williams, but some music is indispensable to build the necessary emotional connection with the audience and to give the central message a stronger meaning.

There are ways you can come up with suitable music yourself – but sometimes it just pays to rely on professionals. At Cleverclip, we also work with a professional sound designer who proves time and time again what music and sound effects can do for a video.