How do I choose the right music for my project?

Updated 2026-07-18 · TV Music Store

Do not start from genre — start from the job. Write one sentence: what the video is, who watches it, and what they should feel at the end. That sentence gives you the three filters that matter: use case (trailer, documentary, advertising…), mood (hopeful, tense, powerful…) and pace. Search on those, shortlist three tracks, and audition each against the actual cut with the dialogue in — never in silence. The track that disappears behind the picture is the right one.

Step 1 — write the brief in one sentence

"A two-minute brand film for a construction company, shown at a trade fair, and it should feel confident and modern, not epic." That is enough. The sentence already contains the use case (business), the mood (confident, modern) and what to avoid (epic).

Most bad music choices come from skipping this step: people search for a genre they personally like instead of the job the music has to do.

Step 2 — filter by use case, not genre

Step 3 — audition against the picture, with dialogue

A track that is thrilling on its own often fights the voice. Drop your three candidates under the actual cut, at the actual level, with the dialogue playing. Two of them will suddenly be obviously wrong.

Watch the build: does the music peak where your point lands? A cue that peaks four seconds late will fight you for the whole edit.

Step 4 — check the license before you fall in love

A shortcut we are building

We are adding a search that takes the brief sentence itself — describe the project in plain language and get a shortlist back, instead of clicking through filters. Until then, the tag pages (browse by mood, genre and use case) are the fastest route: they are built from exactly these three axes.

Frequently asked

Should I pick music by genre?

Genre is the last filter, not the first. Start from the use case (what the video is for) and the mood you want the viewer to leave with.

How do I know a track fits before I buy it?

Audition it against your actual cut with the dialogue playing, not in silence. Preview the full track, not just the exciting ten seconds.

How many tracks should I shortlist?

Three. More than that and you are auditioning music instead of editing; fewer and you have not tested the idea.

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