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Whether you notice it or not, music is everywhere. It plays in the background of almost every public place you visit — from grocery stores and restaurants to clothing shops. In fact, music is so omnipresent that when it’s absent from something like an event, people notice.
“Having no music creates a void that you’re not used to having in day-to-day life when you go into public spaces,” says Encore Product Manager for Audio and Power Nick Greene. “It creates an awkward silence at an event. Imagine showing up at a company meeting at 8 a.m., and walking into an empty room with no music. There won’t be the energy.”
Music sets mood and creates participants’ expectations. “Do you want them upbeat or relaxed?” Greene says. “If there are heavy things being discussed, we can play ambient jazz. Maybe after a long day of meetings, you want some dance music.” Meeting and event organizers can tell their Encore contact what kind of mood they want to create, and Encore will select the perfect playlist from hundreds of curated options.
If you think you can use a playlist from a streaming service like Spotify, Pandora or YouTube Music at your event, think again. Even if you pay for the ‘pro’ account on one of those services, that only covers your private use of that music. The moment you play that music at a public event, you become liable for copyright infringement or intellectual property right violations.
“Playing improperly licensed music in a public space could result in significant financial penalties for every song or track which is played without the proper license,” Greene says. The ultimate amount of the damages owed can be very high and would depend on the size of the group and event and the number of songs. In addition, everyone involved in the event can be affected — from the planner and client to the hotel or venue.
A much safer — and more affordable — option is to add Encore Music to your event order. “Encore Music is a licensed music solution for public events,” Greene says. “It’s a cost-effective solution that will easily help you comply with copyright laws and licensing requirements.”
Encore Music comes with two options:
- Commercial Background Music features more than 300 curated and properly licensed music playlists to choose from
- Royalty-Free Music solution features more than 100,000 tracks, sound effects and loops for virtual/hybrid events and stingers
If you’re looking for popular hits from popular artists like Katy Perry or Bruno Mars, Commercial Background Music is the best option. “With that type of music, there are restrictions on how you can use it,” Greene says. “You can’t edit or stream it [to a virtual audience]. It can’t be recorded [for playback] or synched with video. But it’s great for playing in the background at meal functions, social events, and as walk-in/walk-out music for general sessions.”
If you need music to play under a video or to be pre-show music for a general session that will be recorded or broadcast, then Royalty-Free Music is the best solution. “It’s high-end production music,” Greene says. “You can edit it and get the segment you want.” Examples include award show music, where you only need a short portion of song to play while the recipient walks to the stage and poses for pictures or stingers to play while you introduce executives and speakers to the stage. Royalty Free Music also is the best solution for hybrid and virtual events or in-person events where segments will be recorded for later rebroadcast or on-demand viewing.
Greene says Encore team members will ask meeting and event organizers about music when they’re talking about ordering other AV gear. “Music is needed in any public event. It enhances meal breaks and sessions. So, our team will ask, ‘Are you using music?’ and go over the options.”
Of course, if the customer wants, they can provide their own music, but must still comply with licensing requirements in order to avoid the risk of incurring financial penalties. “Encore can provide customers who wish to provide their own music with a one-page informational sheet so they can go ahead and look into it themselves and procure their own licensing,” Greene says.
But if you want to save yourself the headache of going to one of the big music licensing companies, paying their sliding-scale fees and then curating playlists of music on your own, Encore Music offers flexible, pre-selected options that take the guesswork out of the process. For a low daily rate, you can buy peace of mind and create an atmosphere that’s perfect for your next event.
Interested in learning more? Contact the Encore team here.
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