David has been a mainstay of the Chicago music session scene for 35 years. He had a father and even a grandfather who were "first call" studio players in the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. He literally attended and observed hundreds of commercial music sessions growing up in the 70’s and 80’s. He watched the best composers and session cats implement the art of commercial music production on a weekly basis.
David Steele, owns and operates his own music production company and recording studio, Pendulum Music and Audio Artistry. He has been composing music for TV and Radio Spots in Chicago for 2 decades. He has written music and designed sound for Anheuser Busch, McDonalds, Kelloggs, SC Johnson, Proctor and Gamble, Alberto Culver, Verizon, KFC, Coors Light, Nintendo, Hyundai, General Motors, Disney, British Petroleum, and dozens of other fortune 500 companies.
If you have written a song and want to try to shop it for use in Advertising, please remember to be "self critical". For example, If you have written a song about love and heartbreak etc. etc. and it is executed at a slow tempo...I'd say don't submit to me. Slow Ballads about love and heart break will not place into TV and Radio ads. For all of you country music folks out there...I also have to say I am probably not the right guy to submit to.
For those of you who compose very contemporary, hip, cool, rock, urban, dance, electronica, indie music, or have a beautiful cinematic sound scape or hip jazz or funky track...or something quirky and entertaining ...these are the types of tracks that can place into TV and Radio commercials.
If your songs speak to "universal truths" and express optimism, desire, happiness, captivation, inspiration, and feeling good...these kinds of lyrics adapt well to a brand for a TV advertisement.
I would also go on to say that 90% of music that places into an advert is written in a major key and has an up-beat, optimistic quality. Other terms to describe music that you would want to submit to me: cutting edge, hip, indie, cool, cinematic, heroic, quirky, driving, contempoary, current, fresh, innovative, fun, "today's" sound...etc.
Read about David's update on a few songs he is pitching from artists he met, due to them submitting to his opportunities, here and how he asked a songwriter to send a 60 second clip of her song so he could pitch it for advertising here. David Steele selected one of Noah Silver's song which can be read here.