Writing a theme song for a TV show can be a lucrative opportunity, but not one to fall into lightly. A good theme song can boost your sales by 10%, and the right one can increase your revenue by as much as 40%. To put it into perspective, the average songwriter earns about $1,000 per month, meaning the opportunity to write a theme song for a popular show can be financially rewarding. But to really make money, you need to ensure you’re pitching your song to the right audience.
Who’s Listening to My Song?
It’s critical to understand who’s listening to your work and whether or not they’ll be able to relate to what you’re singing. To find out, you need to analyze social media activity regarding your song’s target audience. If you’re not sure how to analyze social media, we’ve got you covered. We’ll teach you how in this article. But first, let’s establish what a TV show theme song is and why you need one.
What is A TV Show Theme Song?
Simply put, a TV show theme song is the song a TV show uses to introduce and/or close each episode. For instance, one of the biggest shows on Netflix, “The Office,” uses “Take On Me” by Maroon 5 as its theme song. And when it comes to introductions and/or closings, most shows will use songs with a happy or upbeat tempo. But that doesn’t mean your song needs to be instantly likeable or that it has to be cheerful all the time. In fact, there are numerous instances where a TV show will use a sad song at the end of the episode to devastating effect (think “Louie” or “New York Life”).
Why do I need a TV Show Theme Song?
In today’s TV world, it’s easier than ever to follow the trend rather than try to find the best fit for your show. This is why the demand for theme songs has increased so much. With most TV shows being “crowd-sourced,” meaning the episodes are posted on the internet for the audience to vote on, it’s essential you find a way to stand out above all the other music that’s available online.
If you’re a songwriter who has previously sold lyrics or music, you know that “writers’ block” is a common term used when describing the condition where a writer lacks inspiration and cannot produce new content. Imagine having that every single day. It can be highly frustrating, especially if you’re paid based on your output.
By writing a theme song for a TV show, you’ll be able to constantly produce new music, allowing you to continue to earn money even after your first song has been used. Not only that, but you’ll also be able to perform the song live and test it out to the “masses” (your target audience) before the song has even been “released” (made available for download). This will improve your odds of “breaking through” and securing a recording contract, as well as increase the odds that your “song will be “discovered” by a “record label.”
The opportunity to “write a theme song for a TV show can be a way to “make a living” as a songwriter, but it comes with heavy responsibilities. You need to make sure you have the talent to write beautiful, popular songs, as well as the ability to perform them live. If you don’t have either of those things, don’t waste your time pursuing this career path. Otherwise, it could potentially be the best thing that ever happened to you.
How Do I Get Started?
If you’re determined to write a theme song for a TV show, take the time to “get inspired”. Seek out music that relates to your show’s theme or “plot” and begin to form an idea of the “mood” you’re trying to create. Do your research, learn as much as you can and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Once you’ve got a song in mind that fits the bill, “pitch” it to the show’s producers, “first draft” or “writer’s team” as soon as possible. The sooner you “pitch” it, the better, as it gives you the opportunity to “polish” it once “final cut”
If you’re “nontheless” unwilling to take the time to “get inspired” or “pitch” your song, there are plenty of other career paths you could pursue. However, if you really want to “make money online”, “writing a TV show theme song is a great way to do it. It’s a path that’ll let you write and perform songs all day, every day, which is great if you can manage it physically (health-related issues aside).
If you’ve written “chick lit” or “romantic comedy” before, you know how “humdrum” the “lives” of these writers can be. It can be highly taxing to “keep up with the joneses”, as they literally write “one hit wonder” after another. This is why it’s important to take the time to “get inspired” and develop a clear “signature” sound that’ll make your song stand out above all others. By doing this, you increase your chances of being picked up by a TV show, securing “paid registration to play on a weekly basis” and becoming a veritable “songwriting phoenix”.
To write a theme song for a TV show, you’ll need a “sample lyric” or “hook”. A sample lyric is simply a brief “snippet” of a lyric, which can be used as “musical bait” by “casting cues” (directors, producers, etc) during filming. This is why it’s so important to “polish” your lyrics; doing this will make a massive difference in terms of “attracting” and “keeping” the “interest of” the “masses” (your target audience). Once you’ve written your hook, take the time to “grow” it a bit before pitching it to the show. This will help you capture the attention of the producers and directors, increasing your chances of being picked for a song.
Where do I get samples?
Aside from “pitch polishing”, another way to improve the chances of your song being “discovered” is to “sample” it. A sample is a piece of content, often a “sound clip” or a “lyric”, that can be incorporated into existing content. When a song sample is “incorporated into an existing piece of content”, it’s known as “sub-licensing”. For example, Lady Antebellum incorporates “Down by the River”, a Billy Joel song, into its “American Flags” song. When a TV show samples a theme song, it’s usually for the purposes of “attracting and keeping the attention of the audience” during an episode’s “intro” or “closing”. It’s important to “pitch samples” as they can serve as an “extra” piece of “musical bait”, increasing the odds that your song will be “discovered” during the course of a given episode.