Whether you’re creating blockbuster feature films or short-form videos for your brand’s social channels, many of the same film and video creation practices and theories are going to be in play.
And while there’s a lot to be said about filmmaking and what your cinematography and editing can do to help tell an impactful story with your films and videos, there’s one element that can be used almost as a cheat code to quickly convey emotions, moods, and even talk directly to your viewers’ brains.
In this article, we’re going to go over the psychology of music and explore the effects of music on the brain, mood, and emotions in your films, videos, and all other types of media and video content.
We’ll not only go over the theory of how music works with video, but we’ll also give you some helpful tips and tricks to improve how you use music and sound effects in your projects, as well as give you some hand-picked, high-quality, royalty free music tracks to try using yourself today.
Also, before we dive in, here’s a breakdown of some of the subjects that we’ll cover in this article:
- How your brain responds to music
- How to use music psychology to affect the emotions of viewers
- The Kuleshov Effect
What does music do to your brain? The psychology of music explained
To get things started, let’s talk a bit about your brain on music. Believe it or not, music does a lot of interesting things to the human brain.
It may feel like a soaring melody or a song filled with pounding drums can inject adrenaline directly into your heart, but when a certain song abruptly shifts your emotional balance, you actually have your brain to thank for it. How does music affect the brain chemically? Neuroscientists have discovered that music can trigger the release of various chemicals in the brain, which can be associated with a range of emotions.
One of the main chemicals that music can trigger in the human brain is dopamine, which is known as the “reward chemical” or “pleasure molecule,” so it’s no wonder that most humans love listening to, creating, and dancing to music.
In fact, neuroscientist Valorie Salimpoor explains that “music, an abstract stimulus, can arouse feelings of euphoria and craving.” From a neurological standpoint, the psychological effects of music on the human brain are profound, much like a drug.
However, it’s not just about good feelings; music can be used to evoke a range of emotions and memories in viewers in various ways. In fact, studies have long linked music and emotion on both psychological and neurological levels.
Music has helped coma patients regain their voice and also triggered the muscle memory of Alzheimer’s patients who forgot how to play an instrument, showing the great potential for healing through music.
How can I use music to enhance the emotional impact of my videos?
For the purposes of creating films, video content, and other forms of media, let’s explore how you can use music to affect the motions of your viewers.
The Kuleshov Effect
There’s a phenomenon in filmmaking called the Kuleshov effect, and it goes like this: When multiple shots are sequenced together in a specific order, viewers take away one meaning. When those same shots are arranged differently, the meaning instantly changes.
Here’s a visual explanation of what this looks like in film:
Even though the man’s expression doesn’t change in the image above, viewers assign different emotions to him based on what he’s looking at (i.e., a coffin, the bowl of soup, or the woman on a couch).
As viewers, we pay attention to visual cues to fully understand what we’re watching, but we also rely on audio cues, such as background music.
To offer an example, let’s say you’re editing a montage of two parents and a child at the park. You could add a song like “Going Shopping (Again)” by Dresden, The Flamingo, to give the video a happier and childlike feel. Or you could add a song like “Spooked” by jshirts to create a more Chucky-like effect. So, how does music in movies affect emotions? Much like the Kuleshov effect, by the power of association.
How music affects movies: More ways to use music in your films and videos
We’re ready to experience some big emotions, and the minute the music booms out, we are on board for the ride.” This perfectly illustrates the psychology of music - how sound cues our emotions before a single word is spoken.
Here are just some of the ways music can improve and enhance key aspects of your movie:
Create an atmosphere
Music can help establish the setting of your movie, giving a tangible feeling to the location of a scene and the emotions at play. Horror movies excel at this technique, often playing soft, creepy music as the protagonist stumbles into a graveyard or enters a haunted house.
Provide narrative guidance
The musical score of a movie can go a long way toward hinting that a character is a villain, enhancing the heroic moment when a protagonist makes a difficult choice, or helping the viewer understand the gravity of a particular situation. In this way, the music can operate as a narrative lens for the viewer, guiding them through the story and alerting them to the different emotional pulls of each character, action, and choice.
Portray emotions
The right music at just the right moment can dramatically enhance the emotional impact of a scene. Think of the powerful melody that accompanies Scarlet O’Hara in Gone with the Wind when she vows that she will never go hungry again. The scene was already big and beautiful in its own right, but the emotional impact of music makes you feel her desperation, her defiance, and her fire all bursting from the screen. Music that speaks to the soul can wrench your guts when the hero loses his best friend or make your heart climb when he saves the day.
How to use the effect of music on the brain and emotions to improve your videos
Now that you know music can unleash tides of chemicals into the brains of your viewers, how can you use this deeper understanding to improve the emotional impact of your following videos?
The first step is easy. By simply appreciating the power of music, you’ll be more likely to take greater care in your musical selections. Here are a few other great tips to use:
Identify the emotion you want to create in your audience
Before you can choose the right music for your video, you need to clearly identify the emotional impact you want it to have on your viewers. This may seem like a simplistic assignment, but you may be surprised by the results.
Don’t be afraid to dig down past the surface. Perhaps you want to create happy, positive videos for your YouTube channel, but what does this really entail? Is your channel funny, heartwarming, charming, or something slightly different? Each of these emotions may point you toward a different musical selection.
Check out the competition
Once you’ve identified the emotional impact you want your videos to create, start looking for great examples of videos in your field.
If you want to release the world’s scariest horror movie, re-watch your favorite horror films of all time. Concentrate on the music in the critical scenes. Ask yourself, how does music influence your mood as a viewer, and why you think the composer chose that particular song instead of something else.
Do this for whatever video industry or genre you’re in. Search for the top videos in the field and study what type of music your competition has chosen. Obviously, they are hitting the right emotional chords, and you can learn a lot from their example.
Listen to lots of music
Whether you're filming a moving documentary or building a channel with workout videos, the music you choose will play a significant role in how viewers experience that content.
When it’s time to choose the right musical accompaniment to your video, don’t just settle for the first song that seems to fit. Sample a wide array of music. If possible, filter the music by mood and test different mood options to see how they can alter the emotional impact of your scene or video.
Some music licensing sites, like Soundstripe, allow you to filter music by a wide array of moods. This provides you with numerous unique options to sample.
You may be surprised at how differently a scene feels and resonates when paired with different music — this is one of the most fascinating effects of music on mood.
Where to find royalty free music for your videos
When you understand the true emotional value that music can offer to your videos, you’ll realize how important it is to have access to lots of musical choices. These days, there are plenty of sites on the internet (including YouTube) that offer free music libraries, but their selection is limited and often overused. Instead, invest in a great music selection.
At Soundstripe, our library of royalty free background music for video is constantly growing. We contract with extremely talented musicians and seek out a diverse range of sounds.
We also allow our members to filter our music by over a dozen different moods, making it easier for you to find the music with the right emotional impact for your video. Best of all, you can have unlimited access to our film music library with a Soundstripe subscription.
To give you a taste of what we’re talking about with our Soundstripe music library, here are some top picks for some high-quality royalty free music tracks that would be great to explore as emotive options for your films, videos, and other types of media.
- Description: A medium-energy, score song that is best described as inspiring and hopeful. Strings and the violin are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 150
- Key: D Major
- Listen and license here
2. Under The Moonlight by Matt Wigton
- Description: A high-energy, electronic song that is best described as inspiring and hopeful. Synth and bass are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 127
- Key: Bb/A# Minor
- Listen and license here
- Description: A low-energy, funk song that is best described as chill and hopeful. Organ and horns are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 105
- Key: G Minor
- Listen and license here
- Description: A very low-energy, classical song that is best described as inspiring and hopeful. The piano is the primary instrument in this track.
- BPM: 160
- Key: G Major
- Listen and license here
5. Tumshie by Midnight Daydream
- Description: A medium-energy, funk song that is best described as hopeful and happy. Drums and drum kit are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 100
- Key: D Major
- Listen and license here
- Description: A medium-energy, electronic song that is best described as happy and fun. Synth and bass are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 118
- Key: F Major
- Listen and license here
- Description: A medium-energy, pop song that is best described as hopeful and happy. Guitar and electric guitar are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 100
- Key: E Minor
- Listen and license here
- Description: A medium-energy, pop song that is best described as inspiring and hopeful. Guitar and acoustic guitar are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 74
- Key: D Major
- Listen and license here
9. Outside The Lines by Lone Canyon
- Description: A medium-energy, rock song that is best described as inspiring and hopeful. Guitar and electric guitar are the primary instruments in this track.
- BPM: 118
- Key: G Major
- Listen and license here
10. Coastline Honey by Dr. Delight
- Description: A medium-energy, pop song that is best described as happy and fun.
- BPM: 105
- Key: G Minor
- Listen and license here
Of course, those are just a few selections; there are so many more tracks to explore in the full Soundstripe music library here.
For more tips for working with music and sound effects in your films and other types of video projects, here are some additional articles from the Soundstripe blog to check out.
- What Are Music Stems? A Creator's Guide to Using Song Stems to Build Better Sound for Video, Podcasts, and More
- How to Choose Music for YouTube Videos That Boost Views, Match Your Style, and Keep Audiences Hooked
- Meet Supe: Soundstripe’s AI Search Assistant
- Where to Find Music for Movie Trailers: 10 Best Songs for Trailers to Hook Viewers & Leave Them Wanting More
- Copyright Infringement Lawsuits: How to Protect Your Creative Work and Stay Legally Covered
