IQ Beats was recently approached by a member of X-trax magazine for a little Q&A session with Michael Berlin, CEO of IQ Beats. X-trax is the radio industry’s free glossy monthly magazine for the UK radio industry that includes weekly entertainment and lifestyle audio features presented by Virgin Radio’s Andrew Bailey, has an association with commercial radio’s leading news provider, IRN, is a Patron of the Radio Academy and an Associate Member of the RadioCentre. And since 2001, they have been running the X-trax British Radio Awards honoring the best in on and off-air talent across the UK.

Justin, Robbie, Christina and Beyoncé… Superstars made famous by both their music and image. Getting a song played on the radio can make you a celeb, but having your jingle package on the air will likely only gain notice with a few radio programmers! For as long as there have been radio stations, there have been talented musicians, producers and vocalists dedicating their lives to ‘those bits in between the records’ while missing out on the fame.

Jingles have come a long way over the past 30 years; the early 80ΓÇÖs saw companies like Alfasound and David Arnold ruling the airwaves, while the latter part of the decade played witness to mainstream radioΓÇÖs introduction to the big Jam/TM Dallas sound. Trends spread in radio and so it seemed jingles were dead in the early 90ΓÇÖs. Long live the sweeperΓǪ Or so the world thought. In the mid-90ΓÇÖs jingles were reinvented under the name ΓÇÿmusic-imagingΓÇÖ by companies such as Killer Music and Vibe. TodayΓÇÖs programmers see music-imaging as more than adding a nice sparkle to their station – They see it as building a branded identity their listeners know and return to.

With ever changing music tastes and developments in new technology, the world of music imaging is moving again. XYZ spoke via several emails with Michael Berlin from industry newcomer IQ Beats, one of a new breed of imaging companies, to find out if jingles are going the way of the buffalo.

What makes todayΓÇÖs Music Imaging different from yesterdayΓÇÖs Jingles?
YesterdayΓÇÖs jingle was produced to jump out of your radio as an instantly identifiable tune with a simple, yet catchy melody. That is good, therefore nothing has changed in that department. But often the jingles of yesteryear sounded awkwardly different stylistically than the programming they were supposed to integrate with. How many hit songs have you heard over the years with a seven-part harmony group singing in the style of that Dallas jingle sound? Um, that would be nil. This gap between the way in which a station was trying to image itself and the content it played led to a lull in the popularity and use of jingles in the radio industry.

As music styles evolved and advertising became increasingly innovative, jingles with over-the-top vocal production began to sound extremely dated and out of place on contemporary radio. Also lending to the demise of the traditional jingle was the epidemic of sending out sub-par syndication packages that featured ill-fitting lyrics and some very dubious mixing. ItΓÇÖs my opinion that the few players in the jingle business in those days could not cope with the workload of producing both custom packages and walking the fine line it takes to re-sing and mix a syndicated package into a result that sounds nothing short of custom.

Of course there are instances when the giant group vocal sound is appropriate, but IQ Beats are finding that the current trend is to use a wide variety of singers that sound more like the artists a station is playing. Radio is spending big money on testing songs in focus groups to refine their playlists and learn more about their listeners. These focus groups have showed programmers the importance of music-imaging that sounds authentic and fresh. Stations now look for much more flexibility in their packages. With that in mind, every piece of music that we at IQ Beats produce has been made so the production guys can reinvent the pieces/parts for months or years to come. Be it thinner mixes, versions for long talk-overs, or isolated work parts, we provide everything a client will need to image their station with flexibility and distinction.

It seems that the objective with jingle production companies these days is to make each jingle sound just like the hits of today by writing pieces that emulate the same production techniques, sounds, and styles. Until recently this type of ‘sound-alike’ imaging was in vogue. IQ Beats have discovered that our clients need more than that. Because of heavy rotations and limited play lists, songs in a station’s programming burn quickly. If a station’s music-imaging sounds exactly like the songs, then it burns quickly too. I know of a station that opted to put a sound-alike music-imaging package on the air… Six months later all the songs the jingles were emulating had burned their way off of the playlist. This instantly dated the package and in turn, the station.

Most people only buy jingles every other year or so. How do they keep it sounding fresh?
By providing music of quality and substance with production elements that allows a stationΓÇÖs production department the power and flexibility they need to continue developing their stationΓÇÖs sound month after month and year after year.

The strength of IQ Beats is steeped in the talent and creativity of our writers and producers. Beyond that, IQ Beats is committed to learning as much about a client and their needs as possible before we ever set foot into the production studio. Our first step is to obtain a stationΓÇÖs playlist of their biggest songs. And with todayΓÇÖs broadband internet, we spend days online listening to our clientΓÇÖs stream to really get a feel for its personality and existing imaging. During this period we usually have at least one round of conversations with the head of programming, and production engineers too if possible, about the direction theyΓÇÖd like their new music imaging to go. Only then is it finally time to start writing.

Producing music-imaging is surely easier said than done. ThatΓÇÖs why I feel itΓÇÖs important to always use a writing team that is diversified in their interests and experiences. In addition to contributing to IQ Beats, our writers play live in local clubs, produce records, and are plugged in to a thriving local music scene that exposes them to the latest trends long before they are homogenized on CHR radio. Having several writers with different styles and skill sets is what keeps our tracks sounding fresh. ItΓÇÖs nice for one writer to bounce an idea off another, or even to contribute tracks to another for additional dimensionality and flavor. And a little healthy competition between them only benefits our clients.

Our writers and producers also have a genuine hunger for composing great tracks. We know that it involves much more than assembling thirty seconds of contemporary beats only to stick a poorly realized vocal on the end. A killer melody is a must and most of the time youΓÇÖve got about 7 seconds in which to fully develop it. Once thatΓÇÖs achieved we focus on showcasing a contemporary arrangement by using elements inspired by, but not plagiarizing current songs.

The sign of a truly brilliant music-imaging producer is to create a piece of music that feels immediately familiar to the listener, but without being able to easily identify its origin. Loads of hit songs ruling the charts at the moment feature real instrumentation: strings, drums, brass and more. IQ Beats have stepped up and invested in using live musicians whenever possible. Without these live elements, one cannot expect to have their songs match up with the songs they are integrating with, or they will always fall flat.

How complicated is it commissioning a new music-imaging package? Do you need to be really musical?
I would say that it is indeed complicated because of the lengths IQ Beats goes to completely service the needs of our client and exceed their expectations. Each project we do is unique with its own demands and challenges. We also leave the door open for our clients to be as involved in the process as they desire; we can follow a tightly written brief step for step or we can take a few vague ideas and run with it. Most stations commissioning us do so on the basis of our previous work and often want us to create a custom package for them in style of something weΓÇÖve done before.

Some stations like to have a representative present at their vocal sessions while others choose to trust to realize their vision. This past year has seen several visitors; Francis Currie, PD at Heart 106.2, was very involved with his package from its conception to being in Seattle for a week during the vocal production phase. John Ryan and Chris Harris came out for the BBC project we have just completed for Leeds, Kent and Stoke. John Evington of The Wireless Group joined us here in Seattle for a week of singing and instrumentation sessions on his monster 13 station custom package!

Being musical while providing cutting-edge production is what we do. Often our clients are speaking their own dialect of the musical language. Our writers and producers have become experts in decoding a PDΓÇÖs desire to have a track sound a bit more ΓÇÿpurpleΓÇÖ. Terms like: wonky, sleek, fuddy, upbeat, clever and flexible arenΓÇÖt in the lexicon of musical terms, but translated every day by our team to realize a clientΓÇÖs vision.

How many people does it take to do this kind of thing?
We have a team of four hard-working and creative individuals directly involved in writing, producing, mixing the packages, and delivering all the content to our clients. For direct client liaison we have a project manager in the UK as well as reps in other parts of the world too. Outside of this core team is a wide selection of vocalists and musicians here in Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas and Nashville.

What makes a perfect jingle?
Well, everybody working in radio will be able to tell you their favorite ID from the past, with some sticking in the mind more than others. The most important thing when producing music-imaging is for it to work for a stationΓÇÖs format. A good AC jingle is quite tuneful with some really nice instrumentation and a catchy vocal. On the other hand, a hip CHR package will feature cutting-edge production styles both in the music and with edgier vocal treatments. All good IDs should provide the presenters a flexible toolkit to enhance the flow of the station. The one thing that all great jingles have in common is an undeniably catchy hook. The hook is a simple melody that comes in instrumental form, but is most often found in the form of the stationΓÇÖs name as sung on the end of a cut. This is where the body is buried! If this part sticks in your head after a few listens, then it is a winner. The most satisfying compliment we can get from a station is for them to tell us that they canΓÇÖt get the sing out of their heads. This recognition is exactly what we are both trying to achieve so that their listeners can immediately identify our clientΓÇÖs station. We did our job if you get up in the morning still humming our melodies.

Where do you see jingles and music-imaging going?
The radio industry as a whole has seen a lot of changes over the past 10 years. The advances in technology and the availability of reasonably priced recording equipment have had a lot to do with this. The result has been that the door has opened for talented writers and producers who not long ago didnΓÇÖt have access or couldnΓÇÖt afford the type of equipment needed to produce music. In essence, the playing field has been leveled. It is now far more about talent and the creative process than it was about pole position. The two or three major players that had a monopoly over the industry are finding themselves challenged by much smaller, agile, and creative companies that now have the ability to produce world-class product. This is great because it gives more options to clients looking to change their sound and it keeps the industry from stagnating. I feel very positive about the future of music-imaging. As with everything, there will certainly be ups and downs but I think the industry is healthier and more creative than ever.

Although it sounds a bit clich├⌐, it really is a roller coaster ride. Remember that in the early 90ΓÇÖs most programmers thought this kind of thing was dead. What had in fact happened was that the industry had caught a ΓÇÿcreative coldΓÇÖ and slipped into a sausage factory approach. LetΓÇÖs face itΓǪ If the only pack of sausages you could buy at the store were low-grade and nasty tasting, you would just stop buying them – I believe this is what happened in our industry.

Many companies continued to turn out serviceable packages exactly as they had done for many years. This of course, being the problem since music and production styles had changed while the jingles had not. I believe the key to writing great material is to be constantly aware of what is happening in the music world and to embrace what is new. Not living in the past is very important. No matter how programmers have tried to reinvent their branding tools, history always comes back to a jingle that reflects the style and image of the station, whether sung or solely musical. Music-imaging evolves side-by-side with the market. TodayΓÇÖs packages may sound dated in ten years, like many songs do today, but itΓÇÖs not a problem as long as packages produced in 2015 seamlessly integrate into tomorrowΓÇÖs radio. It appears as if both music-imaging and radio have a healthy future ahead.

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