THE IMPACT OF SOUNDTRACKS

Published in FILM & MUSIC MAGAZINE

SOUNDTRACK Albums
by Steven Winogradsky

Prior to forming his own company, The Winogradsky Company in North Hollywood, California, in 1992, Mr. Winogradsky has served as Director of Music Business Affairs for Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc., Managing Director of Music, Legal & Business Affairs for MCA Home Entertainment, Director of Music Licensing and Administration for Universal Pictures and Universal Television and Vice President of Business Affairs for The Clearing House, Ltd.A soundtrack album has become such a popular, and sometimes profitable method of promoting a film that it has become something of a necessity for certain types of films.

At the time of this article, 15 out of the top 100 albums listed on the Billboard charts are soundtrack albums. It allows a film to benefit from having music in it by a popular artist. At the same time, a film that is hot can attract major artists to participate, sometimes at fees that are reduced due to an additional source of revenue other than just the master license for the film.

Soundtrack albums consist of three different types of music: (a) instrumental underscore written especially for the film; (b) songs written and/or recorded especially for the film, either using the actors from the film as the artists or using a well-known artist to perform; and (c) previously existing master recordings that are licensed for use in the film. Soundtrack albums may contain one or all of these three types.