It's obligatory, when starting to talk about music and adverts, to point out that every track on the Moby album 'Play' was licensed for advertising. At first this seems like overkill, and Mr Moby selling out to the mainstream; equally, it's often said that selling your music for adverts is selling out in the most extreme way. Music becomes linked to trash, and is used to promote it, and the music is therefore devalued.

This seems to make sense, but the music itself doesn't change, just the way it's looked at. And this is only a temporary association; while any product rarely lasts for more than a year, before it's replaced by something infinitely 'better', the life span of music is less definite. So while in the short-term, it might be irritating that a record is associated with a product (whether it's cars, beer or crappy jeans which don't fit properly), within a few months or even weeks, this association is largely forgotten. Many people know Aphex Twin and Underworld have been used for ad soundtracks, but can anyone remember which products? Or even which tracks?

Partly, of course, you have to remember that the artist might not have any say in what happens to their records. Contracts vary, but generally the artist has little control over their own recordings. Equally, the record company itself might not necessarily be a big corporate giant, but rather be a small indie label which needs to cash generated from advertising royalties, as is the case with Moby's label Mute Records. Not to mention that the money can go to subsidizing the underfed artists themselves.

Another issue is promotion of music; what with the current abysmal state of 90% music radio in the UK, any publicity for more underground acts is surely a bonus. People who might not normally listen to, say, Aphex Twin, could buy the record after hearing it on the advert... and then, of course, whole new musical vistas might open up to them. Oh yes.

I don't particularly like to think of some useless product whenever I listen to a record, but as I say, these associations are temporary. If it means more money and more exposure for unknown and underpaid acts, then that's good. Obviously, though, what the advert actually is makes a lot of difference. While putting your music to environmentally friendly tampons is all well and good, Hurricane#1 selling their indie shit to The Sun is just selling out. There are some adverts which are ethical, and some which are clearly not.
 
 

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