TikTok has changed the music listening experience to something that drives audience participation and, in turn, campaign performance. For many brands, TikTok's badged Sound Partners are a key way to leverage the power of music on TikTok to drive action among current and new audiences. One sound partner is The Elements Music, an award-winning international music agency that is recognized as a global leader in producing original music and sound for TikTok brand activations.
The Elements Music's Scott Coleman is an experienced producer, composer, songwriter, audio engineer, and DJ. From Starburst to Abercrombie & Fitch to Clorox, his talents have helped brands take their sonic strategies to the next level on TikTok. He also shares his expertise through his digital series with The Elements Music, including their Sync School program, where he shares behind-the-scenes insights on music for media to help music creators optimize their knowledge and processes when creating music with brands.
It goes without saying that Scott is well-versed in the art of creating TikTok-first music. We spoke with him to learn more about his process for creating music for brands, how he helps music creators develop TikTok-first sound strategies, and how the TikTok community inspires his own music creation.
How did your music journey begin?
Music has always been something I've been drawn to from an early age. I loved listening to my parents' favorite records and learning new instruments as a kid, but I would say that my professional journey really started the first time I stepped foot in a studio. I was probably 16 or 17 at the time and the drummer of the band. I had an internship at our local studio and my band would get to use the space whenever they weren't booked. Nothing piqued my curiosity more than learning the intricacies of writing, recording, mixing and producing. After high school, I moved from Boston to Phoenix to study digital culture with a focus on music technology at Arizona State University, where I discovered a passion for performing and DJing along with production and engineering. After a few years of performing in a fast-growing local community of DJs, producers, and artists, I found that I was more passionate about spending time in the studio making music, so I moved to LA to pursue a career in production. While there I got the chance to work with some amazing artists, producers, and mentors. After about a year in LA, I started working closely with The Elements, and music for media became the avenue that I chose to pursue.
You've been called a 'musical Swiss Army knife'—why is that?
I've always thought of myself as more of a jack-of-all-trades than a master of one, and that certainly applies to my experiences with music. I've gone through so many different interests within music and have definitely picked up a wide set of skills along the way. Though I don't claim to be the best at any of these things, I know that I can combine these skills in a way that makes me uniquely utilitarian as a creator, hence the term musical swiss army knife. Over the last 10-15 years I have worked in some capacity as a multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, vocal producer, recording/mixing/mastering engineer, music editor, sound designer, synth enthusiast, DJ, live event producer, plug-in designer, music educator, music journalist, curator, and creative director.
What's the process of working on a project with you and your team at The Elements?
One thing I love about my job is that every project is different! When we are approached by a client to create a custom sound for TikTok, we like to jump on a call to better understand what the client is looking to accomplish and get a sense of the bigger picture of the campaign. We want to know how they are hoping for users to interact with the sound itself. For example, are they looking to simply put the content in front of users? Or do they want to encourage user-driven content, such as with a Branded Hashtag Challenge? Understanding the goal really helps inform our creative process. We then get into the nitty-gritty of the music itself…style, genre, arrangement, vocals, instrumentation. From there we reach for the best-in-class talent of composers, producers, writers and vocalists to bring the idea to life. Sometimes we get to work with awesome artists or content creators that will be the face of the campaign, like Chloe Bailey or Billy Porter! This is my favorite part of the process, personally.
Once we have a jaw-dropping set of tracks written and ready to share, we present them to the client and they pick their favorites. We then revise until they are happy with their chosen track. All that said, there are a lot of variables involved in creating a custom sound for TikTok that make each project uniquely challenging.
Is there a project you are especially proud of?
The YASCLEAN project with Clorox Scentiva was a massive turning point in my career, and the beginning of my foray into making music specifically for the TikTok platform. This was one of the first projects that the Elements did for TikTok, and it very quickly became one of the most successful Branded Hashtag Challenges at the time. It was pretty surreal seeing how many people made videos with the track that I had made. This really opened my eyes to the power of the platform and gave me an appreciation for the reach that it has. It was also a feather in my cap to get to remix the incredible Billy Porter.
How has The Elements' being a badged Sound Partner made a difference in your process?
Working as an official TikTok Sound Partner has definitely created an incredible pipeline of work flowing from brands that want to tap into the power of the platform. It's also given me the opportunity to have my music heard by literally billions of people around the world. That's something that a younger me could only dream of!
Tell us more about your digital video series, Sync School?
Sync School is The Elements' content series that I host and produce (check it out on The Elements' TikTok!). It's aimed at educating music creators, composers, producers, and songwriters about the wonderful world of music for media! I feel that this aspect of the music industry is often either overlooked or music creators don't know how to find opportunities. The goal here is to empower these creators to take control of their careers. I think that these days artists and creators feel a lot of pressure to sign label deals or have tons of followers or Spotify streams, but the truth is you don't need any of those things to have a sustainable and successful career making music! These videos are usually made up of bite-sized tips and tricks that we've picked up along the way and have helped us find success. It's also given me a chance to explore content creation and given me an appreciation for that side of things. Content creation and ideation takes a lot of hard work!
What are some music trends that you have your eye on and think brands should too?
One thing I love coming to TikTok for is a good laugh. The power of comedy and the power of music is a pretty unstoppable force when combined. I mean, just look at how crazy the world went for the "It's Corn" remix! Finding ways to incorporate humor into music is something that I see happening organically on TikTok all the time, and those moments often explode into virality. If brands can find a way to tap into this, I think they will find themselves reaching massive audiences.
How has the TikTok community inspired your work?
There is honestly endless inspiration on TikTok. I find myself scrolling and often just being blown away by the talent out there in the world. Everything from musicians, comedians, athletes, dancers, you name it! I think lately I've really been inspired by creators like @wuki, @ajwavy and @connormusarra. These artists are using the platform to have fun and are creating some really forward-thinking sounds specifically for other creators to use in their content.
Through Sound Partners like The Elements Music, brands have the ability to partner with the platform's top music creators and collaborate on custom tracks, creating a powerful opportunity to reach, connect and co-create with new audiences.
👉 If you are interested in working with Scott or learning more about The Elements Music, you can reach out through the TikTok Marketing Partners site or to The Elements Music directly.