Why does runway music suck now?

[big]

Until recently, one of my favorite aspects of any fashion week was hearing the music selected to accompany the various runway shows. A great soundtrack can really drive home the themes and emotions of a collection.

Lately though, it seems like the vast majority of shows feature instrumental or ambient music only - and often the most uninspiring, borderline funereal tunes you can imagine. Is this just the current mode? Or does it have something to do with copyright law, especially as more and more houses post their shows to their own YouTube and social media accounts? It seems like the cost of licensing music would be insignificant when compared to the cost to produce a runway show...

PS: Possibly my favorite runway soundtrack of all time is Chanel's 2018 Cruise collection. Enjoy.

 

[Scotty]

It seems like the cost of licensing music would be insignificant when compared to the cost to produce a runway show...

I agree with you on this and I too am surprised on why they choose to use the duty-free music on their videos.

 

[GivenchyHomme]

Most big houses now use the same music in person and in videos. DJs have become more knowledgeable and selective when it comes to music copyright. I don’t mind, as someone behind a screen can experience the same sensation as someone in the front row. Chanel is the only exception that pays the music rights. I suppose we'll have to take whatever compromise we can get, because it's not like we were ever going to get to hear some of these soundtracks anyways..

 

[99 Percent Polyester]

why the powers that be have not used Death Grip’s Fashion Week album in runways is beyond me

big missed opportunity

 

[charmedp321]

I follow Where ever Frederic Sanchez does the soundtrack. He’s incredible. Prada desperately needs him again.

I also think the music at Loewe and Bottega were nice the past few years

 

[Salvatore]

Totally agree ! I can remember the expertly mixed soundtracks for Christian Dior under Galliano and Versace and others. It seems music is really an afterthought at the shows these days.

 

[Mr-Dale]

I agree with you on this and I too am surprised on why they choose to use the duty-free music on their videos.

You’d be surprised how much licensing music costs for commercial usage….easily 10s of thousands of dollars per song. Which might not sound like a lot on a budget of 1-2 million dollars, but with all the aspects of a production easily adding up, music licensing is one of the first items on a budget that gets cut on.

It’s also the reason so much social media video content of fashion brands often only features environmental or stock sound.

 

[Lola701]

Music is still great. The only difference is that fashion is now part of mainstream entertainment…And while a runway show is a private event and Sounds designers can play whatever they wants, the moment it is used in YouTube as content, they have to pay royalties.
The more exposed brands are the big brands. So when it comes to them, the soundtracks are always changed.

Michel Gaubert touched on that in a interview I remember. He said that when it comes to copywright issues, he usually prefer to favor independent or smaller artists. So when labels makes it difficult they switch the soundtrack.

That’s why some brands either choose to work with smaller artists (like Louis Vuitton), have a tailor made soundtrack (like Hedi did a lot of times) or totally change the soundtrack into copywright free music (like Valentino under PPP or even Gucci). The best is to have live music but then again…

It’s funny that you mention Chanel @big because they are quite all over the place on that matter. They have always changed the soundtrack of their shows. Some seasons more than others. Sometimes they keep the main song and change the songs in between.
Like the Carroussel show. At the show, the soundtrack was all Hercules and Love Affair and in the official video, they changed the soundtrack but what they did was coherent.

 

[GoldenPetals]

One thing I've noticed is that when I use the Shazam app, it almost never recognizes any of the runway music today. Is that just me?