Each month we champion a musical mood in the Artlist catalog. In the past, we’ve taken a deep dive into playfulness, romance and hope. And this month, we’re turning our attention to peace. We live in an increasingly chaotic world, so if you’re film or project aims to promote a sense of tranquility, these tracks will enhance it. Namasté.
Meditative
In The Clouds by Be Still the Earth
They say peace comes from within, and that’s certainly true when it comes to the work of Be Still the Earth. This artist produces music that aims to calm, soothe and summon inner peace, and his tracks are often paired with time-lapse videos, landscape shots and explorations of the natural world.
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“In The Clouds” is a meditative track, designed to promote inner alignment. Filmmakers use this track to add a sense of cosmic energy to their projects, but Lad Bible’s paid partnership with 3 took it one step further. The track is so soothing they used it to accompany their spoof ASMR film about different UK accents. The track’s as versatile as it is idyllic, with the artist crafting those soft soundscapes using electric guitar, synths and pads.
Check out this blog post for more relaxing background music inspiration.
Inspiring
Seine River by IamDayLight
Nothing contributes to inner peace more than feeling inspired. To live without inspiration is to live in turmoil, and nothing beats feeling creatively free. Artlist Original artist IamDayLight has inspirational tracks down to a fine art. With “Seine River,” the producer uses angelic vocals and heart-opening keys to create a piece that’s simultaneously hopeful, inspiring and tranquil.
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It’s so inspiring, in fact, that a professional motivator used it to promote his offer on Instagram. Jay Shetty is an author, purpose coach and former monk who’s dedicated his career to helping people to find their true north. Shetty used “Seine River” to accompany a video about sharing vulnerabilities and building connections.
To learn how to use your downloaded tracks in a film, check out this blog post.
Melancholic
Ballerina by Yehezkel Raz
With peace comes stillness, and with stillness sometimes comes melancholy. This emotion can be challenging to depict in film because it’s so subtle. However, this problem can be solved with the right music. Yehezkel Raz is a composer, pianist and sound artist. The multi-genre producer has a knack for creating moods out of sounds, and his track “Ballerina” is a favorite among Artlist users. The light, tinkering piano will add a subtle sense of loss and longing to any scene.
The track was used in Ryan Reynolds’ “Bottle Cap Challenge” to show the award-winning actor smashing a bottle of gin after it’s traveled miles to reach him. “Ballerina” adds depth and texture to the video and gained Raz a few more fans, too – the video has racked up over 18 million views on YouTube.
Carefree
Cool Cats by Family Kush
The carefree films of Mike Leigh and Wes Anderson would be nowhere without their quirky, upbeat soundtracks. And luckily for our community, we’ve got a ton of uplifting tunes ready to be spliced over your project. Family Kush’s track “Cool Cats” is a good example. The music summons the image of a bright sunny day, early love or a new beginning.
The Normandy tourist board used the track to promote the region’s many sights and sounds. Their promotional video on YouTube shows women practicing yoga on Normandy’s sandy shores, friends horse-riding along the beach and scallops sizzling on a skillet. The upbeat, feel-good music adds to the sense of excitement and adventure and is a true testimony to the uplifting power of the whistle.
Cute
Early Mornings by Paper Planes
To soundtrack a peaceful, cozy Sunday morning or depict a sense of innocence, look no further than “Early Mornings” by Paper Planes. The slow, calming track is produced with a mixture of mandolin, ukulele, piano and light, soothing vocals. The result is an adorable track that will add a sense of hope and optimism to any scene.
The YouTube channel Happy Animals Home used it in their video of BiBi the baby monkey playing with Ody the cat. The video shows BiBi in a nappy rolling over the cat, playing with his ears and digging his face in his fur. The video is so cute it’ll make your heart melt, and the calming rhythms of Paper Planes contribute to that feeling of well-being and happiness. Read our blog post for more background music inspiration.
Style
Joy Ride by Aves
To add a little flourish, flair or garnish to your peaceful movie or video, dig into the tracks of Aves. This artist has a knack for creating soulful RnB tunes full of character and texture. A favorite among our community is “Joy Ride” a groovy, stylish track full of gliding electric guitar and quirky keys. The festive result means the track is often used to modernize Christmas-themed adverts or films.
For a taste of style in every sense of the word, check out this video by Only Natural Diamonds. The video shares Indian fashion guru Anaita Shroff Adajania’s diamond-styling tips, including how the stone can be used as a form of creative expression. “Joy Ride” tinkers in the background of the film, adding character and color to the video.
Find out how to edit music for your video.
Far East
An Eastern Tale by Kyle Preston
When it comes to championing inner peace, no religion does it like Buddhism. The religion, which is practiced in India, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Laos, among others, is rooted in the belief that human life is one of suffering, and meditation, spiritual labor and kind acts will help achieve enlightenment. To champion this concept within a film or project, filmmakers can use traditional sounds and instruments from the Far East. One example is “An Eastern Tale” by Kyle Preston.
The track was used in a YouTube video by the tattoo channel Inked. In the video, tattoo artist Jess Yen gives some background on Tebori, a style of Japanese hand-poked tattoos. Jess Yen explains the challenges of hand-poked tattoo art to Preston’s soft Far Eastern sounds. The viewer gets a deeper understanding of the origins of this fascinating tattoo art through the music.
Wrap up
We hope this blog post inspires you to add a little peace and quiet to your film portfolio. For more selection guidance, check out this blog post about song selection, and don’t forget: you can find music even faster with our ‘exclude’ feature. Learn more here.
