THE ART OF PORN
I was recently asked by my friend, associate and business partner
A. Neal to pen an article on music in the porn industry for his new publication of The Art of Porn. I am inclined to share it with you at this time. Enjoy...
Erotic Soundscapes…
Making Music That Fits
Tony Barre
Like most all things involving sex, the basic premise is that things FIT together… How simple the concept and yet we humans are forever searching for new ways to FIT things together… Even chocolate can become bland after prolonged ingestion. variety in itself is an aphrodisiac…
Music has been considered a front line aphrodisiac for as long as voices have been heard…
From a whisper to a sigh, a moan to a scream… from a meandering lute to a wall of synthesizers, from opera to electronica… from brahms to barre… erotic soundscapes, one and all.
We often ebb and flow in sexual encounters through the senses of touch, smell, taste and certainly vision… our sense of hearing… one sense that historically “touches” and defines many of the other senses… …
Aural melodies beckon individuals and groups to engage in sex. one need only “listen” and they will hear…
and harmoniously feel…
Who Makes porn MUSIC?
musicians make porn music. creative individuals that select a market, choose a genre, compose a theme and then simply make music. porn music is made by individuals who study and experiment, define the widget to be machined and work hard to create and market their widgets.
who buys porn music?
everybody ultimately buys porn music, depending on how it is interpreted and marketed. some would say that “fever”, the classic hit sung by miss peggy lee is porn music. porn music is in the ear of the listener
go to TLA.com or any website selling adult video. search for videos by company or producer or director. They all buy porn music to be used as underscore and ocassionaly theme music in their productions.
how does it work?
rarely is music considered to be the feature presentation of any adult video production. the overwhelming majority of music for porn productions is background audio, often reffered to as underscore. occassionaly editors will cut picture in sync to music, honing in on accents and transitions in the music. under this circumstance the usage of music becomes more of a thematic gesture…video cut to music or music scored to video creates an extremely effective combination.
what contracts are needed?
A contract stating the mutual intentions and expectations of all parties involved. verbal agreements and arrangements are an essential part of the creative process, much like written agreements are an essential and crucial part of the creative and business process, allowing all parties to move forward with enthusiasm and drink freely from the well of creative flow,
while secure in the fact that pre-determined transportation will always return them to the point of origin.
why is so much porn music just plain bad?
rarely is music considered to be the feature presentation of any adult video production and often an afterthought or a necessary evil. the budget has been stretched to the limit with high profile actors and production crew. editing will be laborious and the producers want to get the product to the distributors in sync with promotional and marketing campaigns, many times already in motion. by the time all is said and done, the music is many times an afterthought and the tendency is to “stick some music on there”
to help fill with the natural sound, sound from the original shoot.
how does a novice producer find porn music?
I imagine the first inclination is to scower their personal library for their favorite music cues. There is the issue of copyrights, clearances and credits when music is used in productions for public distribution and performance. It’s not nice to mess with the creator without permission… in fact it is unlawful. I suggest custom work if within the budget. single library music cues can generally be negotiaed for a “buyout” flat rate and there are also royalty free Libraries available containg several CD’s representing several genres. a safe rule of thumb with music is that a producer gets what they are willing to pay for.
what kind of producers do you look for?
I look for established companies and individuals willing to think outside the box. i like to work with those who see the hidden potential in a solid music track for their productions. Some argue that the music doesn’t really matter, people turn off the sound and listen to their favorite music anyway. those are individuals that are missing half of the opportunity to create a VERY EROTIC experience for the end listener/viewer. production quality is becoming more visible and apparent in our changing world. people have expectations of the hefty price tag of a retail video.
what is the future of porn music?
The technology has become incredibly spophisticated, from filming to replication and marketing. the digital realm has increased quality and productivity, along with allowing for a myriad of choices in processing effects in post production.
I think the social impact of porn and porn music is starting to turn mainstream. with the coming of the internet more people are afforded more opportunity to view and purchase adult materials. the bar is rising and I think the natural progression is erotic music videos, where the music drives the eroticism directly. the mind is the most erotic organ in the body. we have all seen penises and vaginas. I think the ultimate porn lives in the mind of the listeners of erotic music.
what are your suggestions to up and comers?
Look… Listen…Learn…
be willing to try new things. be willing to think of adult productions in the same light as mainstream video productions.
Generally, business dealings in the adult industry are upfront and conducted with integrity. do not assume that back-alley type business conduct in the adult industry is the norm. there is a tremendous amount of revenue generated in the industry, all the more reason to be professional, honest, AND HUMBLE and driven by the passion of the work – not money, ego or prestige.
all things come in their own time.
Tony barre
courtesy of
barre Parts Music
www.barreparts.comc March 2007/all rights reserved
