Notable Stories & Discoveries — 2020

While the world seemingly stopped spinning for a spell this year, we’ve been steadily pumping out Lab Notes to satisfy your (probably) insatiable desire to know more about what we’re cooking up at License Lab.

Whether you’re just learning about us or have been eagerly following us for years, our blog here is full of interviews, industry explorations, and sonic discoveries that give readers insight into our music, partners, composers, and industry.

All entries of Lab Notes are crafted with the same dedication we give each of our releases. But there are a few standouts from 2020 that we would love to highlight and share.

Thanks for reading, skimming, and sharing. We appreciate you.

P.S. If you’re looking for the music, go here.

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TLL Production Music Label Guide

The License Lab is not your usual corporate, standard, run-of-the-mill, production music superstore. And that’s precisely the way we designed it and like it. So while our catalog does not have everything for everyone, what we do have will surprise and delight your eardrums. Here’s a rundown of our choice Production Music Labels.

Palpable Stories and Invisible Lines

What does segregation feel like? In 2018, NPR Member station 88Nine Radio Milwaukee created a feature-length documentary called Invisible Lines to try and answer that question. We worked with their creative team to assemble a cohesive score while supporting the raw and emotional moments of the film.

Supe Kitchen: Open 24/7

Welcome to the Supe Kitchen. These commercial tracks are here for you—one-stop, no-nonsense, and handcrafted quality you can’t get with the fast-food drive-through or the soulless corporate franchises. You also don’t need a reservation 3 months in advance… we’ve got a table set just for you.

Exploring the Sonic World of Story

In a recent episode of Working Class Audio, Matt Boudreau brings on outspoken sound designer Dallas Taylor. Taylor is the Creative Director at Defacto Sound and in the episode he outlines how opinions on sound have traditionally been dictated by an elite group of people (maybe the wrong people), the democratization of technology, how we live in a talent driven creative world, and of course his incredible podcast, Twenty Thousand Hertz. We dive into this episode of WCA in addition to two highlight episodes from Twenty Thousand Hertz to explore the sonic world of story.

The Rise of Vinyl: Choice & Intentionality

For the first time in nearly 30 years, CD sales have been eclipsed by vinyl sales. But this is no coincidence. Vinyl is one of the most inconvenient ways to listen to music in 2020. So why would this become the predominant physical product?

Virtual Crate Digging: Toytronica

While perusing our virtual crates of production music, I discovered a rogue toy box. Within it, a new type of electronic music emerged that I’d never heard of before called Toytronica.

Call & Response: GLOhan Beats

GLOhan Beats is a producer and TLL composer who loves video games. There’s a genuine affinity there that goes beyond just “playing” the games. He’s internalized them to a point where they’ve help mold his inventive and attention-grabbing beats. Working with rappers like Famous Dex and Lil Uzi Vert, GLOhan Beats has been making a name for himself by infusing unique video game samples and beats with an unspoken sense of nostalgia.

Using Stock Visuals and Music to Create Compelling Content

With filming coming to a screeching halt and budgets dwindling, we wanted to revisit our collaboration with Catch&Release to share the possibilities of stock visuals and music. If you’re looking for visuals for new campaigns, start with Catch&Release… then swing by The Lab and find some handcrafted sonic inspiration to tie it all together. Your edits can still have the impact you need.