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 List of Music and Song Keywords for
​Moods, Feelings, Emotions, Vibe

Here is a list of important keywords for describing your songs and instrumentals.

Effectively using keywords means your music will show up in database searches.


Before releasing an album or pitching songs and Film/TV instrumental cues, especially to a
publisher or music supervisor, keywords should be embedded into the mp3s, 
on iTunes, and included on Gracenote (also known as MusicID), etc.

Keywords are known as "metadata." Metadata means "information." Information is important!
Additional metadata to embed may include: the titles of the album and songs,
the composers and songwriters, copyright and contact information, etc.

After music is signed with a music publisher, production music library, music licensing company, etc., 
the songwriter or composer ​will often need to fill out a spreadsheet 
​​using some of the keywords listed below.

In 2010, Tracey and Vance Marino cultivated this list from many different sources when they were
writing music for daytime talk shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show, Nate Berkus, and several others.
​
​They noticed that, although the keywords on the publisher's list were in alphabetical order,
​it was difficult to wade through hundreds of words, especially when there were looming deadlines.

So, to make it easier to navigate through the keywords, they came up with the idea of having the words
separated into columns of ​"Positive," "Negative," and "Neutral."​
Picture
Tracey and Vance Marino expanded on this list of keywords in their 
​#1 Best Selling Educational Book About Sync
​
Hey That's My Song: A Guide to Getting Music Placements in
Film, TV, and Media​

HELPFUL TIPS:
​
- Be VERY careful when selecting keywords for your music. Ideally, choose three to 12 words maximum,
depending on what the music company you're working with prefers.
​Some companies are okay with dozens of keywords. However...

- If too many, especially inappropriate, keywords are listed, this is known as "spam" and it's a big no-no in the music industry.

- Each keyword should be followed by a comma. The words can be uppercase or lowercase.
​For example: Cheerful, Happy, Inspirational, Jovial, Joyful, Merry, Uplifting

- These keywords are also helpful when writing a description for your music. For example:
"This is a fun, jangly, victorious, upbeat Pop song with confident, assertive female vocals,
a funky, relentless guitar riff, a bouncy, animated bass part, and edgy, contemporary drum beats."
(The words in boldface are found among the three lists below)

- List your keywords in either of two ways:
1) List the keywords alphabetically, so if you add additional words to your list, you'll easily see what's already been included.
For example, if your list is: Abrasive, Angry, Dangerous, Mean, Scary, Terrifying, Wicked.
If you need to add the word "Aggressive," you would insert it between "Abrasive" and "Angry."
2) List the most important keywords first, so if the publisher needs to cut some words, the strongest descriptions will show up first.

POSITIVE KEYWORDS:
Examples: Happy, Upbeat, Positive

Animated
Awesome
Awestruck
Beautiful
Believable
Bold
Blissful
Brave
Breathtaking
Breezy
Bright
Brilliant
Bubbly
Calm
Carefree
Careful
Caring
Cartoony
Casual
Cautious
Celebratory
Celestial
Charming
Cheeky
Cheerful
Cheesy
Comfortable
Comforting
Comical
Comedic
Confident
Content
Cool
Corny
Cozy
Curious
Cute
Delicate
Delighted
Delightful
Determined
Dignified 
Earnest
Easy
Ecstatic
Elated
Elegant
Enchanting
Endearing
Exciting 
Fanciful
Fashionable
Fearless
Feel Good
Feeling Fine
Festive
Flirtatious 
Free Spirit
Free Wheeling
Friendly
Frisky
Fun
Funky
Funny
Gentle
Giddy
Glamorous
Glorious
Glorifying
Glowing
Gorgeous
Graceful
Grand
Groovy
Gutsy
Happy
Heartening 
Heartfelt 
Heartwarming
Heavenly
High Life
Hilarious
Hokey
Honest
Hopeful
Humorous
Inspirational
Jolly
Joyful
Joyous
Jubilant
Laughable
Lighthearted
Likable 
Lilting
Lovely
Magical
Majestic
Motivational
​Nice

Noble
Optimistic
Outgoing
Overjoyed
Playful
Pleasant
Pleasing
Positive
Proud 
Quaint
Purposeful
Relaxing
Saucy 
Shimmering
Silly
Slapstick
Soaring
Spa-like
Sparkling
Springy

Stately 
Strong
Successful
Summery
Sweeping
Sweet
Sympathetic
Tender
Terrific
Thankful
Triumphant
Trusting
Trustworthy
Undefeated
Upbeat
Uplifting
Valiant 
Vibrant
Victorious
Vigorous 
Welcoming
Whimsical
Winning
Wondrous
Zany 
​NEGATIVE KEYWORDS:
Examples: Sad, Bad, Mad, etc.
Aching
Abrasive
Afraid
Aggressive
Angry
Anguished
Annoying / Annoyed
Anxious
Apprehensive
Arrogant
Awkward
Bad
Bitter
Bluesy
Booming
Brooding
Chaotic
Childish
Cocky
Cold
Confused 
Cranky
Creeped Out
Creepy
Dangerous
Defeated
Deflated
Demonic
Depressed 
Desperate
Detached
Devastating 
Devilish
Distracted
Downtrodden
Dirge
Dirty
Disastrous
Disenchanted
Disillusioned
Distorted
Distressed 
Disturbed 
Doubtful 
Eerie
Embarrassed
Evil
Exhaustive 
Failing 
Fearful
Feeling Blue
Fickle
Forceful
Foreboding
Frantic
Freakin Out
Frustrated
Ghostly
Gloomy
Grating
Greasy
Gritty
Grumpy
Guilty
Gun-Shy (Nervous)
Hard-Hitting
Hardened
Harsh
Hateful
Haunting
Heartbreaking
Heartbroken
Heated
Heavy
Hectic
Hopeless
Horrifying
Hurt
Icy
Idiotic
Immature
Inconsolable
Indecisive
Insanity
Introverted
Irrational
Irreverent
Irritating
Jealous
Jumpy
Lazy
Lethargic
Lonely
Longing
Lost
Loud
Lowlife
Mad
Madness

Mean
Melancholy
Menacing
Mischievous 
Mournful
Nasty
Negative
Nerve-Wracking
Nervous
Obnoxious
Obsessive
Ominous
Oppressed
Overbearing
Painful
Panicking
Pessimistic
Plodding

Pompous
Pounding
Prickly
Puffed Up
Pushy
Racy
Raunchy
Rebellious
Reckless
Regretting
Rejected
Relentless
Remorseful
Restless
Revenge Seeking
Risk-Taker
Risky
Risqué
Rotten
Rowdy
Rough
Sad
Scared
Scary
Secretive
Shocking
Sinking
Shy
Sick 
Sinister
Sleazy
Slimy
Sly
Snarky
Snarling
Sneaky
Snobbish
Snooping
Snotty
Sorry
Spoiled
Spooky
Stiff
Strange
Stressed Out
Stuffy
Suspenseful
Syrupy

Tear-Jerker
Tension
Terrified
Terror
Tired
Tough
Tragedy
Tragic
Trampy
Trashy
Uncertain
Uncontrollable
Uneasy
Unfriendly
Unraveling
Unsettling
Unsure
Upsetting
Vengeful
Vicious
Weary
Weepy
Weird
Wicked
Wild
Wintery
Wistful
Worried
Yearning
NEUTRAL KEYWORDS:
Examples: Acoustic, Bouncy, Childlike (words that are neither positive nor negative)
Accepting
Acoustic
Action
Adventurous / Adventure
Ambient
Ancient
Anthemic
Anticipation / Anticipating
Assertive
Attitude
Awe-Struck
Atmospheric
Big
Bittersweet
Bombastic
Bouncy
Brassy
Building
Childlike
Cinematic
Classy
Contemplative
Contemporary
Crazy
Dancing
Deep
Down Home
Down To Earth
Dramatic
Dreamy
Driving
Droning / Drone
Dynamic
Edgy
Earthy
Emotional
Energetic
Epic
Erratic 
Ethereal
Ethnic
Exotic
Fast 
Fiery
Filmy
Flowing
Folksy
Freaky
Free
Fresh
Futuristic
Goofy
Heroic
High Brow
High Energy
High Fashion
High Intensity
High Society
Hip
Historical
Hot
Huge
Hypnotic
Important
Innocent
Inquisitive
Insistent
Intense
Intricate
Intrigue / Intriguing
Introspective
Investigative / Investigating
Jamming
Jazzy
Jerky
Jangly
Jumpy
Laid Back
Light
Lively
Lofty
Lush 
Mature
Mechanical
Medical
Meditative
Mellow
Melodic
Melodramatic
Metallic
Military / Militaristic
Misty
Modern
Moody
Moving
Mysterious
Mystical
Natural
Nautical
Neutral
New
Nostalgic
Old Country
Old Fashioned
Old Timey
Organic
Over The Top
Panoramic
Passionate
Pastoral
Patriotic
Peaceful
Pensive
Percussive
Pleading
Poignant
Political
Pondering
Pounding
Powerful
Prestigious
Primitive
Productive
Psychedelic
Puffy
Pulsating
Punchy
Questioning
Quiet
Quirky
Racing
Rambling
Refined
Reflective
Regal / Royal / Imperial
Religious / Sacred
Repetitive / Repetitious
Retro
Revealing
Reverent
Rhythmic
Rockin / Rocking
Rootsy
Rousing
Romantic
Rustic 
Sassy
Schmaltzy
Scientific
Searching
Sedate
Sensational
Sensitive
Sensual
Sentimental
Serene
Serious
Sexy
Simple
Sincere
Slow
Smokin
Smoky
Smoldering
Smooth
Soap Opera
Soft
Solemn
Somber
Soothing
Sophisticated
Soulful
Spacey
Sparse
Spastic
Spiritual
Stimulating
Stirring
Street-Smart
Subtle
Suggestive
Surprising / Surprises
Swaggering 
Swaying
Sultry
Surreal
Swirling
Tasking
Technical
Thematic / Theme
Thrilling
Thinking
Thoughtful
Timeless/ness
Touching
Traditional
Tranquil
Transparent
Twangy
Unbelievable
Unexpected
Urgent
Vibey
Warm
Wholesome
Wondering
Working
​

​©2010-2023 SongMaker Productions, Tracey J. Marino, Vance K. Marino. All rights reserved.

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​The Next NSAI San Diego Chapter Meeting Will Be
IN PERSON at STUDIO WEST
​Sunday, October 15, 2023, 3:00 PM

(Pacific West Coast Time)
​
​
​
Meetings Hosted by
NSAI San Diego Chapter Coordinators

Tracey and Vance Marino and Jesse Hose

Want to know about getting sync (film/TV placements)?
Hey That's My Song: A Guide to Getting Music Placements in
Film, TV, and Media​
Picture
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