Videos featuring newborns need a special, gentle sound to compliment the photos of sleepy eyes and tiny toes. There are thousands of songs in Animoto’s Triple Scoop Music library, so we asked acclaimed newborn photographer Kelly Brown how she finds the best tunes when she creates photography videos.
Her biggest tip? Minimize vocals. Instrumentals or songs with light vocals keep attention on the photos, not the lyrics.
With or without lyrics, the artist she uses most often for newborn videos is Mindy Gledhill. But while Mindy Gledhill is a favorite, Kelly has several other tunes she returns to again and again. Here’s the inside scoop on her top 6 go-to songs for newborns:
1. “Hourglass” by Mindy Gledhill: Either version of this song — with lyrics or the guitar instrumental — is a wonderful choice for children who “grow up way too fast” for their parents.
2. “Drops of Light” by Dan Phillipson: “Drops of Light” starts off slowly with an almost music-box-like plinking (like drops of light falling), but it builds, bringing in electric guitar for a climactic finish that gives videos a sense of drama.
3. “Captivating” (Instrumental) by Deborah Wolf: Just a simple piano melody, “Captivating” provides a gentle background melody for photos of babies sleeping peacefully.
4. “A State of Happiness” by Dean Wagg: Bouncier than the other songs on Kelly’s list, “A State of Happiness” works well for families with newborns or for babies who are awake and giving those first tiny smiles
5. “A Light in Your Eyes” by Jason Pfaff: This thoughtful piano tune mixes in gentle chimes to add some magic to your video.
6. “Atolls" (Instrumental) by Sean Yukon This Animoto fav has a pulsing rhythm that gives videos a sense of movement.
