Think about how many times a month an average joe spends going to the movies, or how many hours a home buddy, student, or working girl burns sitting through a marathon of her favourite TV series. This affinity towards film, television, and even video games has not only altered the landscape of our normal social activities, it has also affected the music industry. Gone now are the days when a budding artist’s only coveted key to fame was sealing a deal with a record company. Today, artists have found another channel for introducing their music – movies, TV, and, yes, video games.

KCRW’s Mr. Harcourt, once a music consultant for movies and TV shows, confirms this trend. “Getting your song included in a successful TV show or a commercial can give you exposure that you wouldn’t get ordinarily, not to mention a couple of bucks,” he says. Among the artists who have taken this route and have proved successful in doing so are Fray and Snow Patrol. Other artists are sure to follow suit.

This development in the music industry, however, is not an easy jackpot for those who want to make it big in the music scene. For one, the TV and movie spectators aren’t directly informed about who wrote or performed the score they are listening to. Web applications like AdTunes and WhatsThatCalled help solve this problem by making it easier for viewers to locate and download their otherwise unnamed songs.