Roll The Highlights

The most extraordinary sports moments will live forever in the memories of those lucky enough to witness them live. But for the rest of us, we go to the highlights.

Hockey, basketball, football (and football), Formula 1, extreme sports, the Olympics, boxing, and pro wrestling each utilize sports highlight videos and reels for a multitude of reasons. Quick halftime edits are analyzed by pundits, enticing viewers to stay tuned for the second half. Postgame match highlights show the best (and worst) plays, creating a buzz around the water cooler on Monday mornings. And promos for upcoming playoff rivalries fuel the tension and fire up the fans, ensuring that fans will not only watch but tell their friends.

What is the role of music in these situations?

It depends.

When the halftime highlights roll, the music should continue the energy and pace of the game to keep fans engaged. It doesn’t need to be flashy. The music is operating as the underscore below the predictable pundit commentary. But dramatic tracks with urgent strings and rock accents or hip-hop with hints of anticipation and confidence will do the job.

When the game is over, the emotional arc of the match comes into focus and can be amplified by the right music. Full game highlights should reflect the overarching narrative. Did the resilient Ted Lasso-esque underdogs pull off an improbable upset or did they tragically fall in the final moments? Was it a physical, aggressive match with demonstrations of dominance? Starting your search with story-based keywords can give a little extra flavor to needlessly vanilla underscores.

And those promos for upcoming clashes and battles? Don’t hold back and bring the hype. Never forget one of the main reasons we love athletic competition and team rivalry is the story. And this part of sports highlight videos is a prime opportunity to lean into the suspense and build-up. Utilize vocal tracks in the rock and hip-hop genres, letting lyrics help tell the tale. Powerful riff rock with pummeling percussion is perfect for slo-mo plays and player reactions, while hip-hop has all the swagger and attitude of a championship caliber team. As the clichéd sports saying goes, “Go big or go home.”

“Never forget one of the main reasons we love athletic competition and team rivalry is the story.”

Sports highlight videos present a wide variety of storytelling opportunities. From the subtle influence of an energetic underscore to the bombastic promo spot, finding the musical selection that fits the application is just a matter of determining the purpose and trajectory of the narrative.

And if typing keywords isn’t your thing, here are a bunch of playlists and albums available at Universal Production Music to help get you started.