--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I remember when the big shift happened in…" description: "\"I remember when the big shift happened in 1996-97, when suddenly it dawned on the music community: 'We should license our music to commercials and sell..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/dj-shadow-9306_bigs_i-remember-when-the-big-shift-happened-i_1588632.jpg" --- # I remember when the big shift happened in 1996-97, when… ![“I remember when the big shift happened in 1996-97, when suddenly it dawned on the music community: 'We should license our music to commercials and sell out for all intents and purposes. It doesn't really matter.'” quote by DJ Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/dj-shadow-9306_bigs_i-remember-when-the-big-shift-happened-i_1588632.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/dj-shadow-9306_bigs_i-remember-when-the-big-shift-happened-i_1588632.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/dj-shadow-9306_bigs_i-remember-when-the-big-shift-happened-i_1588632.jpg) > “I remember when the big shift happened in 1996-97, when suddenly it dawned on the music community: 'We should license our music to commercials and sell out for all intents and purposes. It doesn't really matter.'” [DJ Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-shadow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The 1996‑97 shift normalized licensing music for ads, changing perceptions of authenticity. **In simple terms:** Music licensing became accepted in the late 90s. Key Takeaway Adapt to industry changes wisely. Themes commercialization authenticity industry evolution Mood reflective critical Type industry philosophical When to use this quote - artist contracts - advertising strategies - fan reactions - label negotiations Key Concepts intellectual property cultural economics Questions to Reflect On - Is licensing a betrayal or opportunity? - How does this shift affect creative freedom? A Different Perspective Financial gain can clash with artistic integrity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Commercials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commercials/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Remember when](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remember-when/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [If you're making commercials which sell products which are unhealthy or which are unnecessary, I think that you are part of a system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haskell-wexler/if-you-re-making-commercials-which-sell-products-which-are-unhealthy/) [Haskell Wexler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haskell-wexler/) > [I pretty much draw the line when people want you to do original music for commercials.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-meloy/i-pretty-much-draw-the-line-when-people-want-you-to-do-original-music/) [Colin Meloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-meloy/) > [And then my chance really happened in 1996 when we added the second flight of the tether satellite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-guidoni/and-then-my-chance-really-happened-in-1996-when-we-added-the-second/) [Umberto Guidoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-guidoni/) > [Well, there is a contradiction in a sense. If you're making commercials which sell products which are unhealthy or which are unnecessary, I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haskell-wexler/well-there-is-a-contradiction-in-a-sense-if-you-re-making-commercials/) [Haskell Wexler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haskell-wexler/) > [When I was younger, I worked for several years composing music for commercials, but I was very happy to give that up. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wilson/when-i-was-younger-i-worked-for-several-years-composing-music-for/) [Steven Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wilson/) > [“It’s a big shift. I don’t know quite how to explain it. Between wanting and not wanting, caring and not caring. 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I've designed books, built billboards,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-kaye/i-ve-come-up-through-art-school-through-painting-through-graphic/) [Tony Kaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-kaye/) > [I made commercials for corporations like Volkswagen and Coca-Cola, but I was always the one to write them, too, which was a very good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-made-commercials-for-corporations-like-volkswagen-and-coca-cola-but/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I had that perfect deadpan ... for these commercials. Within the first eight months I had eight national TV commercials. I'm a true Hollywood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-jordan/i-had-that-perfect-deadpan-for-these-commercials-within-the-first/) [Leslie Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-jordan/) > [It was very hard breaking into the film industry in Britain. I had been to art school, and I was painting and doing commercials.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-scott/it-was-very-hard-breaking-into-the-film-industry-in-britain-i-had/) [Tony Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-scott/) > [I have made a promise to myself that I will have no limitations as an actor. I have realised I have to pay attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randeep-hooda/i-have-made-a-promise-to-myself-that-i-will-have-no-limitations-as-an/) [Randeep Hooda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randeep-hooda/) > [Growing up I did commercials and things like that, but nothing serious. As I got older, my family is really hardcore into academics. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-doubleday/growing-up-i-did-commercials-and-things-like-that-but-nothing-serious/) [Portia Doubleday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-doubleday/) ## More by DJ Shadow > [Through it all, the words of John Peel echo strongly within me: you have support the music that's being made now. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-shadow/through-it-all-the-words-of-john-peel-echo-strongly-within-me-you/) [DJ Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-shadow/) > [Like a lot of other DJs, I've been wondering when the first DJ game was going to happen. Somebody even pitched me on their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-shadow/like-a-lot-of-other-djs-i-ve-been-wondering-when-the-first-dj-game/) [DJ Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-shadow/) > [I was asked to do TV ads for Macintosh. Nowadays, I think anybody would jump at that but, at the time, it didn't feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-shadow/i-was-asked-to-do-tv-ads-for-macintosh-nowadays-i-think-anybody-would/) [DJ Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-shadow/) > [Sometimes there's this balance: if you try to clear 10 things you'll probably get lucky and be able to clear most of them, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-shadow/sometimes-there-s-this-balance-if-you-try-to-clear-10-things-you-ll/) [DJ Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-shadow/) > [When I make music, it takes me two hours to get into the flow. 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That's true of any genre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-shadow/i-would-agree-with-you-that-there-s-90-imitation-and-10-innovation/) [DJ Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-shadow/) > [I always like to remain a fan, put it that way: and I like to hold the idealised version of what these artists are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-shadow/i-always-like-to-remain-a-fan-put-it-that-way-and-i-like-to-hold-the/) [DJ Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-shadow/) > [Any good album title has multiple meanings, and I like choosing titles where I find myself repeating it, almost like a mantra.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-shadow/any-good-album-title-has-multiple-meanings-and-i-like-choosing-titles/) [DJ Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-shadow/) > [The story I always recite - and have had to recite so many times over the years to different lawyers and different people within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-shadow/the-story-i-always-recite-and-have-had-to-recite-so-many-times-over/) [DJ Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-shadow/) > [I almost feel like there's some kind of connection that I'm having trouble putting in to words, in the same sense that I'm learning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-shadow/i-almost-feel-like-there-s-some-kind-of-connection-that-i-m-having/) [DJ Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-shadow/) > [I think I would be much more enthusiastic about a band that covered more than just one particular album of mine. I don't ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-shadow/i-think-i-would-be-much-more-enthusiastic-about-a-band-that-covered/) [DJ Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-shadow/) > [Yeah, I do. HipHop was, though I would not say all, cause I try to keep myself open to other things, but nearly all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dj-shadow/yeah-i-do-hiphop-was-though-i-would-not-say-all-cause-i-try-to-keep/) [DJ Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-shadow/) [Explore all 74 DJ Shadow quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dj-shadow/) ## More Bigs quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [It is said that history turns on small hinges. 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Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/) [Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/) > [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/) [Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/) > [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/) [Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/) > [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/) [Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/) > [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. 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