Needledrop

An occupational term common to advertising agencies and the music industry. It refers to the music that is prefabricated, multipurpose, and highly conventional. It is, in that sense, the musical equivalent stock photos, clip art, or canned copy. Needledrop is an inexpensive substitute for original music; paid for on a one-time basis, it is dropped into a commercial or film when a particular normative effect is desired.