How to find a music supervisor

So you need to find the individual that will create the perfect soundtrack for your film, commercial, or television program. Regardless of this project being your first or tenth, choosing the right music is an integral part of making it a success.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A computer and a cd player

1. 

   While watching your project, grab a few of your favorite cds and play them along with the audio of your project. Try and be as eclectic as possible because sometimes your favorite track that you might listen to in your car will not correlate or add to the message of your project or given scene.

2. 

   Collect as many songs as possible. Even if you know that some of these songs might be too expensive and exceed your given music budget, they can be used as temporary tracks and will be a good reference to show your chosen music supervisor.

3. 

   From this point, determine about how many songs you will want to license for your project. You should also determine a budget and how much you are looking to spend per track. Due to the fact that you will already be in post production, funds may be a little low since filming and other expenses end up costing more than what you had originally accessed.

4. 

   Now that you have determined a budget and have found a sound that fits your piece, you can start looking and researching individuals that can take the right steps to properly license tracks that you have found on your own and tracks that the supervisor can suggest to you. A good supervisor will have researched and access to a wide array of music.

5. 

   Use movies comparable to your project and look at the credits to find a music supervisor. Ask acquaintances in the same industry for suggestions as well. Various sites can help you find and check the background of a good music supervisor. One site that deals specifically with finding the best supervisor for your needs with your budget is The Bank at www.superviseandscore.com. The Bank has relationships and has data-based hundreds of supervisors and composers.

6. 

   Now you have found all your songs within your budget and a music supervisor that will take the right steps to properly license your music. The process of properly licensing music can take months due to the fact that the music supervisor must clear both sync rights and master rights with two or more companies/individuals per track so make sure you give yourself plenty of time. Before presenting your project to the public, make sure you have paid all fees and have obtained all the proper licenses.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the music supervisor has experience and contacts within the genre of music you are looking for. You probably would not want a supervisor that handles mostly classical music working your film that contains all rock and roll tracks.
• Make sure you obtain all proper licenses and have them read by you or a lawyer to make sure the terms you agreed on are represented in the actual legal documents. Copyright infringement is an expensive penalty.