What Does A Music Supervisor Do?

Whether it is for a film, television show, commercial or video game, music supervisors have an important role in productions – they help accentuate the tone of each scene by finding music that captures the mood and style and complements the story being told. In addition to finding the right music, music supervisors are responsible for obtaining permission and synchronization license contracts from the copyright holders of each song in order to legally use it in the production. The synchronization license allows the production to match the music to the video.

Music supervisors start by meeting with directors in what’s called “spotting sessions,” where they go through the production together and decide where music needs to be added. Editors, producers, and other team members may also be in attendance to help provide input and ensure that everyone is on the same page about the musical backdrop. Music supervisors also work with the post-production team to ensure that the sound department has all of the music in the correct format.

Historically, music and visual media have been proven to have a mutually beneficial relationship. If a film included a hit song, more people would watch the film, and in turn, more people would purchase a recording of the song (source).

This year marked the first year that the Emmys had an “Outstanding Music Supervision” category. With the industry’s increased recognition for their work in generating greater exposure for both productions and musical artists by harmoniously melding sound and visual art, music supervisors are now commonly sought out by new and independent recording artists who are looking to reach a wider audience.

Hiring an experienced music supervisor can help your production save time and money. Professional music supervisors can not only assist you in selecting the right music for your project, they are also experts at negotiating licensing rights and fees. If you are a music supervisor in Nevada and are not yet listed in our Nevada Production Directory, you can learn more about the NPD here or create a listing here.

Related Production Services: Music Arranger/Composer, Sound Designer

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