I’m Just Busy…Here’s A Quick Summary Of What I Do

I’m juggling a lot of balls right now. My current list of films in production adds up to 10. It’s tough, but I really enjoy the massive multi-tasking that’s required to perform as a music supervisor. I’m working with different directors, producers, composers and songwriters. I’m listening to music, drafting license agreements, preparing cues sheets, reviewing license agreements, and submitting license request forms.

My day starts with checking e-mails for any updates from those I’m working with. I’ll reply as needed. I then look over my to-do list. I check to see what films need to be moved to the top of the list and what I need to do with them. I then follow up on license requests that have been pending too long. This is something that requires a lot of attention. The publishers and record labels that I’m dealing with are extremely busy and will put the big budget films at the top of their priority list. Periodically I have to report to the director and producers with any new developments with the licensing fees.

When I’m not working with the music publishers and record labels, I’m drafting license agreements with songwriters and updating cue sheets. Depending on what stage of production the film is in, I could be screening potential composers or working with a composer on the film score.

As the day progresses, I’m on the phone or communicating through e-mail with directors discussing the musical plan and how things should progress. I’ll discussing the feasibility of certain songs and if we should scrap it now or try to see if we can afford the licensing fees. Sometimes we’ll discuss recording a cover song with local bands to save on money.

When there is a song change, I have to start the research all over again. I have to find out who owns the publishing? Who owns the master recording? What are the songwriter royalty splits and are they affiliated with ASCAP or BMI? Once all the details have been iron out, I’ll either draft the license agreements for the indie songs or submit a license request form with the major publishers and labels.

There’s a lot to deal with when clearing a song. It may sound hectic and tedious, but for me I enjoy every minute of it. Working with indie songwriters is a lot of fun. I like when I can offer them a fairly decent licensing fee and make the deal happen. It works out great for the songwriter and the film. When I get a small budget of about $5,000 to work with, I know that I can get some good indie songs at a good price. These unsigned artists are eager to get their music in a film.

When I get the big music budget I can go for the more popular songs. Just waiting to see how the licensing fees come in is a rush. I wait and hope that the fees will be within my budget so I can report good news to the producers. Many times it’s bad news. That’s when there’s silence for a few days or even a week or so. They’re regrouping and trying to figure out what to do budget wise and possible song replacements.

Negotiating is a key function of the music supervisor. My goal is to get the fees low enough to fit within the music budget. If a quote comes in too high, I have to discuss the budget situation with the publisher and/or record label. It’s tough convincing them to lower the fees especially if the music budget is ridiculously low. If they do not lower the fees, I’ll have to discuss reducing the rights that are being requested with the director and producers.

As my day comes to an end, I check to see if there’s any west coast publisher or record labels that I need to contact. Since they are two hours behind me, I can get a little more work accomplished before everyone shuts down for the day. There are many days I keep working so I can have things ready for the next day to start. New York is an hour ahead so I can get the ball rolling again at 7:00 AM CT the next morning.

There’s really no set routine to my job. Each day is a mix of everything and anything could change by a single e-mail or phone call. I guess that’s why this blog posting is so erratic. No real continuity.

It seems that there’s never an end to this job. As I’m working on these films, I’m still seeking new film opportunities. I have a TV pilot possibility and a couple of documentaries. I’ve also contacted several feature films that I’m interested in and three more already slated for later in the year.

You can check out my IMDb page for more details on the films that I’m working on. If you’re a musician or composer, you can find out more about my music needs by visiting my Music Supervision website.