Put Your Publishing Company to Work:
Contacting Music Supervisors
by Wil Morgan

As a last note, be sure to copyright all of your music. Again, this fairly pain-free process aids in protecting your music from greedy hands. Visit www.copyright.gov for information on what forms (usually Form SR) to file. Also, check with your performing rights organization regarding any applicable writer/publisher clearance forms that you may need to submit.

Do not be overwhelmed by the thought of running your own company. Once all the self-explanatory business technicalities have been set in motion, the end result is simply a vehicle for safely and constructively channeling your music into the industry.

For many unsigned bands, the music that colors the backdrop of their favorite show or movie can seem like a distant reality, a career-defining pinnacle impossible to reach. Chances are, however, that the seemingly elusive Music Supervisors who quietly handpick the best and the brightest have sweated along with the masses at your club shows and dutifully tracked your online presence. No fail-safe industry secret exists for seeking out the next theme song. “We hear about it the same way anyone else does,” confirms Joe Cuello, Director of Music, Creative and Licensing for MTV. Describing his team of supervisors as “music heads who come out of the scene themselves,” Cuello takes some of the mystery out of bridging the visual media gap, a process your band has most likely already begun whether you know it or not.

Music Supervision is a unique sector of the industry because the creative requirements vary for each undertaking, meaning that the majority of production companies do not blindly accept submissions.
“I find that when I’m working on a project I am looking for a very specific style or sound. If I get things that are outside of that sound I discard them,” notes Bob Badami, a freelance music supervisor who has worked for Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Disney, and Sony Studios. Thus, indiscriminate material submissions can hinder a band’s chances for inclusion in a work. “The press kit has less value,” notes Cuello, who instead suggests that bands can more successfully garner attention by establishing a platform to actively engage in the scene in LA or New York or even on MySpace.

How does one go about creating such a platform? In a word: professionally. “We’re affected by excellence and people who put in the extra effort,” says Cuello. Your label status and shining press reviews are considerably outweighed by the quality of both your music and your presentation in the eyes (and ears) of the Music Supervisors. As the clarity of your songs allows for a more accurate appraisal of your suitability, it is in your best interests to throw a little more time and energy into production so that you have a solid collection of well-mixed tracks to send should a production company solicit your materials. “I would do the best I could to understand what the style and needs are of the individual project and then make a very specific CD that can accommodate those needs,” recommends Badami. The presentation of the CD can also exert a strong influence, as Cuello acknowledges that a band’s sense of identity plays a role in the decision process.

You do not, however, need deep pockets to impress the corporate brass. The DIY attitude of unsigned bands provides equal opportunities for attention. “There’s plenty of music that exists outside the traditional band model of being signed to a label, especially with home recording,” says Cuello. Asked where the recruiting hotspots are located, Cuello tosses in South by Southwest casually before mentioning, with slightly more excitement in his voice, the Dewey Beach Music Festival. This Delaware event draws the newest bands and the most eager supervisors searching for a sound to reflect well on their production. Badami points specifically to Variety and imdb.com as good resources for upcoming productions that bands can contact regarding submissions.

Be prepared for the fact that, if they want to take a closer listen to your work, supervisors might ask for instrumental tracks to certain songs, in addition to the originals themselves. Cuello and his team also ask for you to include all the tracks available for licensing. Should that moment arrive when financials enter the equation, Cuello makes sure to point out that every situation is unique at MTV. Certainly a vital factor to consider is how frequently you estimate your song(s) will be played. Your options are generally a one-time payment or a per-play payment.

Above all, maintaining a positive and professional association with supervisors throughout the process will benefit you in the long run. Cuello notes that when a band does its part to stay in contact and foster the ongoing relationship, their CDs go straight to the top of the pile.