HOW TO GET YOUR MUSIC IN FILM and TV

By Brent McCrossen

Last issue I discussed the strategy a band or musician must employ in order to increase their odds of placement. Proper, high-quality recording and good songwriting are crucial elements of a successful approach. The next question is, who do you send your music to and how do you get it noticed?

Music supervisors are inundated with music submissions. They have more music than they can handle. This fact aside, music supervisors are still constantly looking for new, quality talent. In this day and age, being a reliable source for quality is a huge value and a strong commodity.

Who Should I Send My Music To?

There are so many people involved in the production of film and TV that you could send out dozens of CDs for each production. The producer, director, actors, executive producers and even the assistants of these

people are all worth the price of postage. But the best person to send your music to is always going to be the music supervisor.

The music supervisor is given a clear directive to work with the director and producer to find the right music for the production. They collect tons of tracks, give the best candidates very serious attention and then submit a number of songs to the director/ producer so he or she can decide what song best fits the scene.

How Do I Find These People?

There are a number of ways to gain intelligence on any production. Hollywood Reporter, a magazine for the film and TV industry, reports on major projects that are in development. These listings detail all the people that are involved, at an executive level, in the production itself.

Variety is another film and TV publication that has similar listings and can be a huge help. Though subscriptions to these magazines can be costly, consider them a small investment in your career. If you’ve got what it takes to make it, the return will be substantial.

New On the Charts is an online publication that sends out monthly “leads.” Music supervisors with very specific needs often post these leads. The listings can be very detailed as far as what the music supervisors are looking for. A word of advice: pay attention to what they’re asking for and don’t send anything that doesn’t fit the description. If you are tempted to do so, it’s best to email the music supervisor and ask permission. Chances are he might be willing to take a Celtic track even though the listing asks for hip-hop, but make no assumption. If you get a reputation for bogging down a music supervisor with songs they don’t want, chances are you’ll burn a bridge before you even cross it.

Brent McCrossen is President of Audiosocket — a music licensing agency the represents all types of music for placement in film, TV, video games, advertising and new media