Music supervisors are responsible for selecting and licensing music for use in visual media, such as films, television shows, commercials, and video games. Australian music supervisors also liaise between recording artists and the companies or filmmakers who use their music. In most cases, composers will own legal title to their works, meaning that companies that want to utilise them must pay to do so through licensing agreements. So, as an effective music supervisor, one needs to know your stuff and have a good ear. They need to be able to hear and see the connections between the two. And if you’re looking for someone who knows their way around creative rights and music licensing in Australia, go no further than a seasoned music supervisor.
The music supervisor acts as the director’s representative in negotiations with the song’s original creators for use in the production. And in most cases, negotiating is easy. Meanwhile, as music supervisors, they will be responsible for drafting licence agreements for synchronisation as well as master recordings. With these two permissions in hand, the master recording can be synced up with a movie or TV show in minute detail.
When an original song just isn’t cutting it, it’s time to record a cover. For example, this might occur if acquiring a licence to utilise the master recording would be extremely costly or time-consuming. And when this happens, it’s up to the music supervisor to come up with a fresh take on the requested song. In this case, the music supervisor is in charge of everything. They take care of everything, from finding the musicians to booking the studio and negotiating the appropriate contracts.
Difficulties of Music Supervisory Work
Learning to Recognise the Right Notes
The music supervisor’s involvement with production, be it television, film, or commercial, frequently begins far before film production. Let’s say a movie’s wedding celebration scene requires a specific song—for example, “Only You Can Love Me This Way” or “Somebody Like You” by the Australian crooner Keith Urban. The music supervisor, therefore, has no choice but to initiate discussions about music licensing in Australia with the artist’s estate. The artist’s management team may also need to be consulted by a music supervisor before granting permission.
Music Licensing
Assuming the music supervisor has located the ideal track for the project, the next step is to negotiate a licence for its use. Meanwhile, there are a few methods to acquire music licensing in Australia for your project, and your bargaining tactics may change depending on the other party.
Requesting licensing quotes from rights holders is a common first step in the production process for modern films. Supervisors would rather know early on if a piece of music is licensable than waste time with the licensing process later. So, in Australia, a music supervisor will file a licence request to find out how much the rights holders want to be compensated for the usage of their song in the production. The Australian Copyright Act (1968) protects the professional use of copyright-protected music; hence, it is a risky proposition to utilise the music of others without their consent or a licence.
Documentation With Regard to Cues
After the music has been located, licensed, and approved for use, the music supervisor is responsible for filing the cue sheet with the appropriate performance rights organisations and doing a final check. And if you’re a music supervisor, putting in the extra effort at this final step will win over the composers and publishers who will receive performance fees.
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