Every time you watch a video, do you feel like you can think of a better song to fit in with the visual? Or do you often hear songs and think. OMG! This would sound so great for a romantic scene on the beach or a gruesome gore scene?

Music Supervisor? What is that?

What is the job?

The overarching responsibility of a music supervisor is to meet the needs of a project’s director and producer. They recieve briefs on the vision for the project and how the director expects the music to enhance this vision. The visual media will then be spotted by the supervisor – a process of choosing where selected music will be inserted. Traditional spots include the main title, opening credits, and closing credits, while additional spots are incorporated to trigger emotional responses from viewers.

Scores, or background music, are also an important consideration for enhancing visual media. Scores can range from the background to a dramatic scene to television bumpers – the music signifying leading into or coming back from a commercial break. For this many times film scorers or hired or music is licensed from an existing catalogue. Either way, the supervisor is responsible for the coordination and execution. If creating new music, the supervisor may become responsible for additional roles, including securing artists or composers, facilitating the production and recording process, overseeing finances, and finalizing post-theatrical uses of the soundtrack.

What do you need, to be a Music Supervisor?

"This is one of the few production specialties that has almost unlimited growth potential, because there [is] no universally accepted job description. The field remains wide open to people with connections and the ability to get the job done."

Music Supervisors in India

Ritika Nayan Srivastava from MGMH told us, “I don’t know why but I think our business works differently. Ad firms get the music from studios and stock music. Music directors take over the film industry. We just have a different system.”. It goes without saying that there is always scope to start after seeing the need gap. Do you see one?

Let’s find you a job!