How do you find your music?
When asked how music supervisors find their music, the panel seemed to be excited and timid in equal measure, as if the key to their success was about to be exposed or courageously introduced to the public. Jim spoke first, saying “I send out a music search”, while Marcy went a bit further in depth, “I go to production companies, and love to find young composers who want to get in on it.” Alethia Austin, supervisor for The Cursed replied, “[I prefer] Indie artists. I like to look to them to be our music supervisors. [Indie artists] have the opportunity to set the tone and mood for a project. We like to be appealed to. I also like to receive physical copies when I’m being pitched to.”
The mention of physical copies rallied a kind of discussion on which was actually better: physical copies or an emailed Mp3. Some said it was nice to have an actual CD sitting on your desk, one that is easily stowed away and retrieved at the right time. While others, less convinced of the material clutter, stuck to the ways of the Internet, giving others the advice to post tracks on file-sharing websites.
What are some other things songwriters should know when sending songs to you?
Marcy Bulkeley: “Include your instrumentals!”
Andrea Von Foerster: “Include info in links.”
Alethia Austin: “Give us a description of the music. It can be as simple as telling us the feel, sound, mood, etc. We remember that.”
Jon Ernst: “Don’t fade out music. Hard in, hard out.”
Richard Glasser: “Songwriters, get in with editors!”
These short quips of wisdom also led to a “What not to send” list.
Another post that seemed really popular among the adorable @matterandrew Twitter followers. Although they are simple, these tips are really useful!
