For this article, I chose to use some excerpts from my book, The Best Jobs in the Music Industry. All of these music supervisors are top Hollywood players, and they give some great insight and advice … If you would like to hear more about this and other jobs in the music industry, make sure to listen to my podcast GIG with Mike Redman.

Music supervision is made up of people who, for the most part, love music and love selecting the perfect song to marry with images on film, TV, and other electronic media. I truly believe that if you are interested in getting your music into a film, TV show, or game, it’s important to understand everything you can about the role of a Music Supervisor (the person that will decide to give you a shot).

Music supervisors are responsible for finding music, sometimes recording it, negotiating the licensing rights, and doing a pile of supporting paperwork to create the paper trail that will follow a project: a film can have many iterations of licensed usage as it travels from theaters to pay-per-view, and then streaming. However, this job is not exactly the romantic position most people think it is; it’s hard work.

KEVIN EDELMAN

President, Metalman Media Inc.

If you’ve seen Invasion, Homeland, John Wick, Unstable, or Bones, you have heard the work of Kevin Edelman. He’s been one of Hollywood’s top music supervisors for more than twenty years, so you can assume he knows exactly what he’s talking about in my interview with him.

Kevin, what would you say is the biggest misconception people have about what you do as a music supervisor?

“I would say it’s the idea that all we do is listen to music all day and find cool songs. Song picking is one element of the job, but as an overall profession, it’s only one piece of the job description. There are a lot of technical aspects to the job in terms of interfacing with production and postproduction, as well as tedious administrative work.

We oversee budgets and handle music licensing and clearances. Then, of course, there’s the fun part, which is picking songs.”

So, do you get to work in the recording studio?

“Yes, we do work in the studio on specific projects when producing original tracks for a film or a television show. Sometimes it’s with the actors, if they are going to be performing on camera, and sometimes it’s with recording artists or session players to create a new track. This is an area where every music supervisor will have a different level of expertise.”

How does a music supervisor get hired and paid?

“Typically, a music supervisor is hired by the production company. On a film, we typically get paid a flat rate because we’re independent contractors hired by the production to work on this specific project for the duration of the production. On a television show, it’s usually on an episodic basis.”

Do all the costs of producing the music come out of your fee?

“No, we don’t typically work on a package like a composer. Composers are often hired on a package rate, which includes all production of music, the musicians, the studio, any other expenses that they might incur. As music supervisors, our rate is more of a creative and/or administrative fee, which is a flat fee. Any of those other music production expenses have to be budgeted separately.”

Kevin, what’s the most challenging part of being a music supervisor?

“There are a few, but I have found that one of the most challenging aspects is managing the massive amount of music coming at you. There are music catalogs, labels, publishers, and managers everywhere you turn, so you want to find the gems and companies that can deliver on creative and work within your budgets. And, of course, you have to have solid relationships with the major labels and publishers for the more popular stuff.”

What would be your dream project?

“I feel like I’ve been so fortunate to work with such talented people on some dream projects throughout my career: Criminal Minds, Homeland, and John Wick. So, if I could work with those same producers, editors, directors, and composers on a music-driven project that might be more appropriate for my kids, that would be a real treat.”

What are the top skills somebody would need to be successful at your job?

“First and foremost, you need to have good communication skills. I’ve met a lot of people with tons of music knowledge, but some just can’t convey a thought or idea clearly and concisely. Conversely, the best music professionals (music supervisors and composers) are incredible communicators. They can take what a producer is trying to say and perfectly translate it into a piece of music.

Having that level of communication and being able to listen, control your ego, and keep the musical wheels turning are all important skills. It’s not about what your favorite song is; it’s all about fulfilling a creative vision for your show’s writer, director, or producer. Once you’ve tapped into what they’re trying to accomplish, it’s like steering a freighter. You just have to turn the rudder a little bit and guide them toward something that will be even better than what they had in mind, and maximize the impact that music can have on the project.”

MIKE LADMAN

Head of Music, DROGA5

“The first thing I do when I get to the office is open up a music blast inbox and download whatever seems interesting, drag it into my iTunes, listen, and file as much good music as possible. It’s very hard trying to find a way to catalog and remember every good song that has potential placement in an ad, so I’ve developed a system of playlists and playlist folders, which now numbers in the thousands.”

What’s the biggest challenge for you in this type of work?

“It’s the subjectivity of music taste and inability of people to separate personal taste from the right music for a project. The challenge is trying to get 20 people who have different upbringings and different opinions to all agree on what music allows the film to have the most impact. There’s lots of data to support a music choice, but the numbers don’t account for the unexplainable magic of the perfect song that gives you “the feel.”

Do you get to spend much time with artists or composers in the recording studio?

“Yes, and that’s one of the great things about Droga5. Everyone realizes the power of music, so a lot of our scripts rely on a song’s lyrics instead of a voice-over to tell the story and messaging, which is rare in television commercials.

When creating original music, we often work with music houses. Music houses are what you may think of as a jingle house, although most bespoke music isn’t what you may think of as a jingle. They compose a series of tracks based on our creative brief. Once we select our favorite track, we often go into the studio to work with the musicians to revise and edit the track to our liking.”

Where do you think the music industry is headed in the next three to five years, Mike?

“It will just keep evolving and growing in importance. What was the first thing that happened when people went into the COVID lockdown? Everyone and their accountant became a music supervisor and made a playlist. Music was the first thing people turned to for a cure and comfort when they couldn’t find the words to express how they were feeling. I believe talent will always rise to the top. The current issue we face is over saturation of music and the expectation of overnight viral success.”

GARY CALAMAR

President, Go Music Supervision

Gary Calamar is without a doubt one of the most successful contemporary music supervisors of our time. His credits include top-line TV and cable shows such as True Blood, House, Dexter, Weeds, Swingtown, and the list goes on. When I caught up with Gary, he was running between table reads and sessions, as he does most days. He is a confident but humble guy, who loves what he does for a living and is willing to share his thoughts with us on what it means to be a music supervisor today and in the future.

Where do you find your music?

“Well, I find music all over. I’m always reading music magazines, U.K. music magazines, and I follow different music blogs. There’s no single place, but I try to just keep my ears open all the time.

I also get a bunch of music sent to me and listen to all my colleagues at KCRW, who play a lot of great music; XM Sirius radio plays great stuff, too. I also try to surround myself with friends who are music lovers, and they make suggestions to me.

I get sent so much music between the radio show and the television shows that it’s just impossible for me to listen to everything that comes in.”

Could you walk me through a day at the office?

“A day could start off with a fairly clean to-do list, but then by 10:30 a.m., there are three fires on one show and a clearance that won’t happen on another show, and we need to find some “Indian bakery” music for another show.

The things that we do every day may include trying to find music for a particular scene in a show or trying out different songs against the rough cut. At the same time, we’re negotiating deals with the record labels and publishers, or maybe trying to work out a soundtrack situation because we might want to use a song in a show and then in a soundtrack down the line.

So that’s the fun part, but what’s the toughest part of your job?

The toughest part is dealing with politics. Usually, I’m working closely with the creator and the producer(s) of the show, but often there’s a studio involved and the network that’s airing the show. They all have their two cents to put in, and the internal politics can get a little stressful and frustrating, but that’s just part of the job, and the rest is great.

Do you sometimes have to work with music selection by committee?

I would say yes, most of the time. Usually, the producer and writer of an episode have a vote on what goes in . . . so, yes, it’s generally by committee, and also a collaboration. I’m bringing the music to the group, and we’ll decide what gets in by committee.”

If someone reading this is knowledgeable and loves music, what kind of advice might you give them to get their foot in the door?

“A good way in is an internship because there’s a lot to learn. If you can work free or close to it, that works. I got started that way, and I think that, especially music supervisors, who are not making that much money anyway and can’t afford a big staff, always appreciate someone who will come in and help for free, even if you come in and say, “I can be here two days a week to help out.” I can tell you that I’ve had several interns who have gone on to bigger and better things, and I have someone with a master’s degree interning now. She’s learning a lot and learning well.”

RAPHAELLA LIMA

Global Music Partnerships, Electronic Arts

What different types of music might you find yourself using or pitching for a game title?

“Here at EA, we release dozens of titles a year, and when picking music, it’s a combination of looking at the game itself, who we are marketing it to, and the personality or musical strategy we have defined for that title.

We have different categories of games as well. There are the mission-based or first-person shooters, and most of them will be matched with an originally composed score. For those, we will work with the best music composers available to create an interactive score soundtrack. Medal of Honor, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Battlefield are some examples.

Another large category is sports titles. Our philosophy here is to look ahead, predict the future. It’s really about finding those new bands and new musical trends that are on their way up and will be happening around the time we release a title. We may also look for elements such as tempo and energy, depending on the title and the personality it has adopted.

NHL, for example, is a combination of new and established artists, leaning on rock with a very anthemic and arena-quality sound. There are a lot of new acts launched in the game that end up having songs become a staple in the arenas for the live sporting events.

FIFA, as another example, has the vision to represent as many different countries and cultures when building the soundtrack. Being Brazilian and a huge soccer fan, I also try to capture the soul of the sport and the emotional moments, so in that game, you might hear something very up-tempo, but you might hear something pretty laid back. Sometimes you may think that a slower song wouldn’t fit in a video game, but it does!

There are other titles, like The Sims, where it’s a combination of composed and licensed music, but if it is licensed music, the vocalists are required to go back into the studio to recut their vocals in “Simlish.” It’s a very unique approach, and the team has worked with everybody from the Black Eyed Peas to Depeche Mode, Howard Jones, Katy Perry, Lilly Allen, and the Pussycat Dolls . . . the list goes on . . . to re-create their hits in the game’s language.”

How involved are you personally in the actual creative process for music development?

“Well, that is our primary role. My department works together with the producer, director, executive producer, or whoever might be at the other end of a game title and in charge of the game’s vision. We sit and identify what the goals are for the title, what the target audience is, and how we might approach the music in that particular version or year. Our job is to define a music strategy and deliver it; my job is mostly creative.

That’s great! Music supervision for video games sounds quite different from the music supervisor position in episodic TV programming or film.

Yes, it’s very different. I’m working on an independent documentary right now, and it’s a very different experience. Most of the time, you’re presenting them with creative ideas, but a lot of time is spent just going out and “clearing” what they want. At EA, we have a licensing team of three people that focuses solely on music rights and clearance. Once a song is chosen for the game, they negotiate fees and contracts. You wear a lot of different hats.”

What’s the biggest challenge of your job?

“I think one of our biggest challenges is how the music industry is changing and being affected by technology. Artists now finish recording an album and can immediately put it out in the market, making it a bit harder to stay ahead of its curve.

Another thing that I find difficult is trying to explain a new trend or creative approach to the corporate executive who has his mind set on AC/DC for the trailer to a game. You have to put on your marketing and sales hat in order to illustrate why your proposal is much more relevant to the culture and consumer of a particular game, and that by using the track we suggest, the product will gain that much more prominence in the marketplace.”

Aside from being organized and a multitasker, what skills do you think are the most important for a music supervisor in gaming?

“Well, you do need to understand the world of rights and licensing—what it takes to clear a song, et cetera. Like, a rock track can be very different to license than a hip-hop track. You need to have an understanding of what things cost and the reality of getting specific songs for the budget that you have. You also need to know your artists and understand if they are willing to be associated with a violent game or certain type of content (some aren’t willing to do that). Additionally, you need to master negotiation skills.

You need to have a real understanding of current and upcoming trends in music and be very resourceful; you also must understand your audience and the product you are servicing.

As someone who has been in this line of work for a long time, what do you think the future of the music industry holds?

I think it’s very exciting, honestly. I know that the record business itself isn’t thriving right now, but artists, who are real artists, have a chance to shine and own their ground.

     Music is becoming more of a multifaceted art form. I see us going back to complete artistry, to the days where you pick up an album with not just an amazing collection of songs but with unbelievable artwork and a story behind it; videos and all of that. Of course, it may not be an album we will be picking up. Still, it will be a complete experience that is led and inspired by music and immediately translated into different languages (mediums).

So, there you have it! Music Supervisors have a great job that’s both creative and full of responsibility, and reward. I wish you much success with your music and career. If you have questions, please reach out to me at gigwithmikeredman@gmail.com.

MICHAEL REDMAN is an award-winning composer, engineer, director, producer and author. He has been a serial entrepreneur for most of his career, having started over nine companies, including The Hard Rock Academy, PowerHouse Music Library, and BackStage Fan. Redman has also published three books, two of which focus on the Best Jobs in the Film and Music Business and his highly regarded visual entertainment company RedHouse was one of the largest Film Production and Technology firms in the Southeast. Currently, Redman is a career coach for people in the entertainment industry, and he is launching a streaming entertainment network, which he says is… “very, very secret!” He is the host of the podcast ‘GIG with Mike Redman’ available at the Music Connection home page.

Well, a famous producer-engineer, Tom Dowd, who produced one of the greatest songs of all time, “Layla” by Eric Clapton, once said “The producer’s job is to capture all the energy of an artist’s performance and get it on the tape” (when there was tape).

Personally, I’ve produced many artists and recordings, and I’ve found producing to be every bit as fulfilling as recording. I once produced a record for Spanish recording artist, Alfonso Saenz, and the project included writing songs for him and even advising him on how to reach his target market: American females. He would write lyrics and then ask me, “Michael, will an American girl think these are sincere and sexy?”

We had a great time as collaborators while I engineered and produced the recordings, it was simply the best!

Besides capturing a performance, the producer’s job can also include selecting songs, finding a recording studio, an engineer, and session players, as well as helping to negotiate a distribution deal, if there is one. I consider this to be one of the most interesting jobs in the music business because of the true collaboration between the artist and the producer. A producer is the artist’s conduit to the public, motivating them, collaborating in some cases, and generally creating a safe haven for artists to express themselves and their musical art.

So, what does it take to become a successful music producer? First, you need to have ears! Without great ears, you won’t have a chance. What I mean is that you need to know what works musically and sonically and what doesn’t work; you also need conviction and a solid gut.

You must have the ability to leap tall buildings and gently motivate and inch your artist toward his or her best performance without ruffling any feathers along the way. You need to gain the trust of everyone in the control room without alienating anyone and instinctively know when to keep your mouth shut and just let the music happen. A great producer has the inherent ability to understand and feel what the public will find infectious and want to hear over and over again. This is the producer’s single greatest challenge, gift, and reward.

By definition a music producer or record producer, as they are sometimes referred to, is a recording project’s creative and technical leader. That person helps choose songs, coach artists, and shape songs and sometimes even the entire sound of the band. The following people—excerpted interviews  from the second edition of my book The Best Jobs in the Music Industry, Rowman and Littlefield Publishers (2022)—fit that description thoroughly.

Russ Titelman

“Would you guys keep it down a little, please? I’m on the phone.”

Russ Titelman is having work done on his spacious Manhattan apartment, and I can hear the piano being tuned in the background. I consider it an honor to talk with Russ, the man responsible for producing much of the music I love. I can only imagine spending a few days in the studio with him; man, what I could have learned. It was apparent to me, from his calm, reassuring demeanor, why he has been so successful.

He is genuinely interested and engaged as we talk about the business he loves and imparts a little wisdom. He is, by the way, the only contributor who spent two hours with me on the phone, dissecting this interview sentence by sentence to make sure it conveyed exactly what he wanted to say. A true producer, a great producer.

Titelman is an independent record producer who has won three Grammy Awards for producing Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love” and Eric Clapton’s Journeyman and Unplugged albums. He has worked with numerous musicians, ranging from the Monkees and the Bee Gees to Paul Simon and Chaka Khan.

Russ, you’ve been a huge influence on shaping today’s music. Please tell me a little bit about the actual job of a record producer.

RT:When I get asked that question by laymen or a civilian, I usually say, “Do you know what a movie director does?” And if they answer positively, I say, “It’s exactly the same role as a movie director, only in the music business they call it a producer.” It’s a different moniker, and different terminology for the same activity. So, if you know what a movie director does, and some people don’t, which is actually shocking to me really, I then explain.

The producer oversees the entire recording process, and you work with the artist, help choose songs if they’re not writers themselves, or select the songs they write themselves if they are writers. Sometimes they’ve written more than 10 or 12 songs, so you help them choose which ones you feel should be on the record. Then if they don’t have a band, you help put one together and suggest orchestrations if you’re going to overdub things like horns and strings, or glockenspiel.

Then you will look at the way to approach each song: full band, or, “This sounds like it would be better just guitar and bass,” that kind of thing. I don’t get involved with lyrics too much when working with people like James Taylor or Paul Simon or Randy Newman—they know best!

Speaking of sound, when you are working with James Taylor or another established artist who has a sound, do you ever try to stretch them?

RT: Well, sometimes it’s good to stretch, but not too much. There might be some suggestions of direction, like on the new Jerry Douglas record where we threw around the idea of going to New Orleans and have Jerry record with New Orleans musicians because it fit him well as a soulful player. We did just that, and it worked out quite well.

There’s obviously a huge amount of trust that the artist has to have in you to allow that type of suggestion, right?

RT: Exactly. Trust is the main thing you have to have with an artist. You must set up an atmosphere where there’s trust, and they can be comfortable with you when they are in their creative space.

What does it feel like when you’re working with a well-known artist, like Paul Simon?

RT: Well, each artist is different and requires a different skill set and a different approach by a producer. Because of that diversity, you have to adjust working styles, so you have to give-and-take a bit here and there.

Basically, if you are hired to work with someone, it inherently means that the artist wants to work with you and chose you for a reason. For the most part, if there is agreement about what you’re doing, then there’s trust and an atmosphere of “try anything.” Any idea is respected, and sometimes even if it doesn’t work, it may lead to another idea.

Arif Mardin had a great quote that Barry Gibb [the Bee Gees] told me when I was working with him, and they were at an impasse. Barry said, “Well now, what are we going to do?” And Arif replied, “Don’t worry—something will happen.”

How do you, as a producer, make a living?

RT: Well, typically you get an advance when you start the project, and then you get paid at the end when you finish.

Do you have any advice for somebody who wants to get started. 

RT: Go out and listen to lots of bands. Find a brilliant act and start working with them, grow with them, promote them, and find success with them. •

Veit Renn

Veit Renn is a music producer, singer, and songwriter who has been very successful working both remotely and locally outside of the L.A., Nashville, and New York City music scene while living in Orlando, FL. Renn fits in a second career as the advanced audio course director for Full Sail University.

So, Veit, would you tell me a little bit about your job as a music producer?

VR: I like to tell artists that I only have one goal, which is to make their music commercially viable. That, of course, involves a lot of different technology, people, and musical knowledge, as well as having the right musicians available. When I first meet with an artist, I have to understand their vision, and at that point my goal is how can I make this cool and interesting, and still marketable.

Many artists are a little schizophrenic when it comes to their taste in music. I’ve worked with some who have just heard the newest Jill Scott record and want everything to sound like their record, but a month later they hear a different record and want to change everything to sound like that one. So, it takes some psychology and guidance and a little nudge now and then.

As a producer, do you share in the royalties?

VR: Everything is negotiable, but there are some standards. Until 2010, it was pretty standard to get 3 percent of wholesale as a producer per song on the album.

Oftentimes you get an advance that’s recoupable from that percentage. So, let’s say you get a $10,000 advance to produce a song and spend $5,000 on musicians and the recording studio. You will have $5,000 left for yourself. But, that $10,000 is still fully recoupable by the record company, which means the artist has to pay back the $10,000 from sales before the royalty checks start coming.

Today, most deals are buyouts, where I get a larger amount of money up front and no back-end. No back-end means no royalties. I would actually recommend this arrangement unless you know something is going to be a huge success.

On the other hand, if you’re going to work with Beyoncé, and know she’s gonna sell 10 million records, then you should try to get points and forget about any advance at all. That’s what I call free money. It’s that check that just shows up in my mailbox every six months from the record label.

Would you say that being a producer in today’s music industry can be a sustainable career?

VR: I absolutely think so. The competition is stiff, and people now have laptops with a $50,000 recording studio inside, but that does not mean that they know how to use it! It all starts with small projects and diversity. If you’re a one-trick pony, and all you do is rap music, you’re going to struggle, unless you are the very, very best at rap music, which is like being Michael Jordan in the NBA. I’ve produced pop, R&B gospel, country, heavy metal, trash metal, and lots of hip-hop. You must have an understanding of each genre so you can break it down and be authentic. •

Mark Bright

Grammy-winning Mark Bright formerly served as Vice President of EMI Music Publishing. His current clients include Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Shakira, Rascal Flatts, and Reba McEntire, among many others.

What makes a great music producer?

MB: A record producer needs to be a conduit for the artist. The most successful producer I have seen fill that role, starting from early in my life, and one of my idols, was George Martin.

As a kid, my sister would bring Beatles records home. When she went out with friends, I would sneak into her room and listen to “Hey Jude” and “Revolution” over and over. I would see George Martin’s name and think, I want to be that guy. What does he do? I found some articles, and when reading about him, I figured out that he was tuned into everything that the Beatles were about. He understood their music and what they wanted to convey artistically. He really got into their heads, and those records weren’t about George Martin; they were about the Beatles.

You’ve produced some incredible music with, among others, Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts. What’s your day like?

MB: You mentioned those two acts, and while both of those artists are superstars, every day is different. If you’re fortunate enough to work at a high level, you will be tracking or doing a track build on a daily basis while working on a project. If we’re not tracking, we’ll be writing songs or listening to songs people wrote that we might want to use. It’s all about the song.

How involved do you get in the creative process? Are you involved in arrangements, lyric tweaking . . . that kind of stuff?

MB:That’s basically what I do, arrangements. When a songwriter writes the song, I will listen very carefully to it, and sometimes I’ll hear an arrangement as a stream of consciousness. I grew up listening to a lot more music than watching television, so my life has always been about listening to music. The arrangement is what I do, where instruments should play and where they shouldn’t.

What challenges are there to working with superstar musicians?

MB:There’s not a whole lot of down side working with superstar artists. They don’t become superstars if they don’t have a good sense of their artistry and musicality. The one big challenge is availability. Superstars have to fit recording into an already tight schedule; not only are they working on an album, but soundtrack recordings and commercial recordings that are pulling the artist off the central task of making music. I always get enough time with them, but I always want more. With new artists, you get all the time in the world. With superstars, you will always want more time than you get. That’s just how the business works.

Has living in a musical community like Nashville helped you grow personally? Professionally? Musically?

MB:Nashville is a great place for music. For me, it’s the elixir that pulses through my veins, the whole thing. You can find any style of music here. Clearly, we do country music, but we also do alternative music, Christian music, and mainstream pop music. . . all day long. It goes on and on and on.

Would you tell me about the financial side of being a producer?

MB: If you had asked me that question five years ago, I’d say album advances and royalty fees. Now, except for superstar artists, producers are also being asked to help put the roadshow together, because maybe the bandleader needs help. Some producers know how to put sets together at a high level, one-off shows, shows that require orchestras. For this type of extended service, you are paid like a production company. These opportunities are not available to everyone and will typically only exist, or be extended to you, if you are at a certain level as a producer.

If you were to pick one song, or one artist, that defines your experience as a producer, what would it be?

MB: That’s impossible! I have several artists where we lived a special moment in time, a musical moment. Everyone in the room heard it, felt it, it was a spiritual thing—and then you hear it back on the radio, and it’s a big hit. You hear it years later, and the magic is still there. You will never forget it. I’ve had four or five of those, dating way back to Black Hawk, several with Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, a couple with Sara Evans, and a couple with Reba McEntire. I’ve been really, really lucky to be in the room with some exceptional artists throughout my career.

Do you think a career as a record producer is still attainable in today’s market and music industry?

MB: I think it’s the new frontier for the music industry, and I love it. We’re just weeding out all the wimps. The people who remain in the industry are the ones who really love it. •

The Producer's World

Skill Set: Communication skills are at the top of this list; music producers are simply great with people. Great producers also have the innate ability to understand what the public will like.

Hours: A producer’s hours are varied and follow the production process. Producers work when the artist is ready. Most of the greatest recording sessions in history took place between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. (the music hours), so you can work on your own schedule, but during the actual recording you may be drinking lots of Starbucks. (Stay away from the Mountain Dew; it will make you crazy!)

Upside: A record producer has some great highs. You are responsible (if not credited) for the final recording and what the public will ultimately hear. You are the one who picks the best takes, sometimes the music, and works with the artist until the arrangement is perfect. You are a direct contributor, just like the artist, and in some cases you’re an equal partner.

Downside: Real opportunities to become a producer on the international stage are getting harder to come by. You might spend considerable time finding and producing the right acts to get you where you want to go. The pay will not be good at the outset of this career path.

Financial: $$ to $$$$: Some producers still command six figures to produce an artist, plus points (a percentage of the sales). You may never be one of them. Like any other area where residual income is available, the more music you produce, the more money you will probably make long-term.

Location: You typically need to be in a big music city—New York, Los Angeles, and maybe Nashville or Austin. You need to live where the artists live, where the recording studios are located, and where the music business is conducted.

Future: I am told that producing music is still a very viable career. Given technology and the huge amount of media being produced, I can see why. •

Over the past nine years I’ve interviewed well over 1,500 successful industry people and have taken some of the best interviews to write books about jobs in the Music, Audio, and Film business. Below are a few edited questions/answers from a select few of these people. People who have lived, worked, and been successful in our industry; well worth the read. Enjoy!

THE COMPOSER’S WORLD

Skill Set—A formal education is helpful for most types of composing. You may be able to write for a TV series without a formal degree, but if you’re really serious about a job composing, you might want to learn to read music. I would also recommend at least some basic arranging and orchestration classes, or you may severely limit your potential. The ability to write lyrics is also helpful; software skills are a must, as is an understanding of your style limitations and social skills. And, yes, you should be a highly creative, prolific composer.

Hours: This job can require long hours because of project deadlines and, in the early stages of your career, is not the best for raising a family. You are often the last person in the food chain who is working on a project, and everybody is waiting on you… 

Upside: You are usually the master of your own universe—sort of. You usually get to work your own hours, even if they are long, and composing is personally rewarding as a musician, almost as much fun as having an applauding audience …

Downside: Composing is not a team sport from the perspective of the actual art of composing. You’ll spend a lot of time with just yourself and your music (this could be an upside). It can be a chore, however, being highly creative on demand and on an ongoing basis. You may lose touch with reality. If you are successful, there’s little time to sit back and smell the roses (or even enjoy listening to your music).

Also, as this is a great job, the competition is crazy, and the business can be hard to break into.

Financial: $$ to $$$$: This is totally dependent on your personal success. The composing arena has so many levels and positions that it’s hard to nail down a number, but let’s say in the top echelon composers get paid around $1.5 million a film with a very long tail. Original advertising music can range from $5 to $30,000 per track, and corporate work varies.

Location: Remote anywhere or Chicago, L.A., N.Y.C, Minneapolis, Austin, Nashville, and Montreal, Canada. You can live and compose music in many places, but it also depends on the type of music and industry segment. You probably don’t want to live in Austin and try to write film scores (at least until you can afford two homes)… 

Future: Looking good for a long, long time. More visual media is being created than ever, but develop a solid plan if you want to make it work…

I WANT TO START THIS by telling you that I purposely interviewed more composers than any other job in The Best Jobs in the Music Industry, primarily because I know that so many of you aspire to compose music for a living. Without a doubt it is one of the most creative, challenging, and rewarding jobs in the music industry. 

When I was actively composing, I was lucky enough to have a good run, and projects were coming at me left and right. Being raised outside of Washington, D.C., in a lower-middle-class neighborhood, I learned pretty quickly that when an opportunity presents itself you need to jump on it, so I said “Yes” to every call and every assignment. I did this without any consideration for the fact that I might not have the style or genre in my wheelhouse. I became comfortable being uncomfortable. Climbing the ladder for me meant putting myself on the firing line almost daily—“Yes, I can do that,” and then diving deep and learning as quickly as I could so I wouldn’t fail, or worse, be exposed.

The solution to the problem of too much work and my inexperience led to the obvious answer. Hire people who had the experience and manage the process. This is how I met Greg Sims. He is an amazing composer whom I’ve had the pleasure of watching grow into a successful film composer in Hollywood. We worked together for several years on projects for Disney and many other companies. Greg and his wife, the equally amazing Annie Sims, make their home in Knoxville, TN.

I asked Greg to answer some of the burning questions many of you might have.

How did you decide that making music for movies was what you wanted to do as your life’s work?

Greg Sims: I’m probably like a million other composers whose life was changed after watching Star Wars and hearing John Williams’ glorious score for the first time. The thought of creating music of that caliber lit me up, but, of course, being a kid when the movie came out, I had absolutely no idea how I could ever do it. I certainly can’t say that I’m on his level yet (is anyone?), but I continue to work toward it.

How did COVID affect your work?

Sims: The first thing was that all the films I was attached to were put on hold. But ironically, I got my next biggest break, the Tom and Jerry in New York cartoons Keith and I did for Warner Bros. Because they were animated, we all worked on our parts in our own spaces. These are the first Tom and Jerry cartoons that have songs with lyrics, and because of COVID we had my wife, Annie, and her bandmates sing on the demos. The Warner execs liked their vocals so much they kept them, which was a happy surprise!

How much time are you usually allotted to write a score for a feature?

Sims: It varies, but rarely no more than two to four weeks. Independent films don’t usually have hard deadlines like the major studios that already have a release date set, so they can be more flexible. I wrote the opening for 40 Years of Rocky eight times because Derek was not quite there with what I had written, which was okay because we weren’t in a time crunch.

What would be your best advice for an aspiring film composer?

Sims: First and foremost, you need to have a real passion for the job. If you don’t really love film music or composing, you won’t survive the chaos and volatility that lie ahead of you.

If you come to L.A., you need to have a lot of savings. Everybody is going after the gigs, even the tiny ones, and it’s very competitive. 

ANOTHER COMPING FIELD that has experienced continuous growth is the gaming industry… 

CHUCK CARR

Game Composer

Chuck Carr has numerous high-profile video game credits, including various NBA and MLB games, Twisted Metal games, and Gran Turismo 5.

How does composing and writing songs for games differ from writing for film, advertising, or even for the general commercial market?

Carr: Well, the biggest difference is that it’s not linear like film and television. With film, advertising, and TV, what you see and hear on-screen while scoring is how it’s going to be seen and heard when the public views it. There’s only one version. But with games, you may have many different outcomes that occur based on the player’s actions. Because of this, oftentimes interactive or adaptive music is used. Here, you can have various game scenarios play out while having music seamlessly move from one game state to another.

The majority of interactive games will have an ambient layer of music where there’s not a whole lot of action going on, a medium-action layer, and then there might be a fighting layer, which is very energetic. You have varying scenarios onscreen that pull you in and out of those layers for game interactivity. There are also some games, like racing games and sports titles, that usually don’t require interactivity, and it’s just a straight linear track that plays back.

Given that film scoring is different from game scoring, what are some of the things you should consider when writing game music?

Carr: My goal is to underscore what is happening on the screen, just like in film, but in games what is happening on the screen differs just about every time you play it. For example, let’s say I’m going to write music for a sports game front end, which is game production terminology for the menu music.

In most cases, it’s not desirable to have lyrics, because if you’re licensing a track, often times the lyrics will have language that doesn’t fit an E [everyone] rating. If you need to meet E-rating requirements, you’ll often need to edit out most of the lyrics. In that case, I would just decide to do instrumental hip-hop tracks… 

How are composers for video games compensated?

Carr: Most of the deals are work-for-hire. This means they hire you to compose the music, and then they own it outright. But this also depends on how big the company is you’re working with. For instance, if it’s a start-up, they may offer you a royalty deal, which could end up being a nice payday or a freebie. I know Sony is good with helping composers keep their writer’s share when releasing game soundtracks. Depending on the status of the composer, they may be offered some kind of royalty share, but the good chunk of money will be up front, and the company will still own it.

IT’S QUESTION TIME AGAIN. Do you really listen to the score of a film when you watch a movie? I was told that there are really only two types of film scores: the ones that will be released as soundtrack recordings and the ones you never hear. You never hear them because they are there only to expand upon the emotional experience of a visual scene. On the other side of the coin, you have a classic John Williams score that is rich with memorable thematic lines running throughout, dancing from instrument to instrument, modulating, inverting, and making their own space in the film.

 For the most part, film composers fall into one category or the other, but on rare occasions you find one who is equally comfortable supporting the image as he is creating a memorable theme. I had the pleasure of speaking with one of these composers, the dedicated and prolific
David Newman.

DAVID NEWMAN

Film Composer

David Newman has scored more than 120 films, ranging from War of the Roses, Matilda, Bowfinger, Pets Unlimited, and Tarzan, to The Spirit, Serenity, and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his score for the animated feature Anastasia.

How does technology affect your personal composing process?

Newman: It’s really the same thing. It’s just orchestra music, or a hybrid of orchestra music and electronic music. Electronic music isn’t really a good word for it, I suppose. Some of my films use a big orchestra while others are sample-based with some live instruments added.

I think it’s how film music has really changed and not the process of scoring a film. You still need to sit down and write a cue, and get it approved. You have to get every single note approved. You didn’t need to do that when I started. There’s a little more micromanagement nowadays than in the past. The bottom line is that they either like or don’t like the music; it’s that simple. If they don’t like it, you have to figure out a way to fix it and change it up so that they will.

You’ve told me a little bit about your education, David, but how important was it, and what role does it play in what you’re currently doing?

Newman: How would I ever know how to compose if I never took a composing class? For me, it was training, and it didn’t come naturally. I had great training, and the ear to be able to figure it out, so I knew when I heard something that was right and that I liked. I had also done a lot of conducting, and I played in orchestras from the time I was eight years old; I know the orchestra really well

If I were an exceptionally talented aspiring film composer, what advice would you give me that might help me get there a little bit quicker?

Newman: That’s the hardest question to answer and the one that everyone wants to know. I think number one is that you never give up. There is no clear path to film scoring, but I would say you first have to have an agent. That’s probably the single most important thing. The catch-22 is that you won’t find an agent without getting a job. So, you’ll want to research the agencies and where you’d want to go and who might take you, as well as who you might like to work with.

Next, you want to get as much of your music as you can to music editors, because music editors provide the temp scores for movies. If your music is temped in a movie, and you have any go-get-it-ness in your nature, you can probably get a meeting with the director. Otherwise, it’s next to impossible to get that meeting. You can also try the film editor. Obviously, you want to get your music to anyone you can, but the film editor and the music editor might cut your music into a temp score. That’s one of the only ways you’re going to get a movie—get your music in a temp score.

THEODORE SHAPIRO

Film Composer

Credits: Walter Mitty, Blades of Glory, We’re the Millers, The Intern, Spy, Ghostbusters

Theodore, would you tell me a little bit about the role of a film composer?

Shapiro: In the course of a given project, I develop with the director an overarching concept for the musical score. I then compose the music to execute that concept, which helps the director tell the story.

In the case of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Ben Stiller directed, and we discussed the idea of incorporating a voice into the score, and having that voice evoke Walter’s inner voice; we talked about the idea of the music making a transition from evoking dreaminess to evoking presence.

I started by writing Walter’s theme, which gave definition to what the entire score would ultimately become. I worked on this particular score for close to a year, writing and rewriting the music as the picture was being edited.

Do you have a “typical” process when composing?

Shapiro: I’m a creature of habit. I work very intensely every day from around 9:30 to 5:30 and am generally stressed out at the beginning of a project until I nail down the tone and themes of the score. After that initial stress, I’m ecstatic as I develop the score and expand that initial concept outward into more and more ideas.

The real challenge is to stay in that “ecstatic” state as the initial rush of ideas gives way to the slog of the process—scenes are edited and reedited over and over, the movie continues to evolve and change, and you have to fight to keep perspective on whether the film that emerges from the editorial process is the same one you perceived when you started writing. It’s always a question—“Does my initial concept still work, still apply?”

How do you get hired for a job: agent, referral, et cetera?

Shapiro: Sometimes it’s based on some preexisting relationship, whether with the director, producer, or studio, and other times it’s through my agent, or a personal referral. Once in a while, it’s just because a director has heard and liked something I’ve done. At the level you work, you are well compensated. Would you speak to long-tail revenue and, in particular, what I call “mailbox money”—performance royalties?

I’m not sure what to say. Four times a year a check shows up in the mailbox, and it’s wonderful and bizarre.

RYAN LOTT - (AKA ‘SON LUX’)

Composer for Film/Advertising/Artist

Do you find yourself working alone a lot, or as part of a writing team?

Lott: My projects are mostly solo, but we definitely attack certain jobs as a team. We will always have multiple options for the creative approach, and all of our composers have different strong suits. I am primarily a pianist, but also play guitar and percussion. So, my drum programming comes in handy for some of the other composers. Judd’s guitar playing helps us a lot, and so does Drew’s piano playing. We also hire a lot of outside talent, as well.

What would you consider the trickiest part of your job as a composer?

Lott: Translation! We, as composers and music producers, have a high level of understanding about music and how it’s constructed. We also have a very good understanding of context, musical culture, and its lineage. The people who hire us, and are ultimately judging us, don’t usually have that understanding. We’re technically the “pros,” so, it’s a catch-22. Translating what they say into what they mean, and what they really want is always a challenge. Everything from highly technical discourse to “It should be more inspirational” is what we deal with on a regular basis. It’s like, “Okay, do you mean inspirational like Coldplay? Or like Phoenix?” 

Music is subjective, so trying to find exactly what a client is looking for can sometimes be challenging. 

I can imagine the headaches. How does it feel when you hear your music on the Web or TV?

Lott: It’s very cool. The coolest thing is, I know I just got paid. Cha-ching!

On that note, how do you get paid?

Lott: It depends on each person’s arrangement. What makes it a good living for me is the multiple streams of income; I’m on base salary here at Butter Music, upon which commissions are added. If I win a job, then I get an additional percentage of the commission, which is variable based upon whether it’s competitive with other music houses and things like that. If it’s higher stakes, it’s a bigger commission. Also, if I don’t win the job, but play on someone else’s spot, then I get a spot rate as if I were called in to do a recording session. If you’re lucky enough to land your voice on a spot, maybe singing background, that adds to the bottom line.

And then there are AFM and SAG union wages. American Federation of Musicians and Screen Actors Guild are unions, and they collect recording wages and benefits on behalf of their members.

Finally, there are publishing royalties. As a composer, if you maintain a portion of publishing for whatever you write, then you are entitled to publishing royalties. That’s where ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC come in. They track and collect publishing royalties for their members, though it’s a very sloppy process, and a lot gets lost in the mix. Also, it’s impossible to track everything, so they don’t try. Some people feel it’s worth it to pay a third party to assist in the effort, for a percentage of reclaimed royalties.

My situation is unique because I also maintain 50 percent of my publishing [the composer’s share]. So, I also earn ASCAP, too.

STEVE PORCARO

TV Composer

A founding member of the Grammy-winning, platinum-selling rock band Toto, Porcaro also topped the charts with Michael Jackson, Don Henley, Elton John, Boz Scaggs, and Barbra Streisand.

What types of issues complicate a project?

Porcaro: It can be difficult when a producer hears it one way, his partner hears it another, the studio wants it done like a horror movie, and the network wants a love theme. I’ve truly walked into situations where everyone has a different idea of how the score should sound. The process can be prickly. As a composer you need to be the problem solver, keep from freaking out, and hopefully make everybody happy. That’s the plan, anyway. The best way to get them to agree is to write something that really works.

Do you have some advice for an aspiring young composer?

Porcaro: Get a job with a composer as an assistant or an orchestrator. Try to find a job where you’re around people who are doing it every day at a very high level. If you have the goods, most leading composers will give you a shot writing a couple of cues when they get busy. It happens every day.

I hope you identified with a few of these interviews (although very edited) and they answer a couple of the burning questions you might have. I believe that 2023 is going to be the “comeback” year for the U.S.A., and the media industry as a whole. Go out there and slay some dragons, and if you ever need help you with your career in the Music, Film, or Audio industry don’t hesitate to contact me at coachmikeredman.com.

MICHAEL REDMAN is an award-winning composer, engineer, director, producer and author.  He has been a serial entrepreneur for most of his career, having started over nine companies, including The Hard Rock Academy, PowerHouse Music Library,  and BackStage Fan. Redman has also published three books, two of which focus on the Best Jobs in the Film and Music Business and his highly regarded visual entertainment company RedHouse was one of the largest Film Production and Technology firms in the Southeast. Currently, Redman is a career coach for people in the entertainment industry, and he is launching a streaming entertainment network, which he says is… “very, very secret!”