I think we can all agree that we don’t envy a music supervisor’s inbox. With no two days that look the same, juggling multiple projects, and having to deal with many sectors of the music industry, the life of a music supervisor can be challenging.
In this article we interviewed four music supervisors to hear from their point of view the challenges they face and how we can keep them happy and support their roles, like they support ours every day.
Before we dive in, let’s meet our music supervisors:
PJ Bloom, Owner / Founder at Rouge Music Group
Louis Antoniou, Vice President & Head of Music Supervision at Pure Sync & Cover Sauce
Chi Chi Nwakodo, Music Supervisor, Major Tom
Sam Loughlin, Music Supervisor / Clearance Specialist at Music Gateway
Core Role & Challenges
Starting off strong with some statistics is PJ Bloom, “A typical day is approximately 15% creative, 40% administrative, 25% comms, 20% production work, and 100% putting out fires!” he continues with, “There’s a misconception that we’re tackling creative tasks all day. In practice the job is a lot less sexy. To me, our true value is in our expert knowledge of two distinct fields (music and media production) combined with our ability to serve multiple masters (our filmmakers, our studio, and our music community). On the daily, we are continually problem-solving while navigating politically-charged and pressure-filled environments.”
“There’s a misconception that we’re tackling creative tasks all day. In practice the job is a lot less sexy.”
PJ Bloom
With a role which is primarily project based music supervisors can find that they are juggling a lot of plates. Louis Antoniou gives us the insight into his role “My primary role is supervising music on ad campaigns for well known brands. I’m often liaising with rights holders, negotiating costs on multiple tracks, most of which are usually instantly recognisable, and sync heritage copyrights.”
Sam Loughlin reiterates this “I could be meeting with potential clients to understand their vision and map out a plan, liaising with labels, publishers, and rights holders on clearances, or updating current clients on progress.” and explains that “Staying organised is essential as it’s easy for wires to get crossed with multiple projects running at once!”
With collaboration as her focus is Chi Chi Nwakodo who says “I can’t say there’s a ‘typical day’ as a music supervisor as we could be in an edit, working with composers, delving into searches with rightsholders…but I’d say a typical day is made up of collaborating with clients and composers to narrow down a brief and deliver music that works to picture.”
Alongside the project based focus, Louis also highlights that new business is a large factor of his role, “We control two sync focused catalogues, so I’m constantly reaching out to new and existing clients from all sectors of sync with playlists, updates and new music.”
Juggling multiple projects is just one challenge music supervisors face, but diving deeper into the role; sourcing, clearing, and delivering music can cause all types of headaches.
One of the biggest frustrations Louis finds is that “Music can often be considered late in the production process, whether that’s for a film, TV series or an advert.” We’ve heard this time and time again but Louis explains why, “When this occurs, I find there can be a disconnect between clearance expectations, available budget and the creative vision. For example, a client may want something recognisable, but aren’t aware that the master recording carries additional union fees. On the odd occasion we have experienced additional vocal performance fees too, which has resulted in a three-way MFN split, which is why it’s important to manage expectations early, allowing us to come up with cost effective & creative solutions.” Synchblog has recently dived into the issue of fragmented sync and MFN clause specifically and applying one MFN clause is complicated enough, let alone three…so damn, Louis!
Speaking of rights, Sam says that “If rights that have been passed around so much, nobody knows where they are! Sometimes, it’s easier to abandon a song and find something else that works rather than go on a wild goose chase hunting down a mystery share.” Chi Chi shares these challenges as she explains “One of the biggest challenges when sourcing, clearing or delivering music is finding forgotten shares. Some genres / eras of music aren’t as rigorous at registering tracks or recording writers so it can be a real challenge sometimes.”
“If rights that have been passed around so much, nobody knows where they are! Sometimes, it’s easier to abandon a song and find something else that works rather than go on a wild goose chase hunting down a mystery share.”
Sam Loughlin
Following on with rights and clearance PJ explains that “Clearing music is unquestionably the most challenging and time-consuming part of the process. There is no single authority for rights’ ownership so the sleuthing of information is continually arduous. Available information is often outdated or inaccurate, and sometimes information is simply missing. On top of that, some rights’ owners are simply not responsive. Then, once you’ve identified the rights holders, getting multiple song partners to agree to terms requires both deft negotiating skills and often a masters degree in couples counseling.”
This takes us nicely onto another challenge Louis‘ point about our favourite topic metadata and the importance of knowing and understanding your own music’s data, “Having all of the necessary metadata is crucial, especially for the broadcasters here in the UK. Artists aren’t always equipped with properly tagged files, embedded lyrics, songwriter information, ISRC’s etc… which can be a hindrance and delay pitching music, and/or ingesting music onto the broadcasters pitching systems.”
Sam also explains that collaboration is so important as well as being honest, “This goes hand-in-hand with managing client expectations – I have to be honest about where their visions might not be possible.”
When it comes to collaboration with composers who create music specifically this can also be a challenge as Chi Chi points out “I’d also say creating bespoke music can have its challenges when trying to communicate what a client thinks / feeds back into a way a composer will understand and appreciate.”
For broadcasters in the UK specifically, Louis explains that “every network has its own unique ingestion system. Following their requirements is vital to ensure music is uploaded correctly and made available for use under the TV Blanket Licence Agreement. Any gaps in metadata or delivery can cause delays.”
Dealing with clearance, rights and messy data is a known for the industry at this point and something we all manage and try to simplify everyday, but when it comes to unnecessary stress what are people doing to really grind the gears of our music supervisors?
Chi Chi says “Advertising deadlines! Commercials are so fast paced and have a lot of decision makers so you can be working to a very tight schedule and aiming to please a lot of people while taking in a lot of feedback from different viewpoints.” but she does highlight how to overcome this stress, “My job is made easier by collaborators that do their bit. Working with a composer who delivers things accurately and in a timely manner. Tech wise – using a shared planner for project development with my team makes it easier to work together.”
“Advertising deadlines! Commercials are so fast paced and have a lot of decision makers so you can be working to a very tight schedule and aiming to please a lot of people while taking in a lot of feedback from different viewpoints.”
Chi Chi Nwakodo
PJ explains “One major challenge is that music is often the last piece of the creative puzzle to be addressed, which can cause our budgets to remain fluid in the eyes of filmmakers. This means that we’re backing into production decisions that may happen long [before] we’re involved, which can present hurdles.” He adds “Also, when other areas of production experience financial shortcomings, our music budget historically becomes the pot from which to pull, which only makes it harder for us to deliver on expectations.”
Sam highlights that “Everyone’s busy but when responses from either rights holders or production teams are slow or vague, it delays everything. Even a quick acknowledgement makes a huge difference as it keeps the process moving and avoids that sense of being stuck in limbo.”
Louis on the other hand wants to stress the importance of metadata as he says, “To my point earlier, what makes my job difficult is not having the required metadata from artists. We need the highest quality form of audio, with corresponding instrumentals too, and any cutdowns of tracks is always a bonus. It’s also really useful to know if stems are available should a client need them to make changes to fit their creative vision. This is often the case for trailers for example. This is all incredibly important for us to have, otherwise you’re making our job of pitching your music very difficult!”
Tying it off nicely, PJ says “Our jobs are always easier when we’re working with experienced filmmakers and studio executives who appreciate how critical music can be to the success of a project; ones who know how complex the area is to navigate, who have respect for the process, and who value our contribution.”
Relationships & Collaboration
Now we know the challenges and frustrations, but what do music supervisors wish broadcasters, producers and other team members understood about their role in the ecosystem?
Louis simply puts, “Licensing music isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ process.” The main thing he wants broadcasters to know is that “One of the biggest things I stress is early involvement [as it] saves time & headaches. Some of the best campaigns we have supervised have been when we are brought in at the early ideation stages, allowing us to collaborate with directors or agencies creatively and shape ideas to align with their vision and budgets.” Time is money after all and he follows with “Time really is our greatest tool. Having time means we can negotiate more effectively, avoid clearance pitfalls, and ensure the final choice works both creatively and financially.”
“Licensing music isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ process.”
Louis Antoniou
Chi Chi agrees with Louis on early involvement as she says “I wish that production on a whole understood that music doesn’t need to be considered ‘post-production’. Sometimes bringing music in earlier allows the film to blossom rather than being an after thought.”
PJ adds to both points above as he says, “If filmmakers had a better understanding of the potential time it takes to deliver on their creative requests, we’d likely have a longer runway to make things happen on their behalf. On occasions when we’re unable to deliver, it may simply be due to running out of time in the production schedule.”
Sam wants to highlight the feeling of being the middle man in situations as he says “I’m just the messenger in a long chain of communications! There are often several layers of decision-makers and, whilst I do everything I can to keep things moving, there are times when patience is a must.” Which also makes sense for the need to be involved at the earliest stage possible in a production.
PJ also spoke about the challenge of not feeling like filmmakers have the same respect for music creators that they offer themselves as he explains, “I’ve worked with filmmakers who believe that participation in their project should always be met with excitement and opportunity regardless of the circumstances. Sometimes that’s true, sometimes it’s not. In reality, music creators are as precious about their work as any artist would be. They constantly consider monetary value and how their core audience will see a licensed use in a production. This may mean they aren’t interested because of competing creative visions, the money offered undervalues their art, or any number of issues that are important to them. If these valid thoughts and concerns were more commonly respected by filmmakers, it may make the process smoother and more reasonable.”
As Louis alluded to earlier that broadcast systems aren’t all the same he’d like to see a simplification in the process as he says, “In terms of uploading music to broadcasters systems, not every platform is the same. They are also often very intricate processes which are time consuming. Simplifying the process would be preferred, perhaps an ideal world would be to have one umbrella system, accessible to all broadcasters.” I mean we can all dream right…maybe Synchtank could help with that hmmm…okay, back to topic!
Music supervisors don’t just work with broadcasters so flipping it over to the artists, labels and publishers, how can they make the process easier?
Straight off the back, Louis says “Make sure you read the brief and don’t just pitch music for the sake of it.” We know it can seem like a volume game but this is different to applying for a job or mass marketing as Louis puts it “Quality over quantity is key too. You don’t have to send me 20 tracks if only 2 actually hit the mark. Honesty is everything, and I would rather a rights holder only send a few or none at all, which saves us time and allows us to identify the right tracks more easily.”
Whereas Sam sheds light on people’s first time reaching out as he explains that, “having all the key information upfront is invaluable: artist details, a streamable link, rights ownership, and any other relevant context. It saves time, avoids back-and-forth, and means I can confidently consider a track for projects from the first listen.”
Chi Chi is also a fan of the context when people send her music as she says “I appreciate when someone delivers music with a note about specific sections or relevant background information about the track / artist.”
PJ on the other hand says, “An obvious answer is for those pitching to have knowledge of and working relationships with the partners in the songs they’re pitching. Whether that’s co-publishers, other record labels and sample owners, sync agents, managers, attorneys, or the artists and songwriters themselves, any single rights owner’s ability to provide information or help shepherd a deal beyond their own ecosystem can be invaluable in terms of getting a deal done, preserving vital time and bandwidth, and proving they are an engaged and trusted colleague.”
With all of the above in mind, the best experiences our interviewees had when working with a production team reflects these points perfectly.
As Sam says, “A recent project stands out because of how seamlessly we collaborated. The production team was proactive with their responsibilities, communicated clearly and consistently, and approached the process with a real sense of partnership. It was relaxed teamwork rather than panicked problem-solving!”
Louis tells us about his favourite project recently involving the power of covers “One of my favourite recent projects was supervising a campaign for First Bus. We were brought on board right at the early ideation stage. They told us the creative idea, their budget and on that call I pitched an idea of utilising a bespoke cover of ‘Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy’ originally by the Tams. The track was instantly recognisable for their demographic, lyrically aligned with the narrative, and carried a nostalgic uplifting tone, and fundamentally, within their budget! We created a bespoke cover, guiding the production team through the process, whilst incorporating their creative input into the final cover recording. Being involved from the early stages led to a smooth process and everyone came away with an impactful and authentic campaign.”
PJ explains that, “I’m going to be respectfully evasive here. For me, there’s no ‘best’ really. All projects are their own beasts with many appealing qualities and others less so. This is a hard job and I feel fortunate to have worked consistently and been involved with so many talented people over the years.”
Tech & Workflow
It wouldn’t be a Synchblog if we didn’t touch on technology, the way it’s helped support the role of a music supervisor, any tools, processes or resources they find the most valuable in their day-to-day life.
Chi Chi kicks us off strongly as she explains that “Technology has allowed music searching to improve and become almost automated by algorithms, it’s made things quicker but it also hasn’t eclipsed the human touch yet.”
“Technology has allowed music searching to improve and become almost automated by algorithms, it’s made things quicker but it also hasn’t eclipsed the human touch yet.”
Chi Chi Nwakodo
Sam agrees with this as he says, “Technology has streamlined a lot of processes. Being able to instantly test ideas, explore catalogues, and share references means projects can move forward much quicker. Using AI has become a surprisingly useful tool, almost like an assistant. It helps me brainstorm ideas, refine communication, and quickly gather insights on industry topics. Even if I have to dig deeper into something, it offers a solid starting point.”
However Louis argues that he’s sadly “seen cases where people are too reliant on using the ‘similar track finder tool’ often leading to lazy pitches.” He also raises the concern around generative AI as he explains, “There’s a huge grey area around copyright on these AI generated songs. We are losing the art of songwriting to exploit commercial gains and there seems to be no barriers in place from the streaming platforms. As a supervisor, I’m concerned that we will eventually be asked to license AI generated music, simply because it appears to be ‘cheaper & easier’ whereas in actual fact there may be bigger legal problems later down the line.”
PJ explains that, “Technology has always been a tool not a solution.” Which we very much agree with, technology as a tool to aid your creativity. PJ continues to say, “I feel the instantaneousness of communication, the availability of information, and the seamlessness of asset delivery has been some of the best advances in our space. When I started out in this business, I was making mix tapes on cassettes for filmmakers, clearing songs by fax machine using thermal paper, and driving tape reels to soundstages for mixes. Clearly all that’s changed for the better. But it’s also created an enormous assumption for expediency – which can make expectations unrealistic at times.”
A tool Louis does use and is an avid user on is LinkedIn, he says “it’s one of the most valuable tools in my day to day work. I find it useful to help keep my finger on the pulse of what’s happening in sync. By paying attention to the projects and campaigns people are sharing, you can spot trends and tailor your outreach so that they are more likely to pay attention. He follows on by saying and advising, “It’s also a great source of news and staying on top of the ever evolving music industry. I’m on it daily and my advice to anyone out there is make LinkedIn your best friend.”
On the theme of creating meaningful connections, PJ adds, “Obviously DSP’s and on-line databases have become invaluable in terms of research. And email and text have become the industry standard for comms. But in terms of my personal process, human, P2P interaction is an integral part of how I do business. I have spent decades building a global network of trusted friends and colleagues in this industry; a network that I consistently turn to in order to acquire information and accomplish goals. There is no advancement in technology that will ever take its place!”
Lastly, Chi Chi says processes are the way forward, “I’d say over clear steps and processes and as boring as it sounds filing and transfers.”
Personal Touch & Future Outlook
To paint a beautiful music supervisor picture we close the interview with a few personal touches and future look. To answer the question on everyone’s lips, what makes you happy as a music supervisor?
Sam leaves us with one line, “Discovering a major track only has one publisher.” We hope this has happened more than once for you Sam!
Chi Chi says “A well curated playlist – short, sweet and every track intentional.”
Louis swaps his Pure Sync hat for his Cover Sauce hat in his answer, “I love hearing covers where the artist has a unique interpretation of a famous song whilst still keeping it recognisable. They can cleverly incorporate iconic hooks, melodies and riffs into their new cover whilst changing the style/genre completely. That’s the sweet spot!”
PJ says “I am instantly happy when my role in music, whether directly or indirectly, has a measurable impact on the overall success of a project. That could come in the form of ratings and reviews, it could mean our audience is meaningfully touched and grows, or culture is affected and we enter the zeitgeist.”
“I am instantly happy when my role in music, whether directly or indirectly, has a measurable impact on the overall success of a project”
PJ Bloom
Wrapping up, we can see that the music business has to support each other and work as a team, through alignment, clear communication and support. So, what would make music supervisors’ roles run smoother and become more rewarding in the future?
Sam kicks us off by saying, “More standardisation across the industry would make a huge difference. If databases were more consistent for rights ownership then there’d be less time spent chasing down shares!”
Followed by Louis who says “It would help if people were more educated on what music actually costs! There are often unrealistic expectations about what can be achieved within a given budget, and being transparent about costs early on would save a lot of time and stress.” He also wants to see the production side to empower creatively, as he ends with, “I’ve noticed a tendency for agencies & brands to play safe, licensing familiar music choices. It would be refreshing if brands and agencies were more open to new collaborations and sounds. That freedom to flex your creative muscles could lead to more memorable campaigns.”
Chi Chi would love more creative risks as she says “My role would be more rewarding if clients were willing to take a few more risks creatively with music. I am a champion of upcoming talent and diverse talent and I hope we can see more of this spotlighted in the future.”
Closing us out is PJ who says, “Unquestionably, one thing that would make the role more rewarding is a larger financial reward. Music Supervisor fees have gone relatively unchanged for over two decades. We are paid flat fees regardless of the amount of work or time involved in a project. And we receive no ancillary benefits like health insurance, pensions, or royalty participation. Don’t get me wrong, every Music Supervisor, myself included, is grateful for and passionate about the role because it is truly a rewarding occupation in so many ways. But the ability to thrive, sustain a business, and develop a long-term career might be the biggest challenge we face as a collective.”
So, what did we learn?
- Get supervisors involved early: Early collaboration saves time, avoids clearance pitfalls, and allows creative solutions that fit both vision and budget.
- Be prepared and professional: Provide complete metadata, stems, high-quality files, and only pitch music that truly fits the brief to streamline the process.
- Value the relationship: Clear, timely communication, openness to creative risks, and fair recognition of supervisors’ value (from budgets to fees) are essential for smoother projects and a sustainable industry.
