Music supervisor

A music supervisor, also sometimes called a music coordinator or music director, is an individual who combines music and visual media. In the musical theatre industry, a music supervisor is often responsible for managing a team of music directors working on any number of musical productions.

The title of music supervisor is used by many media companies including film studios, TV networks, video games, ad agencies, and a wide of range other media producers. The music supervisor is primarily responsible for selecting and licensing music for all film, TV and new media productions. Some music supervisors also work independent of particular media companies, offering their services on a contract basis.

Beginning in the 1950s a landslide of crucial developments in media, both audio and visual, resulted in an inseparable relationship between TV and music. Since then, the title of music supervisor has been given to those responsible for fostering the relationship of music and visual media.

The job is both creative and logistic; music supervisors select music and negotiate usage licenses. Music supervisors play diverse roles in the creative process of films, television shows and other media, helping to emphasize storylines, emotion, time period and cultural location.

In the United States, music supervisors are often responsible for choosing and placing music for broadcast. A major responsibility is to establish communication between the production/distribution entities and the performing rights groups, such as ASCAP, SESAC, and BMI in the United States, to ensure that the proper rights are negotiated and distributed.

The proliferation of video technology has resulted in an increased demand for production companies needing to license music, and the field now accommodates many career professionals. Because of the massive expansion in the field, many colleges and universities offer courses in music supervision.

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