Glossary
Music industry glossary
The terms music supervisors, sync agents, composers, and trailer houses actually use. Direct definitions, real-world examples, common mistakes, and how the workflow connects.
24 terms. Updated regularly.
Ableton Live
Ableton Live is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by Ableton, designed for both studio production and live performance. Its signature feature is the Session View, a non-linear clip-launching grid that shaped modern electronic music production, hip-hop, and live electronic performance. Ableton Live runs on macOS and Windows.
ALT mix
An ALT mix is an alternate version of a master track delivered alongside the original. Common ALT versions include instrumental, no-vocal, no-drums, 30-second cutdown, 60-second cutdown, vocal stems, and bumper edits. ALT mixes exist so a music supervisor can use the right format for a given placement without going back to the composer.
Cubase
Cubase is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by Steinberg. It is a top choice for film and TV scoring, classical and orchestral composition, and complex MIDI work. Cubase's deep MIDI editing, expression maps, and VST plugin format (which Steinberg invented in 1996) make it the preferred DAW for many working scoring composers.
Cue sheet
A cue sheet is the legal document that lists every piece of music used in a TV show, film, or other audiovisual production. It records the song title, composers, publishers, duration, and exact placement of each cue. Cue sheets are filed with performing rights organizations (PROs) and are the basis for all performance royalty payments.
DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)
A DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is the software a composer, producer, or engineer uses to record, edit, mix, and master music on a computer. Modern DAWs handle audio recording, MIDI sequencing, virtual instrument hosting, mixing, automation, and final delivery. The major DAWs in professional music production are Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Cubase, MOTU Digital Performer, Ableton Live, Studio One, FL Studio, and Reaper.
Digital Performer (DP)
Digital Performer (DP) is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by MOTU (Mark of the Unicorn). It has a strong following among professional film and TV composers, particularly in Hollywood, due to its deep MIDI editing, video sync features, surround mixing capabilities, and long history in the industry. Digital Performer runs on macOS and Windows.
Dynamic mix
A dynamic mix is a version of a music cue where the mid-frequencies (typically 200 Hz to 3 kHz, the human vocal range) are reduced so dialogue or voiceover can sit cleanly on top. Dynamic mixes are usually delivered alongside the full mix as an ALT version, giving the music editor a ready-made option for any scene where someone is talking.
EPK (Electronic Press Kit)
An EPK (electronic press kit) is a digital one-page hub that musicians, composers, and bands send to music supervisors, agencies, labels, and journalists. It contains the artist bio, music samples, video, contact info, and links to streaming and social profiles.
FL Studio
FL Studio is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by Image-Line. It is the dominant DAW in hip-hop and electronic dance music production globally, with a pattern-based step-sequencer workflow that differs significantly from the track-based approach used by other major DAWs. FL Studio runs on Windows and macOS, with a mobile version for iOS and Android.
ISRC code
An ISRC code is a 12-character unique identifier assigned to a specific recording (master). The format is two-letter country code, three-character registrant code, two-digit year, and five-digit designation. ISRCs let streaming platforms, sync platforms, and royalty collection systems track exactly which recording was played even when multiple recordings share the same song title.
Logic Pro
Logic Pro is a professional digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by Apple, available exclusively for macOS and iPad. It bundles a deep library of virtual instruments, drum machines, samplers, loops, and effects with full MIDI sequencing, audio recording, and scoring features. Logic Pro is one of the most popular DAWs for songwriters, composers, and producers working on Apple platforms.
Master recording
A master recording is the final, definitive recorded version of a song, the actual audio that gets pressed to vinyl, uploaded to streaming platforms, and licensed for sync use. It is one of two distinct copyrights in any commercial song: the master (the recording itself) and the underlying composition (the song as written).
MFN (Most Favored Nation)
MFN (Most Favored Nation) is a contract clause that guarantees one party receives terms at least as favorable as the best terms granted to any other party in the same deal. In music sync licensing, MFN clauses most commonly equalize the master fee and the publishing fee so neither side gets paid less than the other for the same placement.
Music bed
A music bed is a piece of background instrumental music designed to play under dialogue, voiceover, or another primary audio element without competing with it. Music beds typically have minimal melody, slow harmonic motion, and frequency content concentrated outside the human vocal range so the spoken word stays clear.
Music supervisor
A music supervisor is the professional responsible for choosing, licensing, and clearing every piece of music used in a film, TV show, ad, trailer, or game. They sit between the creative team (director, producer, brand) and the music industry (composers, publishers, labels, libraries).
P&D (Production & Distribution)
A P&D (Production & Distribution) deal is a record label arrangement where one party (the distributor) handles manufacturing and distribution of a release while the other party (the artist or label) retains creative control, marketing, and ownership of the masters. P&D is a middle ground between full self-release and a traditional label deal.
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by Avid Technology. It is the industry standard for professional audio recording, editing, mixing, and post-production in film, television, and music. Pro Tools sessions are the de facto delivery format for studios, mix engineers, and audio post houses worldwide.
Reaper
Reaper is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by Cockos. It is known for low pricing ($60 individual license), extreme customizability, lightweight performance on modest hardware, and a strong scripting/extension API. Reaper runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and has a growing user base in podcasting, post-production, and budget-conscious music production.
Stems
Stems are individual instrument or instrument-group recordings exported separately from the same song. A typical stem set includes drums, bass, vocals, and "other" (everything else). More detailed stem sets break out guitars, keys, synths, percussion, and lead vocal vs background vocals as separate files.
Studio One
Studio One is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed by PreSonus. It is known for a modern drag-and-drop workflow, strong mastering tools (Project page for assembling and mastering full albums), and an active development pace. Studio One runs on macOS and Windows and has gained a significant user base in songwriting, home studios, and project mastering.
Supervisor pitch
A supervisor pitch is the act of sending music directly to a music supervisor in response to a brief or as a cold introduction. A successful pitch is targeted, brief, and sent in a format the supervisor can review in under 60 seconds. The format has shifted from email attachments to single shareable links with analytics.
Sync fee
A sync fee is the upfront payment a music rights holder receives for letting a piece of music be paired with a visual work (film, TV, ad, trailer, game, video). Sync fees are typically negotiated per use and can range from a few hundred dollars for a regional ad to several hundred thousand for a major studio film trailer.
Sync licensing
Sync licensing is the legal process of pairing a piece of music with a visual work (film, TV episode, ad, video game, trailer) by securing two licenses: one for the underlying composition (synchronization license) and one for the recorded master (master use license).
Trailerization
Trailerization is the process of arranging or re-cutting a piece of music so it works inside a movie trailer. A trailerized version typically has a stripped-down opening, a major mid-point lift, a climactic drop, and a hard ending that lands on a visual cue. Most pop songs and underscore cues are not trailerized as composed and need a separate arrangement.