The 3 Files Every Music Supervisor Asks For
If a music supervisor likes your song, they'll want to clear it fast. Having these three things ready makes it easy for them to say yes.
1. The full mix
Your finished, mixed and mastered song.
- Keep a high-quality WAV file ready. Always ask what format they want; 24-bit / 48 kHz is common for video work.
- For the first pitch, send a private streaming link instead of a large attachment.
- Make sure there are no uncleared samples. A sample you don't have permission for can stop the whole deal.
2. The instrumental
The same song with no vocals. Music often plays under dialogue, and vocals compete with the actors. An instrumental gives the editor room to use your song.
While you're exporting, also make:
- A clean version (no explicit lyrics)
- 30-second and 60-second cuts, common lengths for ads
- Stems (separate parts like drums, bass and vocals), if someone asks
3. The split sheet and metadata
- Split sheet: a one-page agreement listing every writer and producer, each person's share (adding up to 100%), their PRO and publisher, and who owns the master recording. Everyone signs it.
- Metadata: information saved inside the audio file itself: song title, artist, writers, PRO, your contact email, and genre and mood words. Files get forwarded, and metadata is how someone finds you later.
Name your files clearly
Use Artist_SongTitle_Version.wav, for example YourName_SongTitle_Instrumental.wav. Never send a file called "final_FINAL_v7.wav".