Best/worst times of year to approach music supervisors?

[WWVAalum]

Are there specific times of the year that are traditionally busier and/or slower for Hollywood music supervisors? I might have an opportunity to send unsolicited music to a major studio music dept. but would like to do so at a time when they are not too swamped with projects to open my package. Are there any consistent patterns in the film biz RE: the timing of such things, or is it pretty much the same all year round (including August)?

Thanks!

[T&V Marino]

Hi!

Since we've been dealing directly with more and more Music Supervisors in Hollywood, maybe we can shed some light for you.

No, there is no perfect time to send your music. They are honestly busy ALL of the time!

But, there are some VERY important rules you need to know about BEFORE pitching your music, ESPECIALLY if it's "unsolicited" because you can make some major mistakes if you're not careful.

SOME TIPS:

1) If you have an opportunity, by all means, GO FOR IT!

2) When you GO FOR IT, do it QUICKLY. Music Supervisors will forget about you and your music faster than grass through a goose.

3) Find out EXACTLY HOW to submit your music. Some Music Supervisors ONLY take a CD. But MOST will ONLY accept a link from your website (it can be your TAXI page or ReverbNation or even MySpace even though a lot of them diss it now!) You can do this by simply asking the receptionist or the Music Supervisor him/herself how they'd like the song delivered. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP!!!

4) If you do send a CD, it ABSOLUTELY needs to be labeled with your name, phone number, website, email address, mailing address, etc. We hear more stories from Music Supervisors who just toss it in the trash if it's missing ANY of the above info.

5) Don't send a bunch of stuff along with your music like a bio, photos, press kit, even a cover letter. They all get in the way. Make it short and sweet. Most Music Supervisors we know prefer a brief email (if you're sending a link) with a short greeting about where you met, why you're a BIG fan of the show they're working on, and... THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING... WHY YOUR MUSIC FITS THAT SHOW.

6) This is now the MOST important piece of advice. After sending your music, you wait....but just a little while. Give it a week or two. THEN, you FOLLOW UP. This will stop about 95% of the songwriters out there. Seriously! You just need to send a quick email saying, "Dear Mary Music Supervisor, I just wanted to make sure you got the song I sent, "Be Strong" for the show you're working on, "Army Wives." I sent it in a bright orange package so it will stand out. If you didn't receive it, I'd be happy to re-send it for you. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME! Sincerely, Your Name."

If you're respectful of the Music Supervisor's time, and if you're patient and courteous, oh yes, and if you have GREAT music, it's amazing how far you will go.

Good luck, and DON'T WAIT!!!!!

~ Tracey & Vance Marino

[onelight24]

Hi!

Since we've been dealing directly with more and more Music Supervisors in Hollywood, maybe we can shed some light for you.

No, there is no perfect time to send your music. They are honestly busy ALL of the time!

But, there are some VERY important rules you need to know about BEFORE pitching your music, ESPECIALLY if it's "unsolicited" because you can make some major mistakes if you're not careful.

SOME TIPS:

1) If you have an opportunity, by all means, GO FOR IT!

2) When you GO FOR IT, do it QUICKLY. Music Supervisors will forget about you and your music faster than grass through a goose.

3) Find out EXACTLY HOW to submit your music. Some Music Supervisors ONLY take a CD. But MOST will ONLY accept a link from your website (it can be your TAXI page or ReverbNation or even MySpace even though a lot of them diss it now!) You can do this by simply asking the receptionist or the Music Supervisor him/herself how they'd like the song delivered. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP!!!

4) If you do send a CD, it ABSOLUTELY needs to be labeled with your name, phone number, website, email address, mailing address, etc. We hear more stories from Music Supervisors who just toss it in the trash if it's missing ANY of the above info.

5) Don't send a bunch of stuff along with your music like a bio, photos, press kit, even a cover letter. They all get in the way. Make it short and sweet. Most Music Supervisors we know prefer a brief email (if you're sending a link) with a short greeting about where you met, why you're a BIG fan of the show they're working on, and... THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING... WHY YOUR MUSIC FITS THAT SHOW.

6) This is now the MOST important piece of advice. After sending your music, you wait....but just a little while. Give it a week or two. THEN, you FOLLOW UP. This will stop about 95% of the songwriters out there. Seriously! You just need to send a quick email saying, "Dear Mary Music Supervisor, I just wanted to make sure you got the song I sent, "Be Strong" for the show you're working on, "Army Wives." I sent it in a bright orange package so it will stand out. If you didn't receive it, I'd be happy to re-send it for you. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME! Sincerely, Your Name."

If you're respectful of the Music Supervisor's time, and if you're patient and courteous, oh yes, and if you have GREAT music, it's amazing how far you will go.

Good luck, and DON'T WAIT!!!!!

~ Tracey & Vance Marino

Excellent, thanks for sharing all of this info!

Cheers,
Vincent!

[kclements]

Just ran across this article. May be of some interest:

http://www.berklee.edu/bt/224/expert_testimony.html

Cheers -
kc

[WWVAalum]

Thank you! I really appreciate all of the great info/advice!