What does a Music Coordinator do?
They might also negotiate and acquire synchronization rights for the film’s music. In certain cases, due to a tight music budget, a production might hire a single individual to perform the duties of both music coordinator and music supervisor. Live-performance-oriented music coordinators, on the other hand, work with theater companies, dance companies, churches, and schools to provide assistance with budgeting, hiring, contracting, licensing, and music direction.
At a Glance
An advanced degree in music isn't always necessary to work as a music coordinator, but some productions prefer one. For the most part, music coordinator as a film and TV industry career path is on its way out. Still, the term gets around: It's common for music supervisors to work gigs as music coordinators, and occasionally to be credited as music coordinators even when the work they contributed was actually music supervision.
Music coordinators won't often find work on a job board; they're more likely to land a position through hard-won industry connections. Those aspiring to become music coordinators, or the more creatively oriented, should seek experience working on student and indie productions.
Budgeting; music licensing; contracting; creating cue sheets; project management; music supervision; negotiation; organization
Music coordinators are highly organized jacks-of-all-trades. They are open-minded, knowledgeable, well-connected, and—most importantly—flexible.
The lifestyle of music coordinators varies greatly depending on their industry and employers. In most cases, coordinators work on one or two productions at a time, their daily hours dictated by meetings with others about the production and a timetable of long-term goals.
