What a spotting session is
Spotting is watching the locked cut and deciding exactly where music will play. On bigger films the director and composer do it together; on indie films it might be you and an editor with a notepad.
How to spot
- Watch the film once without stopping to feel where music is needed.
- Watch again and stop at each moment music should start or stop. Note the timecode.
- For each cue, write what it has to do: build tension, cover a time jump, carry an emotion, or make a transition.
- Note where dialogue sits so music can stay out of its way.
Naming cues
A common convention is reel and cue number, such as 1M1, 1M2, followed by a short descriptive title, for example "1M3 The Letter".
Writing prompts from your spotting notes
Each spotting note becomes a prompt: length, start and end feel, the moment it must hit, and whether dialogue is present. Reuse instruments across cues so the score feels like one piece.
Cue sheets
A cue sheet lists every piece of music in the film: title, composer or source, publisher if any, timing in and out, duration and usage type (background, featured, theme). Broadcasters and some festivals ask for one so performance royalties can be reported.
For generated tracks, list the track title you assigned, "Sonvela" as the source and your plan’s licence. For CC0 tracks, list the artist and the CC0 status.
Keep the paperwork
File the cue sheet with your licences and prompts. Distributors often ask for music documentation during delivery.
Written by the Sonvela editorial team with AI drafting assistance, then checked against the sources linked in the text. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.