SCORES ON RECORD.
A composer owns the score they write unless a work for hire clause or an employment contract says otherwise, and that clause is common in film and game deals. The music publishing right, the master recording of the score, and the sync licence for the film are three separate things that can belong to three different people. A cue sheet naming every writer and their share is the only reliable way to prove who is owed what once the film is delivered.
Cue sheets, commission contracts and master rights signed before the first note is delivered.
LAST REVIEWED
THE SITUATION
A composer is hired to score a film, a trailer or a game, delivers stems and a final mix, and gets paid a flat commission fee. The contract, if there is one, rarely spells out whether the fee covers the composition, the master, or both, and whether the composer keeps any publishing share at all.
Months later the film sells to a streamer, the trailer runs as a standalone ad, or the game ships a sequel that reuses the theme. Without a cue sheet and a clear split on file, the composer has no way to prove what they wrote, let alone collect for where it plays next.
WHAT BREAKS.
WORK FOR HIRE BY DEFAULT
Film and game contracts often assign the composition outright as well as the master, leaving the composer with no publishing income at all. In the US this can happen without the composer noticing, since work for hire language is standard boilerplate.
NO CUE SHEET
Without a cue sheet naming every cue, writer and duration, performing rights societies cannot pay out correctly. A score that plays for ninety minutes can go unpaid for years because no one filed the paperwork.
GHOSTWRITTEN ADDITIONAL MUSIC
Additional composers or orchestrators brought in under time pressure, with no signed agreement on credit or share, leading to disputes once the score is nominated for anything.
TEMP TRACK CREEP
A composer's theme used as a temp track for a trailer, then replaced in the final film but never removed from the trailer that keeps running commercially.
SAMPLE LIBRARY LICENCES
Commercial sample packs used in a score without checking the licence terms, which can forbid use in a commercially released soundtrack album.
WHAT YOU CAN OWN.
COPYRIGHT
The composition is protected on creation, but a work for hire clause can transfer authorship to the studio outright.
TRADEMARK
A theme or motif is not trademarkable on its own, though a signature name or brand built around a composer's work can be.
DESIGN RIGHT
Design right does not extend to musical composition.
PATENT
Composition is not patentable subject matter.
TRADE SECRET
A score is meant to be heard, not kept secret, though an unreleased cue held back for a sequel can be treated confidentially.
LIKENESS
Not relevant unless the composer performs on camera as part of a promotional feature.
FOUR STEPS.
DROP
Upload the scoring agreement, the cue list and the delivered stems.
EXAMINE
Deed checks whether the contract assigns the composition, the master, or both, and flags missing publishing splits.
EXECUTE
A signed cue sheet and a commission agreement with the correct rights split, filed before the score is delivered.
DEFEND
Registration with the right performing rights society and monitoring for reuse of the score outside its licensed window.
KEY FACTS
- 01A cue sheet is not optional paperwork, it is the document that triggers payment from performing rights societies.
- 02Composition rights and master rights are separate and can be owned by different people even for the same recording.
- 03Work for hire clauses in film and game contracts commonly take the composition as well as the recording.
- 04Temp tracks that make it into a released trailer still require a licence, even if replaced in the final cut.
QUESTIONS
+Do I keep publishing rights on a film score?
Only if your contract says so. Many studio deals assign the composition outright as work for hire, so publishing share has to be negotiated explicitly.
+What is a cue sheet and why does it matter?
It lists every music cue in a production with writer, publisher and duration. Performing rights societies use it to pay royalties, so an unfiled cue sheet means unpaid royalties.
+Can I reuse a theme I wrote for one project in another?
Only if your contract does not assign exclusive ownership to the first production. Check before reusing a motif commercially.
+Who owns a score if I score for free exposure?
You still own the composition unless you signed it away. Free work is still work, and it still needs a licence stating what the client can do with it.
+How do I split credit with an orchestrator?
In writing, before recording starts. A signed split sheet naming the orchestrator's contribution prevents disputes over authorship later.