In short: A film or TV composer writes original music for picture, working from the edit and the director's notes. They agree where music goes, write the cues, produce them with samples or live players, and deliver stems and mixes to the sound team. On a small shoot, a commissioned short cue or a licensed track often does the job, provided the licence covers where it will run.
A composer writes original music for a film, programme or advert, timed to the picture the director and editor have already cut. The music has to serve the edit, so the composer works from the picture rather than the other way round.
What a composer does on a shoot day
Composers rarely work on set. Their first real day on a production is the spotting session, held once an edit exists. The director, the editor and the composer watch the cut together and mark where the music starts and stops, what each moment should feel like, and where silence is better. The notes from that session are the brief.
After spotting, the composer works away from the set. They write sketches, sometimes called scratch cues, so the director can react early. Once the director approves the direction, they write the full cues. If live players are booked, the composer conducts or supervises the recording sessions. Then comes the delivery: stems, a final mix and any alternative versions the edit needs.
Who they work with
A composer is commissioned by the director or the producer and reports to them on approval. In practice they work most closely with the picture editor, who handles the timings, and the music editor, who fits the cues to the cut. The re-recording mixer takes the stems and balances them against the dialogue and effects.
On larger scores, orchestrators, copyists and session musicians work for the composer. Some productions also have a music supervisor who handles licensed songs, so the composer's own cues and the bought-in tracks sit together without clashing. Where a composer has an assistant, the assistant reports to them.
Kit and skills
The working setup is a digital audio workstation, a set of sample libraries for mock-ups, a notation package for anything that goes to live players, and a monitoring setup the composer trusts. For live recording, the room matters a great deal. A room that suits speech is not automatically a room that suits strings or brass, so check the space before you book the players.
The skills are musical first: composition, arrangement and enough orchestration to write for real players. Then comes a sense of timing against picture, the ability to change a cue quickly without losing its shape, and a working knowledge of how a mix will sit under dialogue. Good composers are also good at taking a note they do not agree with and turning it into a better cue.
How to become a composer
There is no single route. Many composers start as performers or as music producers, build a body of work, and then take on short films, trailers, adverts and student projects before a feature or a series. Working as an assistant to an established composer is another common way in. In the UK, the National Film and Television School runs a masters course in composing for film and television, and The Ivors Academy represents working composers. Keep a catalogue of short pieces with a note on each one showing what the picture needed.
ScreenSkills recommends a portfolio for craft roles and notes that many people in screen are self-employed. Composers are usually freelance, so expect to market yourself as much as you write.
Do you need one on a small shoot?
Often not. A short corporate film, a training piece or a social video can use a library track or a short commissioned cue. Read the licence before you publish, and check it covers where the music will run, including any paid social you have planned.
For a bespoke score, brief the composer with the cut, the running time, the feel you want and the budget. Final timings need a locked picture. A score written to a rough cut needs rework every time the edit changes, so agree when the picture locks before the composer starts the final cues.
Related roles
- What does an editor do?
- What does an assistant editor do?
- What does a production sound mixer do?
- What does a director do?
- What does a producer do?
- What does a colourist do?
Sources
- ScreenSkills, How ScreenSkills can help you, read 5 November 2026
Related guides
Questions we get asked
What does a film composer actually deliver?
Usually a set of cues matched to the edit, with stems (separate groups of instruments or elements) and a mix for the re-recording mixer. Ask for the delivery list before the first session.
Do you need a composer for a corporate film?
Not always. A licensed library track or a short commissioned cue is often enough. Brief a composer when the film needs a sound of its own or the music carries the emotion of the piece.
granary.digital · 01243 884993 · studio@granary.digital · The Old Grainstore, Adsdean, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 9DN · Prices exclude VAT unless marked inc VAT