What is a cue sheet?
A cue sheet is a powerful tool that ensures you receive all the royalties you’re entitled to when your music is used in films, TV series, web series, advertisements, video games, and any other audiovisual productions. It is a detailed document that lists every piece of music used in a production, including essential information such as:
- Track Title
- Composer
- Artist
- Duration
- Usage Type (e.g., background, main theme, opening/closing credits, etc.)
- How it’s Synced (e.g., foreground, background, instrumental, vocal, etc.)
Cue sheets are critical for royalty collection because they serve as the official record that rights organisations (like PROs) use to track the performance and broadcast of your music across various media. Every time your music is used in a production, the cue sheet ensures it is reported accurately to collecting societies. This enables you to receive royalties from:
- Television broadcasts (local, national, and international)
- Streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.)
- Film screenings
- Commercials/Ads
- Radio and Online Streaming
- Video games and other digital content
Without a properly filed cue sheet, your music usage may go unreported, and you could miss out on significant revenue streams. Therefore, cue sheets are essentially the "superpower" behind ensuring comprehensive royalty collection for all your works across multiple platforms and territories, maximising your income potential from various performance sources.