Introduce Yourself : Music supervisor & music licensing specialist by Alan Brewer

Hi, Alan Brewer! Glad to see you at Introduce Yourself Weekend. How have you been?

Doing well, keeping busy, thanks!

Been on both sides of that table myself. Tequila helps.

Alan this is so great to see you sharing this side of your work with the community!

I used to work in production and I have so much love and respect for what you do. Music supervision and licensing can truly make or break a project and people do not always realize how much strategy and artistry is involved until they are in the thick of post.

Being on both sides of the table is such a gift to filmmakers. That perspective is invaluable.

What has been your favorite project you have ever worked on and why? I would love to hear which one stands out to you the most.

You're welcome, Alan Brewer. I'm glad to hear it. What's a common mistake that new composers make?

Hey @Alan Brewer great to hear from you! Always great to have a resource of your expertise in the community!

Maurice, one common mistake is not knowing how much the synch rights to a song will cost AND not realizing how long it can take to go through the process of getting music cleared and licensed, even if the budget allows for the cost.

Alan Brewer!!! It's been TOO LONG! Welcome back. I'm so glad that you're taking the time to reintroduce yourself!

How have you been? Are you working on anything new for 2026?

Thanks Sydney... A recent project, for which I was able to license 4 Aretha Franklin tracks and a Staples Singer track was "Albany Road," a truly wonderful film I am very proud to have worked on with writer/director Christine Swanson and producer, Michael Swanson.

A favorite feature for which I composed and performed the score is "Come Early Morning," starring Ashley Judd, Jeffrey Donovan, Diane Ladd, Laura Prepon and Tim Blake Nelson. Brilliantly written and directed by Joey Lauren Adams.

Welcome—it's fantastic to have someone with your depth of experience in music supervision and licensing here in the community. I'd encourage anyone working on a project to check out the Composing Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/composing), where composers and supervisors regularly connect with filmmakers. Music supervision is actually something I've always been fascinated by—the way the right song can completely transform a scene's emotional weight. What's one piece of advice you'd give a first-time filmmaker who has no budget for music but dreams of landing a recognizable track?

Thanks for the answer, Alan Brewer. I'm thinking about making mood reels for my scripts, and knowing about composing will help.

Thanks, Ashley! Been super busy and traveling quite a bit. I'm just finishing up on a great independent feature, "SWEETWATER ROAD," written by, directed by and starring Myk Watford. Myk is a fabulous actor who has been in quite a bit of television as well as the features, "Respect," "The Kitchen," and "Trailer Park OF Terror" (for which I happen to have composed and performed the original score.). He also has an ongoing role in the Apple+ series, "For All Mankind." This is his feature film debut as a director. Lots of good, indie music in the film.

Hi Sam. The best advice I can give to a first time filmmaker who has no budget for music but dreams of landing a recognizable track is to have one or two back up tracks they can afford, in case they can't get their dream track... which is very likely to be the case. Don't wait until the last minute... engage a music supervisor to find great music you can afford.

Hi Alan Brewer - this is such an important topic to me. Do you have a guide on what songs cost (I'll throw out 3 that each represent in my mind different tiers of expense: 1. Dixieland Delight by Alabama, 2. Centerfold by J. Geils and 3. You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive by Patty Loveless) and how negotiable those costs are? Is it more likely that catalogue songs where publishing is still held by the artists generally cheaper that songs by artists who have sold the publishing rights to investment companies?

Hi Alan,

Great to see you sharing this side of your expertise being on both sides of the table with supervision and licensing is such a valuable perspective for filmmakers here.

For producers and directors in the community, the Producing Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/producing) and Filmmaking Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/directing)

If you're ever looking to connect with specific producers who may benefit from your licensing and supervision experience, our Success Team at Success@Stage32.com

can also help facilitate targeted introductions.

Keep me posted and keep crushing it!!!

Hi Alan Brewer thank you for your post! I record music from time to time (mostly I play guitar and bass and sing) when I'm not screenwriting, and always appreciate the music production side of the business, and I appreciate the kind of work you do.

Hello Alan Brewer,

I'd like to introduce you to my project — Light Off‑Screen, a psychological thriller / existential drama. It tells the story of a director under public accusation, where the central question isn't "is he guilty?" but "who does he become under this pressure?" It's a rare and honest angle — the film explores not guilt, but the destructive force of public judgment.

At its core are three vivid, complex female roles: the wife, the lawyer, and the witness — each with her own truth. This is award‑caliber material for actresses. The screenplay is highly visual, built on silence, detail, and the atmosphere of London — you can already "see" the film.

The themes of #MeToo, power, and media pressure speak directly to the current moment, yet the story never moralizes. Feedback so far has called it "world‑class drama" with "an ending that stays with you long after the credits roll."

I'm currently in discussions with one producer, but I also wanted to introduce the project to you. Its potential lies in festivals like Cannes, Venice, Toronto — and it has drawn interest from the likes of BBC Film and A24.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Hello, I wrote a very good book, because many people read it. It's fantasy, and about 300 people read it a day. The book contains adventure, humor, magic, and historical moments. What advice would you give me on how to find an agent or director to show my work? Please tell me, is this possible, or is this just my imagination and I shouldn't go any further? Thank you!

Hi Darrell. You asked, "Do you have a guide on what songs cost?" I'm sorry to say there is no such guide. Not only do synchronization fees vary song to song and company to company, but there are other factors affecting the cost such as type of use, duration of use, project budget, type of distribution, territory requested, etc.

You also asked, "Is it more likely that catalogue songs where publishing is still held by the artists generally cheaper that songs by artists who have sold the publishing rights to investment companies?" Again there is no clear answer. First, not all artists own their publishing. Further, the answer in any particular instance will depend upon which investment company, as you put it, bought the publishing rights and for which specific artist.

I'm sorry there are no simple answers to your questions. If you ever have more specific questions where the details are known with respect to the project and the song(s) you would like to use, please feel free to reach out.

Hello, Olivia. I suggest you politely and professionally reach out to literary agents, telling them honestly, and succinctly what interest there has been in your bookI(s) and asking permission to submit a sample for their review.

Regarding your other question... far be it from me to tell anyone whether or not to pursue their goals. However, I will paraphrase a well known saying: The one way to guarantee failure is to not ever try.

Alan Brewer Thank you for that information, much appreciated. Music plays such an important part in all of my screenplays and I am quickly learning I might need to re-think that approach.

Alan! Thank you for all you contribute to the community. You’re a hell of a talented guy and so glad to have you here!

Darrell, it's great for music to be an important part of the projects you create, as long as you accept that less expensive, good songs making similar statements may have to be used instead of hit songs by famous artists. That is, until your budgets are truly substantial. ;)

Thanks, Amanda!

Hi Alan! It's great to meet you. I'll be honest and say I don't think much about music in my scripts and if I do use it, I describe the kind of music rather than name the song (IE: MUSIC - slow burn southern rock - sensual and tender). I figure if the mood and feel is there, the right song can be found for the right price.

Should I just skip that on the rare occasions I do add music cues?

Hi, Elle. You are spot on! Keep doing what you are doing, with respect to music descriptions in your script when wanting actual songs or music that will be featured, in some way. No need to include notes regarding background music score in your scripts.

Thanks Alan! Appreciate you confirming that.

Alan Brewer, the work you do is incredible, and thank you for all the thoughtful answers you’ve shared here. I’m already learning a lot just from this thread alone! It’s invaluable to have someone with your background taking the time to explain the realities of supervision and licensing. Looking forward to learning even more from you, and truly appreciate you sharing your experience with the community.

Love this, Alan. What a perspective to share with the community! You've seen firsthand how music clearance issues can derail post-production timelines and budgets when filmmakers wait until the last minute.

We have a lot of producers and filmmakers in the community who could benefit from that expertise, especially independent producers working on tighter budgets who may not realize how complicated music licensing can get. The "both sides of the table" experience is exactly what helps navigate those negotiations efficiently.

Good to have that expertise in the community.

Geoffroy

Thanks Geoffroy! Unfortunately, the majority of indie filmmakers don't figure out that they should have hired a music supervisor until they are in crisis on their project. Somehow, many see the need for professional expertise in every other area of filmmaking, but not with respect to music and music rights. And... there are so many common misconceptions about what needs to be done to legally use music in visual media that indie filmmakers often get themselves in trouble.

Thanks Alan Brewer . Trying to not monopolize your time and take advantage but one final question, are cover songs of popular songs cheaper alternatives or actually potentially more expensive?

Hi, Darrell. Good question. Yes, cover versions of well known songs can be a way of reducing the cost. It won't necessarily alter the fee to the publisher, but may save a significant amount on the recording side. The owner of a cover recording usually is not in a position to demand MFN (most favored nations) status, requiring equal payment with the publishing side, which is almost always required by name artists. There are certain other considerations, however, that are too lengthy go into here.