Cue sheets are among the most important and most overlooked pieces of music documentation in media production.
Get them right, and royalties flow correctly to every composer whose music appeared in your production. Get them wrong, or skip them entirely, and you create compliance problems, delay deliverables, and potentially deprive real composers of income they’re legally owed.
They’re also, invariably, the thing people think about last. Like, “oh, the broadcaster needs what now?” last.
What Is a Music Cue Sheet?
A music cue sheet is a document listing all the music used in a film, TV episode, advertisement, or other audio/visual production.
It’s the official record of what music appeared, where it appeared, for how long, and who owns the rights. Cue sheets are submitted to broadcasters and Performing Rights Organizations (PROs), ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, so that performance royalties can be accurately tracked and distributed.
Without a cue sheet, PROs have no way to know which rights-holders to pay when your production airs.
Who Is Responsible
Responsibility typically falls to the production company or producer. In practice, it lands with whoever is managing music on the production, often the music supervisor on larger projects, the post-production coordinator or music editor on mid-sized ones, or the producer directly on smaller productions.
Most broadcasters require a completed cue sheet as part of their technical delivery package. Distributors and streaming platforms increasingly require them as well.
What a Cue Sheet Contains
Every cue sheet includes a line item for each discrete piece of music used in the production. For each cue, you’ll need:
Cue number, a sequential identifier for each music segment.
Cue title, the name of the music track as it appears in the library or publishing registration.
Composer(s), the full legal name(s) of the composer(s). Not a stage name or shortened version.
Publisher(s), the publishing company name(s) associated with each composer.
PRO affiliation, which Performing Rights Organization each composer and publisher belongs to (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, etc.).
Duration, exact timing of the music use, accurate to the second.
Usage type, how the music is used in the scene (see below).
Timecode in/out, exactly where in the production the cue begins and ends.
Music Usage Types
Cue sheets require you to classify how each piece of music is used. The designations affect how performance royalties are calculated, so they matter.
BI (Background Instrumental), Music audible in the background, not the focus of the scene. The most common designation by far.
BV (Background Vocal), Background music that includes lyrics, heard but not featured.
VI (Visual Instrumental), Music featured on screen as part of the action, a band playing in a scene, a radio visible on screen.
VV (Visual Vocal), A featured vocal performance that’s visible on screen.
TH (Theme), Opening or closing theme music for the production.
UT (Under Title), Music playing under the main titles.
Why They Matter
Composers depend on them. Performance royalties are a meaningful part of income for many production music composers. An inaccurate or missing cue sheet means they don’t get paid for their work being broadcast. That’s not a technicality. It’s someone’s livelihood, and it’s why we care about this.
Broadcasters require them. Missing or incomplete cue sheets can delay air dates. This is not a hypothetical, it happens.
They protect you. A complete cue sheet demonstrates proper licensing and documentation, useful protection if any rights questions arise later.
Streaming platforms are increasingly requiring them. As major platforms formalize their music compliance processes, cue sheets are becoming standard deliverables across the industry.
How to Prepare One
1. Keep a music log during production. Don’t wait until picture lock. Maintain a running log of every track used, title, timing notes, source library, throughout the edit. The later you start, the harder it gets.
2. Confirm rights-holder information. For every track, confirm the exact legal name of the composer(s), the publishing entity, and PRO affiliation. For music from production music libraries, this should be available directly from the library. VideoHelper provides composer, publisher, and PRO affiliation details with every license.
3. Get exact timings from the locked cut. Pull in/out timecodes from picture lock. Duration should be accurate to the second, estimates are not good enough.
4. Classify usage type correctly. Misclassifying BI as VI affects royalty calculations. Know the difference before you fill in the form.
5. Use broadcaster templates if provided. Many networks provide specific cue sheet formats with their own required fields and layout. Always use the required format when one exists.
6. Submit appropriately. Broadcasters receive cue sheets as part of technical delivery. You may also submit directly to ASCAP and BMI so performance royalties are tracked even if broadcaster records have gaps.
Common Mistakes
Missing cues. Every piece of music, including stingers, transitional tracks, and end title music, needs to be logged. If it’s audible, it needs a line item.
Guessing at durations. Use your edit’s timecode readout. Estimates are not accurate enough and can affect royalty distributions.
Wrong composer names. Legal names matter. PROs look up registrations by name, and a mismatch means the royalty doesn’t reach the right person.
Missing PRO affiliations. Without them, royalties can’t be distributed correctly, and the PRO has no way to route payment.
Treating cue sheets as an afterthought. Build it into your post-production schedule, not the night before delivery when everyone is already tired and slightly angry.
Related articles:→ Music Licensing Explained→ What Is Sync Licensing?→ ASCAP, BMI & PROs: How Royalties Work→ How to License Music for Video→ What Is a Music Supervisor?