Theatrical Trailer Music!! 185libraries, it is prudent to mix most cues in various technical formats. It will
save time and expense at a later date.
Most composers who write for library companies retain their royalties
(writer’s share), and the music library retains the rights to the publisher’s
share. Composers are generally not paid to write cues for music libraries.
This practice is referred to as ‘‘writing on spec (speculation).’’ One might
ask, ‘‘Why do composers devote time to writing on spec?’’ The answer is
that library cues might be licensed numerous times, generating consider-
able fees from synchronization licenses and performance royalties from
use on broadcast television, cable television, Internet advertising, and so
forth. (No composers’ royalties are derived from theatrical performances
of trailers.) Successful library composers can generate substantial compen-
sation if they are prolific and their music is regularly licensed.
Original Trailer Music
Composers who compose theatrical scores might be asked to write new
music for portions of the trailers for films they scored. It is rare that music
from the films is used in the trailers, unless the music is identifiable with
the picture (e.g.,Star WarsorSuperman). The genre(s) of music used in
some of the trailers may differ from the tone of the music scored for the
film. For example, Clint Eastwood’s filmFlags of Our Fathershas a tradi-
tional orchestral score, yet the television trailer has a contemporary score;
the theatrical trailer incorporates the theme from the original score, which
is written in a traditional style.
Independent composers are hired to write original music and/or
soundalike cues. Soundalikes are compositions that sound like something
else (or ‘‘in the spirit of’’), such as the theme toThe Lord of the Rings. This
is usually due to the expense of licensing high-profiled music. Composers
must be careful not to plagiarize. A standard assignment may be to com-
pose an action cue that will remind the creators of a cue or theme used in
XYZ film. Since professional composers purchase high-quality instrumen-
tal samples, working with a relatively low budget allows them to produce
orchestral compositions that sound remarkably ‘‘live.’’ Mixing samples
with several live musicians makes it difficult for an audience to realize that
aliveorchestraisnotperformingthemusic.Inaddition,muchofthe
music is mixed at a lower level than the dialogue and sound effects, mak-
ing it even more difficult for an audience to recognize that the music is
synthesized.
It is uncommon for one composer, using a live orchestra, to score an
entire trailer. Music executives generally do not want to incur the expense
of paying for musicians, engineers, studios, and other expenses when they
can accomplish most of their musical goals by licensing music at relatively