A music cue sheet turns a finished score into clear, usable documentation for production teams, publishers, and rights administrators. This guide explains what to record, how to build a reliable cue log for film, television, streaming, and games, and when to review the information before delivery or registration.
Overview
A composer cue sheet is a record of every distinct piece of music used in an audiovisual project. It connects a cue’s title and timing to the production, its writers and publishers, the way it is used, and any relevant ownership or registration details. Depending on the project, the final document may be completed by the composer, music supervisor, production company, publisher, or another designated administrator.
The exact form and submission process can vary by territory, collection society, publisher, broadcaster, platform, or production contract. For that reason, a personal cue log should be treated as the working source of truth, not automatically as the final submission format. Before delivery, compare your records with the instructions from the responsible production contact and the relevant rights organization.
The safest workflow is to document cues during the project rather than reconstructing them months later. Start at the spotting stage, update the log as music is revised, and perform a final comparison against the locked picture, delivered audio, and agreed credits.
What to track
A useful cue log should identify each cue unambiguously and preserve the information needed to distinguish one version from another. A spreadsheet, database, or project-management tool can work well if it supports consistent naming, notes, and version history.
Core cue fields
- Project title: Include the working title and, when known, the official release title.
- Episode, level, or sequence: Record the episode number, game level, chapter, trailer, or other project subdivision.
- Cue number: Use a stable identifier such as 01M01 or another format agreed with the production team.
- Cue title: Keep the title consistent across the session, score files, exports, and delivery documents.
- Version: Note whether the entry refers to the original, revised, alternate, shortened, looped, or replacement version.
- Timecode: Capture the start and end time, using the project’s agreed frame rate and timecode format.
- Duration: Record the duration separately so it can be checked against the timecodes.
- Usage: Describe whether the music is featured, background, source, underscore, theme, main title, end title, interstitial, or another category used by the project.
- Audio status: Indicate whether the cue is full mix, stems, source music, temp replacement, unused, or replaced in the final cut.
Rights and credit fields
- Composer and co-writer names, using the spelling and professional identifiers supplied for registration.
- Writer and publisher shares, if confirmed by the agreement or registration instructions.
- Publisher, administrator, or rights-holder information where applicable.
- Performing-rights or collection-society affiliation, when requested by the relevant form.
- ISWC, ISRC, work ID, library ID, or other identifier only when one has been assigned. Do not invent a placeholder that could be mistaken for a real registration.
- Notes about interpolated, licensed, commissioned, library, or pre-existing music.
Use one row per cue or musical work, not one row per audio file. If a cue has multiple edits or mixes, preserve the shared work information while adding version notes. If a cue contains third-party material, flag it for separate clearance and documentation rather than treating it as ordinary original score.
Reusable cue log template
Copy these headings into a spreadsheet and adapt them to the project’s requirements:
Project | Episode/Level | Cue No. | Cue Title | Version | Start TC | End TC | Duration | Usage | Final Status | Composer(s) | Publisher | Writer Shares | Publisher Shares | Society/ID | Related Agreement | Notes
Add a “last checked” date and the person who verified each row. That small step makes unresolved questions visible during handoffs.
How documentation differs by format
| Format | Primary timing reference | Details to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Film | Final picture timecode | Picture revisions, title sequences, end credits, and replaced or shortened cues |
| Television | Episode and final broadcast or delivery master | Episode identifiers, recurring themes, commercial-break structure, and version differences |
| Streaming | Delivered master and platform-specific version where applicable | Regional edits, alternate masters, differing title cards, and changing delivery metadata |
| Games | Implementation or level documentation rather than one continuous picture timeline | Interactive music states, loops, transitions, stems, adaptive layers, and asset identifiers |
Game music requires special care because a single musical work may appear through several interactive assets. Track the work, its individual files, loop points, transition logic, and the level or system in which it is implemented. Ask the audio or production team which identifier should be used for each asset and which information belongs in the formal cue documentation.
Cadence and checkpoints
A cue sheet is most accurate when maintained at predictable checkpoints. The following rhythm works as a baseline; adjust it to the production schedule.
- Spotting: Create the first entries from the spotting notes. Record provisional titles, estimated timings, intended usage, and open questions.
- After each delivery: Update the log when a cue is shortened, extended, retitled, rescored, or replaced. Keep the prior version in notes or a separate revision tab.
- After picture lock or implementation lock: Compare every timecode and duration with the approved picture or game build. Remove unused cues from the final-use list, but retain them in an archive if they may be relevant to contracts or future revisions.
- Before rights or credit submission: Verify names, shares, publishers, identifiers, and third-party materials against signed agreements and official registration information.
- After release or delivery: Save the submitted version, confirmation, and any correspondence with the project records. Note discrepancies that should be checked in the next reporting cycle.
A monthly or quarterly review is useful for ongoing series, games, library catalogs, and projects with delayed registrations. During that review, filter for blank fields, duplicate titles, unverified shares, provisional timecodes, and entries marked “TBD.”
How to interpret changes
Changes in a cue log do not always indicate an error. A new duration may reflect an edit, while a new title may reflect a delivery convention rather than a new composition. Interpret changes by comparing three records: the musical work, the delivered asset, and the audiovisual use.
When a change appears, ask:
- Is this the same musical work in a new edit, or a genuinely new cue?
- Did the ownership or writer-share information change, or only the mix and duration?
- Does the final master contain the cue, and does the cue appear under the same title?
- Does a game implementation use one work across several interactive assets?
- Was third-party or pre-existing material added, removed, or substituted?
- Has an identifier been assigned, or is the field still awaiting confirmation?
Use consistent statuses such as draft, awaiting confirmation, final audio checked, and submitted. This is more informative than deleting uncertain rows. Keep an audit trail for material changes, especially when multiple collaborators or departments edit the documentation.
Do not assume that a cue sheet determines ownership. The signed composer, collaboration, publishing, licensing, or production agreements remain the authority for rights questions. For collaborative work, a written agreement can help resolve credit and share details before the cue log reaches administration.
When to revisit
Revisit this workflow whenever you begin a new scoring project, receive a revised cut, deliver a new game build, or prepare a registration or credit submission. It is also worth reviewing the process on a monthly or quarterly basis for active projects and at least annually for your personal templates.
Administrative terminology, required metadata, submission portals, and collection-society procedures can change. Before sending a final cue sheet, check the current instructions from the relevant production contact, publisher, collection society, or rights administrator. Requirements may differ by territory and project type, so avoid relying on an old form simply because its columns look familiar.
For your next project, create the spreadsheet before the first recording session. Enter the project identifier, agree on cue naming, add provisional spotting information, and mark unknown rights fields clearly. At every delivery, compare the log with the latest picture or build. Before submission, run a final check for titles, timings, versions, shares, identifiers, and unused material. That routine turns cue documentation from a last-minute administrative task into a dependable part of the composing workflow.
