Musical Genres, Song Sourcing, and Music Production

Julianne Jordan

Authored by Julianne Jordan

|

Course Code: OMBUS-510

Explore how music supervisors source, evaluate, commission, and prepare music for film and television. Through genre analysis, licensing strategy, creative collaboration, and production workflows, you learn to match songs to story, audience, and creative vision while navigating real-world industry requirements.

Level 5
Graduate
Modality
Online
Duration
12 Weeks
3-Credit Tuition
$2,874
Semester Starts
Enroll by July 9 Sept 28
(June semester enrollment extended!)
Accreditation
NECHE

Key Learning Outcomes

  • Evaluate musical genres, styles, and cultural contexts to select songs that strengthen storytelling, character development, and emotional impact
  • Source, commission, and compare music options for film and television using creative, technical, and business criteria
  • Integrate licensing, rights management, production workflows, and music editing considerations into music supervision decisions
  • Collaborate with artists, songwriters, producers, and rights holders to deliver music that aligns with a project's creative vision and practical requirements
Overview Syllabus Requirements Instructors Related Music Career Roles

Enrollment for this course will open soon.

Need guidance?

1-866-BERKLEE Int'l: +1-617-747-2146

Call, Text, or Email us

Course Description

This course will open for January 2027 enrollment in October 2026.

Explore the art and strategy behind finding the perfect song. In this music supervision course, you will focus on song sourcing and project-fit decision-making, learning how music supervisors identify, evaluate, commission, and prepare music for visual media. You will analyze a broad range of musical styles, both mainstream and niche, to develop the critical listening and creative judgment needed to assess how genre, tone, and cultural context shape a song's effectiveness in film and television.

Read More

Through targeted assignments, you will gain hands-on experience sourcing music for varied creative needs, from licensing existing tracks to commissioning original songs and covers. You will gain a working knowledge of production, editing, and legal essentials, examining how to collaborate with songwriters and producers while gaining exposure to dealmaking and technical delivery. This course emphasizes balancing creative vision with practical considerations and engages with the emerging trends shaping the future of music in media.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Assess musical genres, styles, and cultural context to determine their effectiveness and appropriateness for visual media projects
  • Analyze songs from both creative and practical perspectives, including emotional impact, narrative support, and production considerations
  • Critique music supervision choices using industry standards, articulating clear creative rationale and alternative approaches
  • Design music sourcing and commissioning strategies that integrate licensing, production workflows, and creative direction for media-ready outcomes
  • Manage collaborative processes with artists, composers, producers, and rights holders to deliver polished, cleared music under real-world constraints
Read Less

Syllabus

Lesson 1: Introduction to Music Supervision and Genre Fluency

  • The Role and Scope of the Music Supervisor
  • Genre Fluency as a Creative Tool
  • Music as Narrative and Emotional Architecture
  • Characters and Genre
  • Genre Mixing and Hybridization
  • Assignment 1: Reframing a Scene Through Genre

Lesson 2: Genre Breakdown—Pop, Rock, and Hip-Hop

  • Defining the Sound of Pop, Rock, and Hip-Hop
  • Subgenres and Evolution
  • Cultural Impact and Audience Perception
  • Genre and Storytelling
  • Selecting Tracks for Sync
  • Assignment 2: Three Genres, Three Sync Strategies

Lesson 3: Folk, Country, Jazz, Classical, and Niche Styles

  • Music Characteristics and Genre Identity
  • Historical and Cultural Context
  • Authenticity and Representation
  • Genre Use in Film and Television
  • Sourcing Music from Diverse Catalogs
  • Assignment 3: Authentic Tone and Targeted Placement

Lesson 4: Creating the Musical Tone of the Project

  • Understanding the Director's Vision
  • Defining the Sonic Identity of a Project
  • Tone, Mood, and Emotional Arc
  • Time Period, Setting, and Musical World-Building
  • Building a Cohesive Musical Palette
  • Assignment 4: Building the Soundtrack Blueprint

Lesson 5: Finding the Next Hit—Discovering Emerging Artists

  • The Role of Music Discovery in Supervision
  • Platforms and Tools for Music Discovery
  • Evaluating Emerging Artists for Sync Potential
  • Building Relationships with Independent Artists
  • Curating Music for Future Projects
  • Assignment 5: Emerging Artist Discovery Exercise

Lesson 6: Song Sourcing 101—Working with Labels and Publishers to Find the Right Pre-Existing Track

  • The Song Sourcing Process
  • Working with Record Labels
  • Working with Music Publishers
  • Researching Song Ownership and Rights
  • Presenting Song Options to Creative Teams
  • Assignment 6: Song Sourcing Exercise

Lesson 7: Music Licensing 101—Sync Rights and Clearance

  • Introduction to Music Licensing
  • Master Rights and Publishing Rights
  • The Sync Licensing Process
  • Licensing Challenges and Clearance Issues
  • Licensing Considerations for Music Supervisors
  • Assignment 7: Licensing Research Exercise

Lesson 8: Collaborating with Creatives—Artists, Songwriters, and Producers

  • The Collaborative Role of the Music Supervisor
  • Communicating Creative Direction
  • Working with Songwriters and Composers
  • Collaborating with Producers and Recording Teams
  • Managing Creative Feedback and Revisions
  • Assignment 8: Creative Collaboration Exercise

Lesson 9: Deal Making for Original Songs and Covers

  • Types of Deals for Original Songs and Covers
  • Fee Structures for Original Music Production
  • Ownership and Rights in Original Music
  • Deliverables and Production Requirements
  • Negotiation Strategies and Real-World Challenges
  • Assignment 9: Original Song Deal Sheet

Lesson 10: Music Production for Supervisors—From Demo to Final Mix

  • Understanding the Music Production Workflow
  • From Demo to Arrangement
  • Recording Sessions and Production Decisions
  • Mixing, Editing, and Preparing Final Deliverables
  • Budgeting and Production Management
  • Assignment 10: Production Analysis Exercise

Lesson 11: Music Editing Essentials and Final Project Preparation

  • The Role of Music Editing in Supervision
  • Editing Music to Picture
  • Tempo, Timing, and Transitions
  • Using Instrumentals, Stems, and Alternate Versions
  • Preparing Music Edits for Delivery
  • Assignment 11: Culminating Experience: Genre-Specific Original Song Commissioning Plan

Lesson 12: AI, Technology, and the Future of Music Supervision

  • The Role of Technology in Modern Music Supervision
  • AI-Assisted Music Creation
  • Ethical and Legal Considerations in AI Music
  • Data, Metadata, and Music Organization
  • Preparing for the Future of Music Supervision

Requirements

Proof of a Bachelor's Degree

Proof of a bachelor's degree is required to enroll in this non-degree, graduate-level course.
Ready to submit an unofficial copy of your transcript?


Requirements coming soon.

General Course Requirements

Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in Live Classes. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course. 

Mac Users

  • macOS Monterey 12.0 or later

PC Users

All Users

  • Latest version of Google Chrome
  • Zoom meeting software
  • Webcam
  • Speakers or headphones
  • External or internal microphone
  • Broadband Internet connection

Instructors

Julianne Jordan
Julianne Jordan

Author & Instructor

Julianne Jordan is a Grammy-winning music supervisor and executive music producer with a career spanning more than three decades across film, television, live events, and immersive entertainment. Widely recognized for her expertise in music supervision, soundtrack strategy, original song development, and large-scale music production, her credits include A Star Is Born (for which she won a Grammy), all three movies in the Pitch Perfect franchise, Trolls, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Swingers. Recent projects include serving as music supervisor on Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard from Earth for Sphere in Las Vegas and serving as executive music producer for The Wizard of Oz at Sphere. The latter project featured a landmark re-recording of Herbert Stothart’s Academy Award-winning score with an 80-piece orchestra at the historic MGM Scoring Stage.

Read More

Jordan has received six Guild of Music Supervisors Awards, a Grammy Award, and numerous other industry honors. She serves on the Board of Directors for Education Through Music–Los Angeles and We Are Moving The Needle. Additionally, she is a three-term Governor of the Recording Academy’s Los Angeles Chapter and a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Read Less

What's Next?

When taken for credit, Musical Genres, Song Sourcing, and Music Production can be applied towards the completion of these related programs:

Related Certificate Programs

Related Degree Major

Related Music Career Roles

Employers look for skills learned in this course, when hiring for the following music career roles:

Licensing Representative

Music Coordinator

Music Editor

Music Publisher

Music Supervisor (Film, TV, Video Games)

Record Producer

Songwriter-Producer
See All  

Questions?

Contact our Academic Advisors by phone at 1-866-BERKLEE (U.S.), 1-617-747-2146 (INT'L), or by email at advisors@online.berklee.edu.

 Get Info
Call
Text