Who music supervisors are, how they find music for Indian films and OTT series, and how to get your music in front of them.
What Is a Music Supervisor?
A music supervisor is the person responsible for selecting, licensing, and managing all music used in a film, web series, advertisement, or other audiovisual production. They sit between the director's creative vision and the practical realities of rights clearance and budget.
A music supervisor in India typically:
- Works with the director and editor to identify where music is needed and what type fits the scene
- Searches for existing music (source music) that matches the creative brief
- Negotiates sync licences with rights holders (artists, labels, publishers)
- Manages the music budget for the production
- Coordinates with the original score composer (a separate role)
- Ensures all rights are properly cleared before release
Music Supervision in India: How It Actually Works
India's music supervision sector is at a significantly earlier stage than the US or UK. Dedicated, independent music supervisors are rare. Instead, the function is typically performed by:
1. The film's music director / composer: In Bollywood, the music director often oversees all music in the film, including source cues. Original score and song selection are often the same person's responsibility.
2. In-house OTT music teams: Netflix India, Amazon Prime Video India, Disney+ Hotstar, SonyLIV, and Zee5 have in-house music coordinators or managers who handle music licensing for original productions.
3. Production house music teams: Larger production companies like Excel Entertainment, Dharma Productions, or Maddock Films have internal teams that manage music rights for their productions.
4. Independent music supervisors: A small but growing number of independent practitioners work on advertising, branded content, and smaller productions. The Indian Advertising Agency Association (AAAI) is a relevant professional body.
What Kind of Music Do Indian Productions Need?
INDIAN OTT SERIES (Netflix, Amazon, Hotstar originals):
- Contemporary Indian indie music is increasingly used in youth-oriented series
- English-language international songs used for aspirational/urban character moments
- Specific mood/genre requirements vary by production type
- Hindi film songs sometimes used (heavy rights clearance required)
Bollywood Films
- Most music is commissioned as original songs from the music director
- Sync of pre-existing independent tracks is rare in mainstream Bollywood but growing
- Art-house and parallel cinema more open to licensing independent music
Advertisements and Branded Content
- The most accessible entry point for sync in India
- Ad agencies regularly use indie music for brand campaigns
- Brands like Bacardi, Bira 91, Kingfisher, boAt, CRED, and Red Bull India have used indie music in campaigns
- Fees range widely: INR 50,000 (small digital campaign) to INR 20,00,000+ (national TVC)
Web Series and Youtube Originals
- Smaller budgets than OTT, but volume is high
- Indian YouTube creators and web series producers often approach independent artists directly
- Fees: typically INR 10,000–1,00,000 per track depending on production size
Documentary Films
- Often limited budgets, but international documentary exposure can be creatively valuable
- Many documentary filmmakers will negotiate flat fees for Indian artists
How to Get your Music to Music Supervisors
Method 1: Direct Outreach
Find music supervisors and in-house music coordinators via LinkedIn (search: "music supervisor India", "music licensing India", "sync licensing India"). Also search in credits of OTT shows you admire.
Pitch email format (brief): Subject: [Song Title] — [Genre/Mood] | Sync Available Body: 2 sentences about the song, a streamable link (SoundCloud, private Spotify, Dropbox), and confirmation that sync rights are available and unencumbered. Do not attach audio files.
Method 2: Music Libraries and Pitching Platforms
Upload your music to:
- Musicbed (musicbed.com): Premium sync library. Curated; application required.
- Artlist (artlist.io): Global music licensing platform used by many video creators.
- Epidemic Sound: Large platform; apply as creator.
- Synchedin: More accessible; lower barrier to entry.
- Musicbroker.com: India-relevant platform.
Note: Library deals are often non-exclusive, low-fee, and give you broad reach. They are not a substitute for direct sync relationships but can generate passive income.
Method 3: Build Relationships at Industry Events
- Sundance London / LA (for international supervisors interested in Indian music)
- IFFI (International Film Festival of India) — Goa: Industry networking opportunities
- IFFM (Indian Film Festival of Melbourne): Australian-Indian film industry crossover
- Prism Music Summit, NHMC (NH7 Weekender Music Conference): Indian music industry conferences
Method 4: Music Supervisor Submission Services
Groover (groover.co) and similar platforms allow you to pay a small fee to pitch directly to music supervisors who have opted in to review submissions.
What to Have Ready Before Pitching for Sync
- High-quality recording (professionally mixed and mastered)
- Instrumental version available (many sync uses require instrumentals)
- Rights clearly held: you own both composition AND master, or can license both
- Clean (radio edit / no explicit content) version available for advertising use
- Lyric sheet with English translation (if song is in Hindi or other Indian language)
- Metadata complete: ISRC, composer/lyricist credits, IPRS registration confirmed
- Quick response time: sync deals move fast. Be reachable within 24 hours.
Sync Licensing Process in India — Step by Step
Step 1: Music supervisor or brand agency contacts you with a brief Step 2: You provide the relevant track(s) for consideration (private stream link) Step 3: If selected, they request a quote (you or your publisher/admin quotes the sync fee) Step 4: Terms negotiated: fee, territory, exclusivity, term, use type Step 5: Sync Licensing Agreement signed (see Sync Licensing Agreement template) Step 6: You deliver the audio file in the specified format (typically WAV or AIFF) Step 7: Payment: typically 50% on signing, 50% on delivery or on first day of broadcast Step 8: Collect TDS certificate if payer is a company (Section 194J for royalty payments)
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Free to use · Part of the Indie Music India toolkit · Updated September 2026