Getting Your Music on TV: Lessons from Music Supervisor Andrea Higgins

If you’re an indie artist hoping to get your music placed in TV or film, you’ve probably heard advice like “get your music out there” or “build relationships.” That advice is not wrong, but it leaves out the part that matters most. Sync works best when your music is both creatively suitable and easy to license.

I recently spoke with Canadian music supervisor Andrea Higgins, whose credits include Working Moms and Heartland. As a composer and producer, I’ve collaborated with Andrea on shows like Ride, Ripple, and others. Our conversation covered how songs get licensed, how supervisors find music, and what artists can do before pitching.

Sync as part of an artist strategy

One story Andrea shared was placing “Dreamer” by Jen Grant as the title theme in Heartland. That placement helped introduce Jen’s music to a wider audience and became closely connected to the show.

I’ve seen this from another angle too. Jadea Kelly, an artist I work with, recently had a song featured in Sullivan’s Crossing, a show I compose the score for. A well placed song can support the emotion of a scene while giving an artist a meaningful introduction to new listeners.

For many artists, sync is no longer treated as a strange side path or a compromise. It can be one useful lane in a larger music career, especially when the artist’s songs already have the kind of emotional clarity that screen projects often need.

How supervisors find songs

Music supervisors find songs through trusted contacts, playlists, music libraries, recommendations from other supervisors or editors, and direct submissions. A cold pitch can still work, but it has to be relevant, clear, and easy to act on.

Before reaching out, make file delivery simple. Use one click streaming or download links instead of attachments or links that expire. If someone is listening quickly between deadlines, the small details matter. A broken link, missing contact info, or unclear ownership can be enough to stop the process.

What to prepare before pitching

To be considered for sync, your song should be ready both musically and administratively. That means having a finished recording, embedded metadata, clear master and publishing ownership, instrumental versions, and alternate edits when possible.

Instrumentals are especially useful. A vocal may get in the way of dialogue, but the track might still work beautifully underneath a scene. No vocal edits, shorter versions, clean endings, and other alternates give the music editor and supervisor more options.

Pre cleared tracks are also valuable. This means the rights are already sorted out and the song can be licensed without chasing down missing approvals. When a production needs to replace music at the last minute, an easy clearance process can make a real difference.

I’ve created a free metadata checklist to help artists organize the information that should travel with their songs before they pitch.

Pitching with intention

Good pitching starts with fit. Watch the show when possible. Listen for its tone, pacing, and emotional world. Then send only a few songs that genuinely make sense.

Include what someone needs to evaluate and clear the track: a streaming link, a short mood description, master and publishing ownership info, contact details for rights holders, and confirmation that the song is pre cleared if that is true.

Keep the message short, friendly, and clear. This is not the place for a long bio, a full catalogue, or a dramatic explanation of your artistic journey. The goal is to make it easy for someone to understand what you are sending and why it might fit.

Events and real conversations can also help. A good relationship does not have to start with a pitch. Following a supervisor’s work, understanding their projects, and paying attention to the kinds of music they use can lead to stronger submissions when the timing is right.

Budgets, fees, and rights

Licensing fees vary by project, usage, budget, and artist profile. A song used under dialogue will not usually be treated the same as a featured song, end credit placement, or title theme.

Canadian productions often work with tighter music budgets than larger studio projects. That does not mean artists should be careless with rights or assume exposure is the payment. It means the song needs to fit the scene, fit the budget, and be easy to clear.

Cue sheets matter too. They tell performing rights organizations such as SOCAN where and how your music was used. Incorrect names, missing information, or unclear splits can delay or prevent royalty payments.

Before pitching, make sure you know who controls the master and publishing. If there are cowriters, producers, labels, or publishers involved, sort that out before a supervisor is asking. Nobody wants to discover a rights problem after the song has already been chosen.

Also be careful with samples, loops, or any third party material. If you cannot confirm that every element is clearable for sync, the song may be harder to place.

Composers and supervisors

Sometimes composers are brought in to support the emotional tone of a show and respond to creative briefs. The work is collaborative. The goal is not to show everything you can do. The goal is to understand the story and help the scene land.

That applies to songwriters too. The more you understand the world of the project, the better your chances of sending music that feels useful. A great song still has to serve the scene.

Final thoughts

Music supervision sits between creativity, deadlines, rights, and trust. If sync is part of your career goals, preparation matters.

Get your assets organized. Know your rights. Make your files easy to review. Then pitch with care and confidence.