Licensing
Music Cue Sheet: What Goes In It, Who Files It (Free Template)
A music cue sheet lists every piece of music in a film, TV show or ad so composers get paid. What goes in it, who files it, and a free template.
By Paul Lorenz · · Updated · 7 min read
A broadcaster asks for the cue sheet, the deadline is close, and nobody on the production has filled one in before. It is less work than it looks: a cue sheet is a table with one row per piece of music.
What is a music cue sheet?
A cue sheet is the list of all music in an audiovisual production. ASCAP describes it as "a schedule of the music contained in a film or television program"; PRS for Music as "a breakdown of all music used within an audio-visual production such as a film, TV show or TV commercial".
Every time a piece of music starts and stops is one cue. A cue sheet records each cue with what was used, how, for how long, and who owns the rights. When the programme is broadcast, the collecting society matches the cue sheet against its repertoire and pays the writers and publishers of each cue.
Who prepares and files a cue sheet?
The production company prepares it, because only the production knows which music ended up in the final cut and for how long. Where it goes next depends on the market:
- USA: the production sends it to ASCAP and BMI (both accept the joint template built with RapidCue). ASCAP treats the production company's cue sheet as the authoritative one.
- UK: for TV, broadcasters usually submit cue sheets to PRS for Music; productions and advertisers submit for other uses.
- Germany: GEMA takes cue sheets for films and series through the "AV-Anmeldung" in its online portal, as an online form or an Excel upload, and has a separate registration for advertising spots.
In practice, most broadcasters and distributors ask for the cue sheet as part of the delivery materials, alongside the master file and the music licences.
What goes into a cue sheet?
Two blocks: the production, then one row per cue.
Production details: title of the production, episode title and number, production company and contact, broadcaster or distributor, first broadcast or release date, total running time.
Per cue:
| Field | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cue no. | 1 | In order of appearance |
| Cue title | Canon in D Major | Exact title as registered |
| Usage | BI | See the codes below |
| Timing in / out | 00:02:10 – 00:03:05 | Timecode in the programme |
| Duration | 00:55 | Minutes and seconds actually heard |
| Composer(s), society, share | Johann Pachelbel (public domain) | Arranger too, if the arrangement is credited |
| Publisher(s), society, share | – | Leave empty if there is none |
| Performer / label | Recording artist and label | Who owns the recording |
| ISRC | Code of the recording | Identifies the exact recording |
| ISWC | Code of the composition | Identifies the work |
The ASCAP/BMI template and the international standard from CISAC (the umbrella body of the collecting societies) use the same core fields. ISRC and ISWC are not mandatory everywhere, but they make the match unambiguous, especially for classical pieces that exist in hundreds of recordings.
What do the usage codes mean?
They say how the audience hears the cue. These codes are common on English-language cue sheets:
| Code | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| BI | Background instrumental | Score under a dialogue scene |
| BV | Background vocal | A song playing from a car radio |
| VI | Visual instrumental | A pianist plays on screen |
| VV | Visual vocal | A character sings on screen |
| MT | Main title | The opening theme |
| ET | End title | Music over the closing credits |
Background, visual and theme use can be paid at different rates, so the code matters. If your broadcaster or society uses other codes, follow theirs.
When do you need a cue sheet, and when not?
You need one for TV broadcasts, cinema releases, many streaming and VOD releases, and broadcast or cinema adverts. You usually don't for online-only videos on YouTube, Instagram or TikTok, corporate videos shown internally, or a wedding film. Online, music is identified by systems such as YouTube Content ID instead.
A cue sheet is not a licence. It reports music you have already cleared; the rights to use the music in your production come from the music licence. A track in your film still needs a licence for that use, even if it is listed correctly on the cue sheet.
How to fill in a cue sheet in five steps
- Export the music edit list from your editing software (Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Avid) or note the timecodes of each music clip in the locked cut.
- Merge clips that are one continuous cue. A track that plays once without a break is one cue, even if it spans several edits.
- Measure the duration actually heard, not the length of the track.
- Collect the rights details from each licence: composer, publisher, society, ISRC, ISWC. Your music licensor has them.
- Check the totals: the cue list should match the music you licensed, and nothing you used may be missing.
Download the cue sheet template: production block and cue table with all the fields above, as a CSV for Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
Where do the details for Artyfile music come from?
From the product page and from us. Every Artyfile track page lists the composer, the ISRC of the recording and, where one exists, the ISWC of the composition under "Credits & codes". Artyfile is registered with GEMA, so the composers of Artyfile's own works are paid through the cue sheet when the production is broadcast; on request we send the complete details for your cue sheet, including the society and the rights holder.
The licence itself is a one-off: €29.90 per track, worldwide and without expiry, for film, TV, cinema and advertising alike, and no additional GEMA fee on the licence. The broadcast royalties are a separate matter that the broadcaster settles with the collecting society.
Bottom line
A cue sheet is a table: production details on top, one row per cue with title, usage, timing, duration and rights holders. The production fills it in from the edit list and the music licences, and it costs the production nothing to file. Start from the template, and ask your music licensor for the codes you are missing.
Frequently asked questions
What is a music cue sheet?+
A cue sheet is a list of every piece of music used in a film, TV programme or advert, with its title, how it is used, how long it plays and who wrote and published it. Collecting societies such as ASCAP, BMI, PRS and GEMA use it to pay the composers and publishers when the production is broadcast or shown.
Who fills out the cue sheet?+
The production company prepares it, because it knows which music was used where. Depending on the country it is sent to the broadcaster, the distributor or directly to the collecting society; in the UK broadcasters usually submit TV cue sheets.
Do I need a cue sheet for a YouTube video?+
Usually not. Cue sheets are for broadcast, cinema and some streaming releases. Music in online videos is identified by systems such as YouTube Content ID instead.
Does filing a cue sheet cost anything?+
Filing itself has no fee. The performance royalties are paid by broadcasters, cinemas and platforms under their licences with the collecting societies, not by the production that files the cue sheet.
What do the usage codes BI, BV and MT mean?+
They describe how a cue is heard: BI background instrumental, BV background vocal, VI visual instrumental (performed on screen), VV visual vocal, MT main title (opening theme), ET end title (closing credits). Use the codes your broadcaster or society asks for.
What happens if no cue sheet is filed?+
The collecting society cannot tell which music was broadcast, so the composers and publishers may not be paid for it. Broadcasters therefore often require a cue sheet before or shortly after delivery.
Where do I get the details for licensed library music?+
From the music's licensor. For an Artyfile track, the product page lists the composer, ISRC and ISWC, and Artyfile supplies the full cue sheet details on request.