MUSIC PRODUCTION & AUDIO EDITING
A short segment of music taken from a pre-existing recording for use in a new composition.
What is a sample?
Background noises that naturally exist in a location, like birds or traffic.
What is ambient sound?
The job of selecting, placing, and licensing music for film or media.
What is a music supervisor?
The rights to a specific recording of a song.
What are master rights?
A collection of sounds, instruments, and effects used to shape a track’s tone.
What is a sound palette?
A repeating, short segment of audio that is used over and over to create rhythm.
What is a loop?
Artificial or enhanced sounds added in post-production to bring scenes to life.
What are sound effects (SFX)?
A meeting where the director, composer, and music supervisor decide where music should go.
What is a spotting session?
The rights to the lyrics and melody of a song.
What are publishing rights?
The different layers of a song (vocals, drums, etc.) separated for editing.
What are stems?
The technique of slicing a sample into smaller pieces to rearrange or reuse it.
What is chopping?
Reproduced sounds like footsteps or rustling clothes made to match the visuals.
What is Foley?
A temporary song used in early video edits to set the mood.
What is a temp track?
The process of legally securing permission to use a song in media.
What is music clearance?
Music added under dialogue to enhance mood without overpowering the scene.
What is underscoring?
Changing the duration of an audio clip without changing its pitch.
What is key mapping?
When music starts as something a character hears and becomes part of the background score.
What is a diegetic transition?
A document that lists every piece of music used in a production.
What is a cue sheet?
When each use of a song must be paid for separately in a project.
What is a needle drop?
A smooth audio connection between two scenes.
What is a sound bridge?
Assigning different audio clips to specific MIDI keys.
What is key mapping?
Gradually changing the volume of audio during a scene to match mood or speech.
What is volume automation?
A song provided by the client to show the desired style or mood.
What is a reference track?
Permission to use a re-recorded version of a song.
What is cover song licensing (mechanical rights)?
A visual or audio collage used to show the vibe or direction of a creative project.
What is a mood board?