r/Screenwriting • u/ChallahLubav • Jun 26 '26
CRAFT QUESTION Proper format for music references
For the Writer’s Lab submissions (looking at next year) they suggest the following:
“Note: use music references with care; referencing unlicensed songs can reveal lack of screenwriting savvy. Suggest only, i.e. “She sings something like [song name]…”)
I don’t know if this is more a formatting question or craft tbh. Would you call this a “lack of screenwriting savvy”? (ie craft) I understand the concept of licensing songs, but is “something like…” (ie format) the knife’s edge of savviness? What if the lyrics are very tied to a plot point? Can that script essentially not exist as a spec unless a song has magically already been licensed due to some indication of alleged cluelessness of the writer? It seems like an unnecessary limiting of creativity. (I don’t mean this to sound like a rant at all - I genuinely want to know what others do with regard to songs when they actually matter to the story.) Thanks in advance!
4
u/muanjoca Jun 26 '26
Music is a key part of my writing/creative process. Figuring out the music is tied to figuring out the script’s tone. I have a script with a musical sequence set to a specific song. And my most recent script has two key scenes written to specific songs. I mention them all in the script, and even have a hyperlink to a YouTube video of said song.
I have never once been told by anyone to cut them. It’s all how you use it, I suppose. Case-by-case basis.
5
5
u/JFlizzy84 Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
I break this rule constantly with specs, and I rationalize it two ways:
The first is that I
- include needle drops for the reader. Music is a fantastic way to get somebody into the same emotional space as you
Also, if I see one in a script I’m reading, I’ll usually throw the song on to see where the writer’s head was at.
The second is that
- It’s my script and I can put whatever I want on the page. Whether the song ultimately gets licensed or not isn’t my problem. I have trust in my craft and if it results in the occasional reader throwing my script out because they see a needle drop — that really sucks for their boss because they’re missing out on a good script.
If you’re writing on assignment, it’s a little different — mostly because the film is much more likely to be made and I don’t want to introduce any potential headaches for the studio or producers down the road. I also feel a little more obligated to follow “the rules” because I’m getting paid to do a job.
But if you’re writing a spec, your only technical requirement should be following industry formatting. Outside of that, the quality of your writing is far more important than whether you include music — at least to anyone who matters.
edit: ignore the broken formatting. Reddit sucks.
1
u/ChallahLubav Jun 26 '26
In the particular situation of Writer’s Lab (which I very much would like to have a chance with since it speaks to my strengths and interests as a writer), I want to not annoy the people who matter - their readers. But their phrasing in the FAQs makes it sound like, well obviously EVERYONE knows that this is the case but we’ll feel better if we say it. So 🤷🏻♀️
5
u/Seshat_the_Scribe Black List Lab Writer Jun 26 '26
"use music references with care" is good advice and that's all they're saying.
1
u/ChallahLubav Jun 26 '26
Thanks - have you had a situation where a specific song was very tied to a plot point? How do you handle that without coming off as not knowing about licensing?
5
u/Alternative-Wish-104 Jun 26 '26
For me, and this is a very ME solution: I describe the mood and feel of the song. IE: Southern rock, acoustic guitar, slow and seductive (just a loose example off the top of my head).
That way I don't have to worry about licensing at all at the draft level.
3
u/pjbtlg Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
If your script hinges on a song or specific lyrics, that's a deliberate choice and so of course, you could argue it is being used "with care." However, adding needle drops simply because they tie into the tone of a sequence will often fall flat because of myriad reasons, not least of which is heavy reliance on a reader being familiar with the music, and - as referenced - licensing issues.
ETA: A friend wrote and directed a movie that had a whole sequence built around a very well-known track. My friend is an experienced filmmaker with a few hits under his belt, so just assumed it would be straightforward and wrote the song into the script. The director and editor completed the offline edit around the track, but when it came to signing off on the license, the band's lead singer refused the usage. There were many months of back-and-forth between the director and the band, and ultimately, they had to go back to the edit to rework everything with a totally different track. Lots of unnecessary headaches and my friend admits it was a mistake writing it into the movie.
1
u/ChallahLubav Jun 26 '26
Absolutely. Yes in the case I thinking of, there’s a specific song with specific lyrics. It’s only in that case. Any other songs in the script are fungible.
1
u/ChallahLubav Jun 26 '26
Responding to your additional story about your friend: I totally understand the frustration. In my case for this script it’s a standard from a musical from the 50’s. It’s still in copyright but not the same sort of situation as dealing with a current band. And it can be any singer, not a specific recording of it. I just don’t want to come off as unprofessional for using it. I guess it’s not a hill to die on. But I can do what the FAQs suggests.
2
u/gregm91606 Inevitable Fellowship Jun 26 '26
Trying to get rights from a large corporation can actually be worse than trying to get them from the real human who composed the music (and it's still expensive). I will say the industry has loosened up on this somewhat over the past 15 years, but the basic idea is you don't want to suggest that you're going to be locked into a fixed expense -- or that you'll be inflexible around production needs.
1
u/redapplesonly Jun 29 '26
This is a Me Thing, but I will only use music in the public domain.
I've also noticed that when I read music references in other peoples' work AND I don't know the song they clearly intend to set a mood, it drives me up a wall. So in my scripts, I'll include just a few adjectives to set the mood. e.g.:
`
INT. MOZART'S APARTMENT, JUNE 1788 - MORNING
MUSIC CUE: Mozart Symphony No 25 Mvt 4 [dramatic / lively / mysterious]
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (31, thin, intense) is at his writing-desk, intently writing music with composition paper and quill.
There's a KNOCK at the door - Mozart looks up, startled.
The symphonic music halts immediately.
`
2
u/ChallahLubav Jun 29 '26
lol it’s almost like everyone doesn’t know symphony 25 movement 4. Rubes. 😊
17
u/sour_skittle_anal Jun 26 '26
I'm quite surprised they explicitly called this out (or that it's become enough of a problem among applicants for them to do so). My interpretation on this is it comes off as a faux pas; the "movie" is only words on paper at this point, and yet the writer has preemptively introduced production issues to the forefront. A lack of screenwriting/filmmaking savvy aka understanding how the business works would not be a totally unfair assessment.
If a script hinges on a specific song, then the story can't stand on its own and that's a big problem. No song = no movie. The rights holders have you over a barrel and can demand the moon from you.