Learn — By WATMM Desk —
What is a cue sheet?
A cue sheet is the list of every piece of music used in a film or TV production, with titles, timings, writers, publishers and how each cue was used. Performing rights organisations use it to pay the people behind the music.
Key facts
- A cue sheet lists all the music used in a TV programme or film.
- Each cue is broken down by title, running time, composer, publisher, affiliation and type of use (background, feature, theme).
- Preparing and sending it is usually the producer's job, not the songwriter's.
A cue sheet is the document that lists every piece of music used in a film, TV programme or other media production, so that the performing rights organisations (PROs) know who to pay when it is broadcast or screened.
What goes on one
According to Songtrust, a cue sheet is "a listing of all the music used in a television program or motion picture", broken down by title, running time, composer, publisher, PRO affiliation and type of usage, such as background, feature or theme. Where a cue has several writers, or a writer and publisher split, every payable party should be listed so royalties are calculated correctly.
The sample template from Canadian PRO SOCAN shows how granular this gets: production title, type and year, who prepared the sheet, then one row per cue with a sequence number, music title, usage (for example "Opening Theme"), duration, identifiers such as ISWC and ISRC, and the interested parties and their roles.
Who files it
Usually not you. Songtrust says it is normally the film or TV producer's responsibility to prepare cue sheets and send them to the PROs, and StockMusic.net puts the onus on networks and production companies rather than musicians. BMI, quoted by StockMusic.net, says that without cue sheets it would be "nearly impossible" for composers and publishers to be compensated.
How it connects to the rest of your royalties
The cue sheet feeds performance royalties, which flow through your PRO. It is the paperwork end of a sync licence: the licence lets the music in, the cue sheet gets it paid on every airing. Library music depends on it too; see production music libraries explained.
What we think
Because someone else files it, the cue sheet is where indie writers quietly lose money: a misspelt title, a missing publisher or a "background" logged as "theme" all change the payout, and you rarely see the sheet unless you ask. Our advice: when you land a placement, ask the music supervisor for a copy of the cue sheet, check your names, splits and PRO details against your own registrations, and keep it with your records. Ten minutes of checking beats chasing a mismatched broadcast years later.
Sources
- Sample cue sheet, SOCAN (primary source). Accessed 27 Oct 2026.
- What Is a Cue Sheet?, Songtrust. Accessed 27 Oct 2026.
- The ultimate guide to cue sheets, StockMusic.net. Accessed 27 Oct 2026.
Researched with AI assistance, written and checked by WATMM Desk.