Watching movies has become an integral part of our daily lives, whether as a moment to relax or background noise while doing chores. Since the “leisure moviegoers” cannot always keep their eyes glued to the screen, they often rely on sound to follow the action. Without this auditory layer, important scenes would fade into a “grey mass,” lacking rhythm and emotional weight. While sound effects are often seen as mere additives to heighten awareness, they are actually the heartbeat of every movie.
In fact, music does more than just accompany a scene; it actively guides people’s brains on how to react. The melody often reveals more than the eyes can see. Suppose we see a neutral face accompanied by sad music; logic dictates that the face is conveying sadness. This reaction isn’t just psychological, but chemical. As our brain uses music to help interpret these visuals, it releases dopamine, creating a sense of pleasure. Similarly, soothing melodies—like the “Married Life” theme from Up—trigger the bonding hormone–oxytocin–enabling the viewer to experience genuine empathy and form a deep connection with the characters.
Beyond emotions, frequencies are used to help the person physically feel the upcoming event. The human ear is capable of hearing between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz, so sounds below 20 Hz are technically silent to the mind, though your body can still feel them. Some films use the low-frequency range of 20-30 Hz to create the “fear frequency,” which evokes a sense of looming and increases air pressure. Even when the viewers do not hear it, they feel it, prompting feelings of anxiety and dizziness.
But who decides which sounds to manipulate the viewers with? This responsibility falls to the music supervisor who oversees the film’s music production. They do not just go to their favorites on Spotify or Apple Music. Rather, finding the appropriate sounds requires patience and much scrolling through Soundcloud to find new music and unknown artists that fit the emotional vibe of the moment they want to rise with music.
The process begins with receiving the sound team’s preferred music. It is always something concrete, such as “happy,” “sad,” or “going to fight.” There are then two options: the music that was written before and now requires licensing, or a special request to an artist or composer to create a new song. Sometimes, a song is tailored to the scene, meant to catch the viewer’s ear just as the happy ending unfolds.
Once the music supervisor has spent hours searching for the right passage that captures the atmosphere, the negotiation process begins. The first required license is “synchronization,” which calls for the publisher’s permission, and the second is “master use,” which typically requires the recording label’s consent. The licensing fees start from $0 for student-made films to $100,000 for those containing hit songs. After the negotiations and the deal conclude, it leaves room for the music to be edited and added.
While some prefer to use existing songs, others want to add something new, leveraging their trusted connections with composers to produce specific melodies. Usually, they reach out to the artist’s label or publisher to talk about the details, but there are exceptions when a renowned director writes a personal letter to the artist. The director’s explicit interest could also lower the price of the deal and increase its likelihood of approval, whereas a lawyer would likely advise against it.
Making a song “spark” in a movie is not a one-person job, as it is often thought, and syncing the magical moment requires a lot of paperwork that might bring unwanted trouble. Whenever you hear the music in your favorite movie and enjoy how it matches the moment, appreciate how it was created.