Composer for television
A daily show needs music that survives a hundred broadcasts without anyone hating it.
What it involves
Main titles, themes, bumpers and show libraries: the music that gives a format its identity and that, above all, has to work at living-room volume, under voices and across whole seasons.
With the composers of Reseda Estudio we’ve written the original music for all ten seasons of La isla de las tentaciones — the Spanish Temptation Island, with a released soundtrack album — as well as La noche de Aimar on laSexta, Me meto en un jardín on La 2, ¡Vaya Vacaciones! and Te falta un viaje. Channel rebrands too, like FDF’s.
A TV format isn’t solved with one piece: it’s solved with a system. A recognisable theme, its variations for each segment, and a library big enough for the gallery to cut something new every night without repeating itself.
What you get
- Main title and theme, in every length the gallery needs
- A show music library by segment and mood: tension, resolution, comedy, emotion
- Bumpers, stings and transitions, in families that belong together
- The format’s sonic identity: sonic logo and its variations
- Continuity from season to season, growing the library without breaking what’s recognisable
- Per-episode cue sheets for rights registration
Some examples
See all television work
FAQ
- What does the music for a TV show include?
- Usually the main title, one or more themes, bumpers in and out of each segment, and a show music library the gallery can use episode by episode. How many pieces depends on the format: a daily show uses far more than a weekly one.
- Can the music grow when the show is renewed?
- Yes, and that’s the norm. On La isla de las tentaciones we’ve spent ten seasons growing the library and evolving the themes without breaking what viewers already recognise. It’s planned as a continuation, not a new commission every year.
- How do TV music rights work?
- On one side there’s the composition and production commission; on the other, the royalties generated by broadcast, paid through the collecting society from the cue sheets the production company delivers. They are two different things, and it’s worth being clear about both in the contract.
- Is music for a reality show written differently?
- Yes. In a reality format the music carries much of the storytelling: it tells you who’s lying, when something breaks and when to breathe. It’s written for the edit that’s coming, not to locked picture, which is why it needs a large, very well-organised library.