Production Guide Menu

The Warner Bros. Discovery Music Source library is available for use in Warner Bros. Discovery productions at no charge. It is recommended and preferred that WBDMS content is used in all Warner Bros. Discovery productions. Please register for access to the Warner Bros. Discovery Music Source (WBDMS) site at: https://library.discoverymusicsource.com/register

As soon as we see your registration go through, we will adjust your download access based on the show and region. If you have additional team members that need to be working together in WBDMS, please have them register using the same show/company info and we can add you all to a shared playlist group.

Our in-house music supervisors can provide brand expertise along with customized playlists based on your specific needs. They can also access music resources not yet online, assist with challenging budgets, and offer composer suggestions for custom music that will help distinguish your show.

For general Global Music Services (GMS) inquiries, including gratis custom music composition contact: Jamie Shoemaker (Director, Music Operations, jamie_shoemaker@discovery.com)
For music supervision and assistance with Warner Bros. Discovery Music Source (WBDMS) content contact: Ben Foy (Music Publishing Specialist, Ben_Foy@discovery.com)

SCRIPPS BRANDS AND MAGNOLIA

Warner Bros. Discovery Music Source

Projects for all platforms (D+/linear/digital/etc.) originating from a U.S. Scripps linear brand (Magnolia, HGTV, Food Network, Travel, and Cooking) cannot use the entire WBDMS library. Projects for these brands can only use the DiscoveryClear, Voyant, Droid Mafia, Pitchwire and Riddle Music catalogs. These WBDMS catalogs are meant to supplement the external library music resources discussed below.

External Music Libraries for Magnolia, HGTV, Food Network, Travel, and Cooking

Projects for all platforms (D+/linear/digital/etc.) originating from a U.S. Scripps linear brand (Magnolia, HGTV, Food Network, Travel, and Cooking) also require a direct license for performing rights in the U.S. (i.e., no royalties will be distributed in the U.S. for music). When approaching external vendors to license music you should inform them you need a direct license as part of your agreement. They should be familiar with this request but feel free to include jamie_shoemaker@discovery.com if there are additional questions.

Music rates, which should be included in your Magnolia, HGTV, Food Network, Travel, and Cooking show budget, are $600 per half-hour episode and $1200 per one-hour episode (these rates include the direct license). Please see the “Warner Bros Discovery Preferred Music Vendors US -External” document for a current list of approved music vendors who have agreed to predetermined rates for these projects.

COMMISSIONED MUSIC

Please contact Jamie Shoemaker (Director, Music Operations, jamie_shoemaker@discovery.com) when commissioning any music so the music team is aware of the project and can ensure final delivery of all Warner Bros. Discovery owned music assets.

Requirements for Commissioned Music:

Warner Bros. Discovery must own all copyrights and 100% of the publishing rights on all music composed under a commissioning agreement.
The music should be composed as a “work-for-hire” and producers should use the Warner Bros. Discovery Composer Agreement template “WBD Composer Agreement Template” located on the Producer’s Portal. This Agreement requires full legal names and performing rights society affiliations for all composers contributing music under the agreement (Note: “PACT” Agreements will not be accepted for foreign composers.).
If a composer is hired to create music for a commissioned program owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, the music cue sheet must reflect that Warner Bros. Discovery is the copyright owner and publisher of the music. In these cases, please use the following publisher names in the “Publisher” column of the music cue sheet:
- Discovery Trademark Holding Company: for a composer affiliated with ASCAP
- Discovery Networks Music Publishing: for a composer affiliated with BMI
- Discovery World Television: for a composer affiliated with SESAC

DNE Music Publishing Ltd: for a composer affiliated with PRS

Discovery Music Publishing Denmark: for a composer affiliated with KODA
Discovery Music Publishing Nordic: for a composer affiliated with STIM
Discovery Music Publishing Norway: for a composer affiliated with TONO
Discovery Communications LLC: for a composer affiliated with BUMA
Discovery Communications LLC: for a composer affiliated with SACEM

Commissioned Music Delivery:

Please complete the Music Registration Form template (“MusicRegistrationForm” on the Producer’s Portal) and upload to Producer’s Portal and send to jamie_shoemaker@discovery.com

Include the following information:
- Name and Season Number of Series
- Composer(s), Percentages, PRO affiliation, CAE or IPI# for each Full Mix
- NOTE: We only register the Full Mix; we do not register the Submixes, so please note that the composers attached to the Full Mix will be the composers of record for all mixes.

Please upload complete audio files per specs below to a designated show music folder on Warner Bros. Discovery Global Music Services’ Google drive account. If you have not received a designated upload link, please contact jamie_shoemaker@discovery.com

Music Deliverable Specifications:

Audio Format:
- 48K, 24-bit WAV or AIFF audio files
Audio Components:
- Full and Submixes (unless separate stems apply).
- Music Only (unattached to V.O., Dialogue, Sound FX)
Naming Conventions:
- Initials of the Show:
  - Example: Killing Fields = KF, Say Yes to the Dress = SYTTD
- Two-Digit Season Identifier:
  - Example: Killing Fields Season 2 = KF02, Say Yes to the Dress Season 12 = SYTTD12

Track Name, Include Spaces but No Hyphens:
- Example: Killing Fields Season 2, Track Name ‘Blow Hard’ = KF02_Blow Hard
- Example: Say Yes to the Dress Season 12, Track Name “Dress Up Time” = SYTTD12_Dress Up Time

Mix Identifier
- Identify each separate mix including Full Mix (using “Full”)
- Use Uppercase/Lowercase, No Spaces, to identify submixes.
- Beyond that, use best practices for identifying submixes; we offer the following as suggestions:
- Drms, Bss, Gtr, Ld, NoMel, NoOrch, OrchOnly, NoDrmsNoBss, Amb (for ambient verisons), etc.

File Name Examples:
- KF02_Blow Hard_Full
- KF02_Blow Hard_NoDrms
- KF02_Blow Hard_NoFddle
- KF02_Charmed I’m Sure_Full
- KF02_Charmed I’m Sure_NoMel
- SYTTD12_Dress Up Time_Full
- SYTTD12_Dress Up Time_NoGlock

LICENSING POPULAR/COMMERCIAL MUSIC

The use of commercial music in Warner Bros. Discovery productions is generally not recommended and must always be approved in writing by the Warner Bros. Discovery production manager of your project. Please check with your production management contact for approval before moving forward with any requests to use commercial music in a production. The use of commercial music will involve additional licensing costs and those costs must be covered by your production budget. The use of commercial music will also likely result in the program having a restricted term and platforms.

If you decide to use popular music in your program, you should upload a rights waiver prior for licensing popular music provided that your Warner Bros. Discovery Production Manager has approved use of the music and the music license fees. If the rights waiver is approved, you should clear music using the process outlined below.

On commissions, if any popular music is used, you must also deliver an alternate version of the popular music scene/open, or a replacement scene/open, at the end of your master with fully cleared music to replace your popular music scene/open. This alternate scene/open is in addition to your normal snap-in segments. Note on the rights waiver form that an alternate segment/open with fully cleared music is being provided for use outside of the licensed popular music rights.

Please keep in mind that your commission or co-production may have special needs outside of the standard asks. For example, if you have a theatrical project, then additional clearance terms are required. Please consult with your Warner Bros. Discovery Production Manager to make sure you have addressed all your project’s needs before proceeding with the clearance.

Rights issues and music material considered under the “public domain” should be discussed with the Producer’s Counsel and/or Legal Departments.

COMMERCIAL MUSIC CLEARANCE
You should not contact a music publisher or record company directly to clear music for Warner Bros. Discovery programs. Warner Bros. Discovery requires all popular music requests be represented through a professional music clearance house. If you decide to use an external resource, you must cover all costs from your production budget.

For U.S. based projects, Warner Bros. Discovery has a preferred vendor relationship with EMG http://www.clearance.com/. Contact Mary Montes De Oca mary@clearance.com for help.

For projects outside the U.S., Discovery has a preferred vendor relationship with Footprint Music https://footprintmusic.com/. Please contact Rob Kempton rob@cprmusic.com for help.

Discovery has provided the above preferred vendors with the list of minimum asks and refined media definitions for the license negotiations. If you choose to use a music clearance professional not listed above, please contact your Warner Bros. Discovery Production Manager for a list of Warner Bros. Discovery media definitions to provide to your music clearance professional before commencing with the clearance process.
You should have all music licenses reviewed by your attorney. Music licenses should be between the publisher/record labels and the independent production company and assignable to Warner Bros. Discovery.

SUBMITTING MUSIC CUE SHEETS
Producers are required to submit music cue sheets as part of their Program Deliverables. Once a cue sheet is approved by Warner Bros. Discovery, it will be considered “delivered” and flagged to be filed with the performing rights societies automatically upon the first airing of the program. Warner Bros. Discovery files all music cue sheets with the U.S. and international performance societies regularly.

Soundmouse:

For programs originated by Warner Bros. Discovery Networks, music cue sheets must be submitted electronically via the Soundmouse application.
Music Cue Sheets should be submitted at the same time the Program Master is sent to WBD for QC. Note: Please ONLY upload ‘Approved’ cue sheets to the Producer’s Portal website.
To create a Soundmouse account: Register Here
Once you are registered, cue sheet headers for the Discovery programs you are working on will be available to you in your Soundmouse workspace.
For assistance with Music Cue Sheets/Soundmouse contact: Mark Bunch (Music Cue Sheet Specialist, Mark_Bunch@discovery.com) If you have questions regarding your program deliverables, contact your Warner Bros. Discovery Production Management team.

*** For Acquisitions and license deals, please refer to your WBD Program Materials exhibit for music cue sheet filing instructions.

Digital Projects

Please note that Digital projects are not currently reported via Soundmouse. Digital projects should be reported via the “Snap Ins, Digital and Short Form Template” document on the Producer’s Portal and uploaded to the Producer’s Portal when complete.

LATAM and Asia

Productions for LATAM and Asia do not currently use Soundmouse.

For LATAM and Asian territories use the “LATAM_APAC Cue Sheet Template” document on the Producer’s Portal and send all cue sheets to music_cue@discovery.com

Soundmouse Helpdesk
Soundmouse operates a helpdesk to offer free online training and technical assistance to its users. Please contact them directly for all technical, system, or cue sheet header questions. If you need to report a technical issue, please send an email to Soundmouse and detail the following: the error message, browser version, time, date and process being conducted. Email: helpdesk@soundmouse.com

More info and tutorials on cue sheets can be found here:

https://www.discoverymusicsource.com/cuesheets/

MUSIC LOG FOR ADDITIONAL PROGRAM CONTENT & ALTERNATE MUSIC CONTENT
For Additional Program Content Segments (“snap-ins”) and Alternate Music Content (as specified in your Production Agreement), list these cues separately on the Additional Program Content log and upload directly to the Producer’s Portal. You should NOT include snap-in cues on your Soundmouse cue sheets.