How to Get Work as a Film Composer Online

The internet has changed the way that many industries and individuals do business. One of the sectors that has seen a direct benefit of these developments is the film and video industry. Internet video seems to be the future of both film and TV, and because of this, there will be an increased demand for film and TV music. This is where freelance film music composers come into the picture.

In the old days, there were a few working film composers and they were all in Hollywood or New York. The only way to get a job was to be an assistant to one of the already established composers and hope that they retired or had some extra work to pass down.

Not only was the work availability situation different, but they exclusively used live orchestras and big recording studios to make their music. This has all changed today.

Now film composers can be found all around the internet, and by following the right steps, a composer should be able to get their music heard and maybe pick up some paying film scoring work.

The first thing a prospective film composer will need is the equipment and software to make professional quality music. This starts with a computer that can handle the latest recording software. There are many to choose from but in general you will want to look at Macs for their greater music production software choices.

The right software to get is another big issue. You will need some type of recording interface software to put together you tracks and recorded instruments, either live or electronic. This will also be important for syncing the music to the video for whatever project you are working on, which most modern recording interfaces are capable of.

Besides your main recording software, you are going to want some programs that focus on recording and manipulating software instruments and MIDI. With MIDI recording you can emulate any imaginable instrument using only your computer, so it is essential that you have this ability.

The instrument libraries you can purchase for use with your MIDI keyboard, or whatever interface you have, are also important. Getting a high quality set of string emulation software instruments, for example, will come in very handy as a film composer.

The other pieces of equipment that you will need include a good set of monitors and a hardware recording interface to plug microphones into. The monitors are extremely important because they will affect how you mix and master your music. Good monitors will give you unmodified and detailed sound to work with so you know how things are really turning out in your mix. Bad monitors may prevent you from producing good enough work, and at the very least, will add time to your production process.

With all of the equipment and software in place how do you go about getting work? The first thing you will have to realize is that its highly likely that you will have to complete a few free film scores in the beginning. This is not necessarily a bad thing, in that it will get you experience and hopefully some contact with future filmmakers that may later provide you with paying work. It could also get you some exposure if the films you score go on the festival circuit.

To effectively use the internet to pick up film scoring work, you will need a website. Your website should be simple, professional, and easy to navigate. Since people will be interested in your music, some samples should be placed front and center on your site and be easy to play. A personal and functional website can go a long way to getting you film composing work.

Becoming a film composer is still no easy task, and it may not provide a living unless you make it to the top. However, with proper use of the internet and advancing availability of high quality equipment, more and more people can successfully become film composers. Even if you only make some supplementary income on the side from your film music, this is still a great accomplishment that should make you proud.