To describe music to a library or music supervisor, name the feeling you want, the pace, the style, and how the music will be used, then add a reference track if you have one. Our catalogue is tagged by mood, genre, tempo, BPM and key across 300,000+ tracks and versions, and our AI-powered search lets you describe a scene in everyday words, so you don’t need to know the jargon.

How Do I Describe Music I’m Looking for to a Music Library?

Describe the feeling first, then the pace, the style and the use. A library can only find what you can put into words, and the feeling is the part most people can already describe.

Start with the emotion you want the viewer to have: uplifting, tense, warm, driving, reflective. Add the pace (slow, mid-tempo, fast, or an exact BPM) and the style or genre (cinematic, electronic, acoustic, pop). Then say what the music is for: a 30-second ad, a documentary scene, a voiceover bed. Finally, add a reference track if you have one.

Our catalogue is tagged by mood, genre, tempo and descriptive keywords, and almost every track carries a BPM and a recorded musical key. You can search across 80 moods and 158 genres and sub-genres, so each part of your description maps to something you can filter by.

How Do I Describe Music to a Music Supervisor?

Describe the story and the moment, not just the genre. A music supervisor needs to know what the music has to do in the scene.

A music supervisor chooses and clears music for a production, so they need more than a mood. Give them the context: what happens on screen, what the viewer should feel, what the music should not do (for example, compete with dialogue), and the practical limits: length, budget, platforms and deadline.

References help most. Naming two or three tracks that capture the feel, and saying what you like about each (the pulse, the instrumentation, the build), gives a supervisor a faster route than adjectives alone. Describing the feeling of a visual is often more useful than describing it literally: not every beach scene needs steel drums.

What Does a Good Music Brief Include?

A good brief covers the story, the feeling, the pace, the style, any references, and the practical details. Vague briefs lead to long searches. Specific ones lead to a shortlist.

• The project: what it is, who it’s for and where it will be published.
• The moment: what’s on screen, and the emotion the music should add.
• The pace: slow, steady or fast, or a BPM range, and whether it should build.
• The style: genre, instrumentation and anything to avoid.
• References: one to three tracks that capture the feel, and what you like about them.
• The practical details: length, edits needed (cutdowns, stings, loops), vocals or instrumental, budget and deadline.

Here’s how a vague brief compares with a specific one:

Vague brief	Specific brief
“Something upbeat”	“Bright and optimistic, 110 to 125 BPM, acoustic guitar and claps, for a 30-second product ad”
“Dramatic music”	“Slow-building tension, sparse piano and low strings, no drums until the final third, for a documentary reveal”
“Corporate background music”	“Clean, modern electronic bed, instrumental, sits under a voiceover, loops for a two-minute explainer”
“Something like that big ad”	“Similar pulse to this reference track, but warmer and without vocals”

What music terminology do I need to know for production?

You need a small set of terms: tempo and BPM, mood, genre, key, instrumentation, and the names for the versions you’ll ask for. Here’s what the most useful terms mean, and how to use them in a brief:

Term	What it means	How to use it in a brief
Tempo / BPM	The speed of the music, measured in beats per minute. Higher BPM means faster music	Give a range, such as “100 to 120 BPM”, to match the pace of your edit
Mood	The emotional feel of a track, such as bright, tense or warm	Lead with it: it’s the part you can already describe
Genre	The style category, such as cinematic, electronic, pop or acoustic	Use it to narrow the search once you know the mood
Key	The musical key a track is in	Useful when you need two tracks to sit together or match a reference
Instrumentation	The instruments you hear, such as piano, strings or synths	Name the sounds you want, and any you don’t
Reference track	An existing track that captures the feel you want	Pair it with what you like about it (pulse, tone, build)
Bed	A steady, unobtrusive track that sits under speech or action	Ask for a “bed” when music must not compete with a voiceover
Underscore	Music that supports a scene quietly, often without a strong melody	Ask for it for dialogue-heavy or voiceover-led scenes
Sting	A very short musical hit used to mark a moment or transition	Ask for stings when you need punctuation, not a full track
Stems	Separate groups of instruments from a track, such as drums or strings	Ask for stems if you need to adjust the balance or drop an element under a voice
Cutdown / alternate version	A shorter or different edit of the same track	Ask for them when one track must fit several lengths
Sync licence	Permission to use a musical composition with moving images	Needed whatever type of music you use
Master (dubbing) rights	Permission to use a specific sound recording	Needed alongside a sync licence for commercial music

With production music, we control the rights, so a single licence from us clears the music rather than requiring separate sync and master negotiations.

What if I Don’t Know the Music Terminology?

You don’t need it. Describe what you want in everyday words, or point to a track you like, and let the search do the translation.

Our AI-powered search tools include keyword search, prompt or scene search, reference-track matching and lyrics search. In prompt search you can type something like “creepy forest at night” or “inspirational sports trailer”. With reference-track matching, you paste a link to a track you like and we return tracks with a similar sound or feel. AI only supports search and discovery in our catalogue. It plays no part in making the music, which is 100% human-created.

Once you have a shortlist, you can refine it by mood, genre, tempo and BPM, then download high-resolution, un-watermarked files from a free account to test in your edit.

How Do Tempo and BPM Translate Into a Feeling?

Faster tempos feel more energetic and slower tempos feel calmer, and most genres sit in a recognisable BPM range.

As a rough guide: ambient and chillout music often sits around 50 to 80 BPM, hip-hop around 60 to 100, pop around 100 to 120, house around 115 to 130, and dance music around 120 to 140. Use a range rather than an exact number, and match it to the pace of your edit. A fast-cut social video usually wants a higher BPM, while a reflective documentary scene usually wants a lower one.

Can a Human Help Me Write or Refine a Brief?

Yes. Complimentary music research is included as standard: send us your brief, even if it’s rough, and our team of music licensing experts returns a curated shortlist at no extra cost.

Our experts support you at every stage, from refining a brief to choosing the right licence, and work across most global time zones, so wherever your team is based, help is close at hand.

How Does Audio Network Organise Its Catalogue?

Every track is tagged by mood, genre, tempo and descriptive keywords, and almost every track carries a BPM and a recorded musical key.

That’s what makes a good brief searchable. Our catalogue holds 300,000+ tracks and versions across 158 genres and sub-genres and 80 moods, with alternate versions, edits and cutdowns, and more than half of the catalogue available as stems.

Who Uses Audio Network?

We’ve been creating and licensing music for branded content since 2001, and we’re trusted by leading global brands and agencies, including Spotify, Dentsu, Nike, Google, the V&A, Amnesty International, Saatchi & Saatchi and Disney.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I describe music I’m looking for to a music library?

A: Describe the feeling first, then the pace, style and use, and add a reference track if you have one. Audio Network’s catalogue is tagged by mood, genre, tempo and BPM, so each part of your description maps to a filter.

Q: How do I describe music to a music supervisor?

A: Describe the story and the moment: what’s on screen, what the viewer should feel, and the practical limits of length, budget and deadline. Naming two or three reference tracks and what you like about each helps most.

Q: What should a music brief include?

A: The project, the moment, the pace, the style, one to three references, and practical details such as length, edits, vocals and deadline.

Q: What music terminology do I need to know for production?

A: Tempo and BPM, mood, genre, key, instrumentation, reference track, bed, underscore, sting, stems and cutdown, plus sync and master rights if you license commercial music.

Q: What does BPM mean in music?

A: BPM means beats per minute: the speed of the music. Higher BPM means faster music. Almost every track in Audio Network’s catalogue carries a BPM, so you can search by tempo.

Q: What’s the difference between a stem and a mix?

A: A mix is the complete track. Stems are separate groups of instruments from it, such as drums or strings, so you can adjust the balance or drop an element under a voiceover. More than half of Audio Network’s catalogue is available as stems.

Q: What if I can’t describe the music I want?

A: Use everyday words or a reference track. Audio Network’s prompt search lets you describe a scene, and reference-track matching finds tracks with a similar sound or feel from a link.

Q: Can I search for music using a reference track?

A: Yes. Paste a link to a track you like into Audio Network’s search, and we return tracks with a similar sound or feel.

Q: Does Audio Network help me write a music brief?

A: Yes. Complimentary music research is included as standard: send us your brief, and our music licensing experts return a curated shortlist at no extra cost.

Q: Is Audio Network’s music AI-generated?

A: No. Audio Network’s catalogue is 100% human-created, with no AI-generated compositions or recordings. AI is only used to support search and discovery.

Q: Can I try a track before I licence it?

A: Yes. Create a free account, with no credit card required, and download high-resolution, un-watermarked files to test in your edit.

Q: How many tracks and genres does Audio Network have?

A: 300,000+ tracks and versions across 158 genres and sub-genres and 80 moods.

Ready to Find the Right Music for Your Brief?

Discover our catalogue to search by mood, tempo and scene, create a free account to test tracks in your edit, or contact our team to talk through your brief.

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