Music
Choosing Music That Fits the Edit
Music sets the pace of an edit before a single cut is made. Choose it deliberately and the editing gets easier; choose it by taste and you will fight it all the way.
In this guide
Start with tempo, not genre
Genre describes how music sounds; tempo describes how it behaves. A track at 90 beats per minute supports a calm demonstration, and the same genre at 130 supports a fast sequence of short shots. Match the tempo to the cutting rhythm you already have.
Count your cuts over ten seconds in the rough cut. That number is a good indicator of the tempo you need, and it prevents the common mistake of choosing an energetic track for footage that is calm and deliberate.
Leave space for the voice
A track that occupies the same frequency range as a speaking voice will fight it no matter how far the volume is lowered. Look for music with minimal melodic content in the mid range: percussion, pads, simple bass lines, light textures.
If you already have a track you like, use an equaliser to reduce its mid range slightly during speech, and let the full track return in the gaps. This technique, sometimes called ducking, is the difference between music that supports and music that distracts.
- Percussion and pads leave the most room for speech
- Avoid tracks with a strong melodic line under dialogue
- Reduce the mid range of the music during speech
- Let the full track return in the pauses
Use the structure for your cuts
Most tracks have clear sections: an intro, a build, a main body and an ending. Aligning your cuts with those changes makes the edit feel intentional without any additional work.
Place a reveal on a build, a change of subject at a section change, and the closing shot where the track resolves. Even a rough alignment produces an edit that feels considered.
When not to use music
Some videos are stronger without a track: demonstrations where the sound of the process carries information, product shots where the ambient sound matters, and any moment where the silence itself creates emphasis.
Try one section with the music removed and listen to what appears underneath. Natural sound is often the detail that makes a video feel real rather than produced.
Key takeaways
- Match tempo to your cutting rhythm, not to your personal taste.
- Choose tracks with minimal mid-range content under speech.
- Align cuts with the structure of the track.
- Verify the licence before publishing anything commercial.
CutPoint Collective editorial teamWritten by sound editors who work on short-form video daily, and reviewed on phone speakers before any guide is published.
How loud should the music be?
Loud enough to feel present and quiet enough that every word is clear without effort. If you have to concentrate to hear the voice, the music is too loud.
Should the track fade out or end?
End it. A fade at the end of a short video feels unresolved; cutting on a musical ending matches the closing action of the video.
Can I use the same track for a whole series?
Yes, and a consistent track or sound palette makes a series recognisable. Vary the section you use rather than changing the track every time.
