Technology and Innovation

Depending on your software, it may be easier to save each segment as a separate file, before you start to assemble the puzzle. You can also create loops as bed music. A simple example is to identify a verse and chorus and save this section as a file. Playing this as a loop – or stacking copies end to end on the timeline – will create an endless run of music that’s perfect as an underscore for interviews or scenes with lots of dialog.

This is easy for those with musical training. The rest of us have to listen harder. If your software supports markers, it’s easy to play through the piece and set a marker at each transition. To find the exact starting point, zoom into the region until you find a recognizable drumbeat or other visual clue. Kick drums on the downbeat of measures are perfect places to set markers. If there are no markers in your software, set the cursor at the section starting point and write down the timecode, giving it a simple name like Verse 1 or Chorus 2.