PT Music Sheets

Follow the music through picture edits, approvals, recording and delivery. Each cue brings its timing, music versions, instrumentation and related paperwork together, across one episode or a whole production.

You can start with a quick music cue sheet from Pro Tools and use only what the job needs. The wider planning, rights and collaboration tools are there when the production needs them.

What you can do

• Organise the music: see cue placements across picture, check timings and review revised cuts.
• Follow versions and approvals: keep earlier mixes and see what is current, approved or still to review.
• Prepare recordings: plan instrumentation, musicians’ requirements, studio time and recording calls; log takes as you go.
• Plan the work: set deadlines and see the music still to write, orchestrate, mix, approve or record.
• Keep the credits and delivery history: link works, rights information and supplied mixes to their cues.
• Prepare the paperwork: generate music cue sheets, editable workbooks and production PDFs, with optional Google Sheets collaboration.

Create a music cue sheet from the music tracks in a Pro Tools session, with cue names, timecodes and durations already in place. Choose the tracks to include, check the cues and prepare the sheet you need.

Use the open session or a saved session

Read the open Pro Tools session to include current track names and timings, including unsaved edits. Or choose a saved session or Session Text Export, with Pro Tools closed. Both routes use the same searchable track chooser, with an optional episode or reel.

Use this for an occasional cue sheet without setting up ensembles, recording plans or Google collaboration. Export a focused list as text, Excel, PDF or Word, or continue working with the cues as part of the wider project.

Import sources makes the choice clear: add music clips to the current project, review a revised session, or create a separate project. Reading an open session does not save it, alter its selection or control playback.

The overview shows music placements across each episode, approval progress and cues that need attention. Overlapping placements have separate lanes. Select a cue on the map to open its editor.

Six workspaces group the main jobs. Their named destinations stay visible in the sidebar, and the page heading tells you where you are. Back and Forward in the toolbar return to the previous record and filters; Command [ and Command ] do the same. Tooltips explain the controls as you work.

Find and edit a cue

Search by cue number or name, filter by episode or review status, and move through records with Previous, Next or the searchable chooser. Episode headings organise the list. Reset filters brings the full list back.

The cue title, approval, duration and position strip stay visible while you scroll. Six section links take you to cue details, versions and approvals, arrangement, delivery and recording, timing and notes, or references. Edit linked records in context and use the clickable position strip to find the cue in picture. Editorial, Timing and All fields table layouts are also available.

Project settings are always close by

Open Project settings from any workspace to set the production name, picture reference and frame rate together. The project name is separate from the filename you choose when saving.

Compare a revised session with the existing project to see cues that have moved, changed or been added. Choose the episode or reel and the source tracks, then review the proposed changes before accepting them.

Match renamed or uncertain cues yourself. Missing cues stay available for review. Continuing cues retain their notes, music versions, approvals, instrumentation and delivery references, with timing changes kept in history.

Use the production’s approval colours

Map incoming session colours to approval states and choose how those states appear in PT Music Sheets. Google display-colour changes can be reviewed separately.

Review & Export PTX Approval Colours creates a new saved-session copy with selected colour changes. Check the old and new swatches before export. The source stays intact; uncertain or outdated clip matches need resolving first. This is separate from reading the open Pro Tools session.

Set a deadline for writing, orchestration, mixing, approval or recording. Choose the episode, start and due dates, and whether to count weekdays or every day. The overview shows the remaining music, working days and music needed per day.

Writing, orchestration and mixing have cue checklists for the current music version. Approval and recording progress follow their own records, so there is one place to make each decision.

A replacement music version has its own progress. Untimed cues remain visible alongside the known music duration, and overdue plans show when no working days remain.

Put the recording day in order

Create a booking with its date, start time, location and performing setup. Add the cues to record and arrange their running order. Each call keeps its cue, episode and timing context.

Plan the studio time and breaks

Enter the session length, time already used and estimated recording time. Add breaks to the running order. The plan compares the remaining work and breaks with the studio time left, showing spare time or an overrun.

Use an estimate for the whole call or individual instrumental passes. Missing estimates stay visible. Time used is entered by you; the plan is not an automatic studio timer.

Track what has actually been recorded

Mark a call To record, Partial, Complete, On hold or Do not record. For separate strings, brass, vocal or overdub passes, give each pass its own name, instruments, estimate and completion state.

Completion follows the music version that was recorded. A new version or changed instrumentation needs review. A ready score, a good take and a completed recording remain separate decisions.

See what still needs preparing

The Needs preparation filter shows calls with outstanding required resources. Still to record focuses on unfinished recording. Keep scores, player parts, people and other materials with the relevant call, with an owner, due date and preparation state where needed.

Required and optional resources are separate. Review the requirement itself or open the relevant call to check what is ready.

Log takes while the session moves on

Enter performers, bars, an instrumental pass, decisions and notes directly beside the running order. Leave the label blank for automatic numbering by call, session or project. Add a rating and Interrupted, Stage noise or Overdub flags when useful.

Command-Return logs a take; Shift-Command-Return also keeps the bar range for the next one. Each call retains its unfinished draft when you move elsewhere, so notes are not lost between calls.

Find logged entries by call, session or across the project, then filter by text or rating. Correct notes and performance marks without changing approval or recording completion. Audio is recorded in Pro Tools or another recording application.

Keep track of delivered mixes

Record full mixes, stems and alternates with their filename, music version, recipient, date, state and notes. Each delivery receives a persistent MX reference. Add later deliveries without losing the earlier handoff history.

Open Picture & guides in the resizable side panel while working elsewhere in the project. Play, pause, seek and step through frames with one transport, or locate a cue in picture.

Load the original picture and guide tracks. Set the picture’s starting timecode and each guide’s offset, then check a known sync point. Adjust individual guide gain, mute and solo, and relink files when they move.

Mono and stereo guides retain their channels. Multichannel guides offer an all-channel mono monitoring option. The footer clock and transport stay available across workspaces.

Music lists prepares a focused list of source tracks, clips and timings. Include or exclude muted clips, join contiguous edits, include track names and comments, or clean track-name suffixes. Order the list by track or timecode.

Choose the scope, columns and totals

Select tracks and clips, an episode or a time range. Clips overlapping the chosen range keep their complete source positions, so the list does not imply that they were trimmed at the boundary.

Choose columns, paper and branding options, and save presets for recurring jobs. Check the preview before exporting text, Excel, PDF or Word, or a package of the selected formats.

Clip duration and timeline coverage answer different questions. Two one-minute clips overlapping by thirty seconds total two minutes of music but cover ninety seconds of the timeline. Choose the totals that suit the reader.

New opens an untitled project straight away. Choose its filename and folder when you save. Open Recent returns to previous work, Show in Finder locates the document, and Close Project returns to the start screen.

Apply commits a record’s changes together; Revert discards its unfinished draft. Project Undo and Redo are available alongside ordinary text editing. Save As keeps a separate copy, and recovery helps you return after an interruption. Conflicting changes are left for review.

Picture and guide audio remain separate files. Keep them with a handoff when playback is needed, and check the links after moving folders. Keep backups of the project and its media.

The included manual provides step-by-step walkthroughs and reference chapters. The workflow guide and keyboard reference are also available from Help.

Can I use it just to generate an occasional music cue sheet?

Yes. Read the open Pro Tools session or a saved session, choose the music tracks, check the cues and export the sheet. Instrumentation, recording plans and Google collaboration are optional.

Does Pro Tools need to be running?

Only when reading the open session. Saved Pro Tools sessions and Session Text Exports can be read with Pro Tools closed. Cue editing and paperwork also work independently.

Does reading the open session include unsaved changes?

Yes. The live read uses the current session’s track names and timings, including unsaved edits. It reads the session without saving or changing it.

Can I keep an earlier approved music version?

Yes. Add the replacement as another version and explicitly choose the current one. Earlier versions remain available, and the current version determines approved totals.

Do I need Google Sheets?

No. Local projects, Excel workbooks, PDFs and music lists can be used without a Google account.

Which Macs are supported?

PT Music Sheets is for macOS on Apple Silicon and Intel. Coming very soon.