Track Check

How good is my track, really? Find out on Thursday, July 16, 2026!

At 12:00 music supervisors Andrea Lässig (SONOTON), Andreas Suttner (BR), Martin Häne (Nuvotone), and Milena Fessmann (Cinesong), with the moderation of composer Dr. Anselm Kreuzer will evaluate and give their feedback on submitted tracks for TV UNDERSCORE and PROMO/TRAILER/ADVERTISING.

A (TV) underscore is music that subtly supports the mood, emotion, or tension of a scene without taking center stage. In everyday television, it accompanies less the specific plot than the emotional level of the protagonists or reflects the writer's attitude. Thus, the underscore often acts as a musical commentary, lending the scene a certain atmosphere or suggesting a certain attitude.

A good underscore is concise in mood, yet restrained in its arrangement – ​​it leaves room for images, speech, and sounds. The music suggests without narrating itself. The clearer and more consistent a basic mood (such as thoughtful, mournful, reflective, or neutral) is conveyed, the better the track is suited as background music. Motivic elements also make sense.

Typical characteristics of an underscore are its restrained presence, its atmospheric, often non-melodic structure, and its adaptability to different scenes. It emphasizes feelings, transitions, and sometimes even movements, while always remaining in the background – as a supporting, never dominant level.

• Those who want to participate, have to upload their HI-Res.mp3 files (one ZIP-file named "TrackCheck_(underscore, promo trailer or advertising)_yourlastname_yourfirstname.zip") to a server or online platform of their choice (max. 1 track for TV Underscore and 1 track for Promo/Trailer/Advertising per participant) and fill in the form before July 8, 2026, at 18:00 (6:00 pm CEST).