Course · Trailer
The Trailer Music Course
The framework behind 100+ Hollywood trailer placements, taught step by step.
- 46 lessons
- 23 hours of video
- All levels
- Lifetime access
- Watch online, any time
Trailer music isn’t just composition. It’s production, mixing, sound design and arrangement all rolled into one, and it all has to sound world-class from your bedroom. Most composers spend years trying to work that out on their own.
I know, because I did. My structures didn’t hold together. My mixes never sounded big enough. My tracks sounded programmed, and my submissions kept getting rejected without anyone telling me why. Production, by the way, is the number one reason most submissions get rejected.
In 2014 I turned my trailer music side hustle into a full-time career. The turning point was a single framework: the structure used in nearly every licensable trailer cue. It’s led to over 100 placements, including Captain America: Civil War, Star Wars: Andor and WandaVision.
This course teaches that framework step by step. We build a template, get the mix right before we write a note, make our own hits and braaams, then compose Act 1, Act 2 and Act 3 of a real cue. Every step mirrors the way I actually work.
Then mastering engineer Toby Mason, who has worked on major label records and blockbuster trailers, takes you through mixing and mastering. So you finish with a cue that sounds clean and massive, not just well written.
By the end, you’ll be able to
- Set up a trailer music template with aux channels, buses and sends so you can work quickly
- Place every instrument in the mix using the sonic dimensions, panning, compression, reverb and filtering
- Make your MIDI sound less programmed with velocity, modulation and better voicings
- Create your own epic hits, sub falls, risers, rips, whooshes and braaams
- Write all three acts of a trailer cue, from moody pads to the full-throttle finale
- Mix and master your cue to a Hollywood standard with Toby Mason's masterclass
At a glance
Techniques you’ll learn
- three-act trailer structure
- layered percussion
- braams
- epic hits
- sub falls
- risers and rips
- ostinatos
- string arpeggios
- thematic development
- MIDI velocity and modulation
- orchestral voicing
- pad-based ambience
Write music for
- movie trailer scoring
- film trailer music libraries
- action/adventure trailer cues
- video game cinematic cutscenes
- TV drama title sequences
- epic sync licensing
Influences we look at
Hans Zimmer · Two Steps from Hell · Passengers · Collateral Beauty · Captain America · Men in Black 3 · Inception · Spitfire Albion · Heavyocity Damage
Proof it works
What composers say
As a direct result of Rich's courses and endlessly sharing his knowledge I just landed my first Star Wars trailer!!!
I love watching Richard explain his process WHILE he is composing and producing. It has given me some clarity on the things I need to focus on while producing stuff. I like melodies, harmonies and sounds but I often don't know what a track needs. Watching Richard has helped me figure that stuff out.
I've just been asked to do a 10-track album for a well-known production library. This is literally thanks to Rich's courses helping me make those vital changes to take my music from being nice...to being placeable (within ..what 10 weeks of signing up for the TMS??) So...thanks for passing on what you've learned.
What’s inside
- Welcome to the course
A simple introduction to the course and what you can expect to learn.
- Welcome to the Trailer Music Course
- Before You Start
- Getting started
Getting you set up to create trailer music.
- The tools of the trade
- Why is workflow important?
- Creating your template
- Creating Aux channels in Logic X
- Connecting buses and sends
- Colour-coding your mixer
- Loading Instruments into your template
- Saving Presets
- Sonic Dimensions
How to "mix" your sounds and where to place them in the stereo field.
- The Sonic Dimensions
- Orchestral Instrument Frequencies
- Panning your instruments
- Compression and Reverb
- Hi Pass Filtering
- MIDI Programming
The ins and outs of MIDI, and how to use it to make your music sound better.
- All about MIDI
- Utilising Velocity
- Utilising Modulation
- Using different Voicings
- Sound Design
Creating your own samples so your music stands out from the crowd.
- Creating your own samples
- Creating Epic Hits - part 1
- Creating Epic Hits - part 2
- Stopdowns with Sub Falls
- Up the ante with Risers, Rips, Whooshes
- Creating Braaams
- Review of what you have learned so far
- Composing Act 1
The role of Act 1 in every trailer, and writing our first act.
- Art of Writing Trailer Music
- Using pads to create a mood
- Using pads to create movement
- Using low frequencies to create depth
- Introducing simple thematic material
- Composing Act One from scratch
- Composing Act 2
The role of Act 2 in every trailer, and writing the second act of our cue.
- Introducing Act 2
- Using Chord Sequences
- String Patterns
- Writing Driving Percussion
- Pulsing Bass for Pace
- Composing Act 2 from scratch
- Composing Act 3
The role of Act 3 in every trailer, then finishing, mixing and exporting the cue.
- Introducing Act 3
- Sketching out Act 3
- Fleshing out the chords of Act 3
- Act 3 Drums
- Act 3 Pads
- Finishing touches to Act 3
- Mixing and exporting your trailer cue
- Mixing & Mastering with Toby Mason
A masterclass in mixing and mastering trailer music from mastering engineer Toby Mason.
- Mixing Masterclass - Part 1
- Mixing Masterclass - Part 2
- Mixing Masterclass - Part 3
This is for you if…
- You can already find your way around a DAW and want to write music for trailers
- Your structures don't feel right and you can't work out why
- Your mixes never sound big enough, or your tracks sound too "programmed"
- Your submissions keep getting rejected and nobody tells you what's wrong
It’s not for you if…
- You've never opened a DAW. You'll need basic skills to follow along (try Trailer Music for Beginners first)
- You want a guaranteed placement. Nobody can promise that, and I won't
Who’s teaching
I’ve written music for ads since 2007 and movie trailers since 2011, and went full time in 2014. My music has been used on over 100 campaigns, including Captain America: Civil War, Glass Onion, WandaVision and The Conjuring 2, and I’ve won eight awards along the way. Since 2017 I’ve taught thousands of composers how to do the same. More about me.
Questions before you buy? Email [email protected].
Questions
Do I need to be able to use a DAW?
Yes. You need to be able to use a DAW so you can follow along with the videos. Basic audio editing (looping, bouncing audio, time and pitch manipulation) helps too.
Do I have to use Logic?
No. Use whichever DAW you like, as long as you know how to use it.
What sounds do I need?
For the practical exercises you'll want a piano, strings, brass, epic percussion, and some synths and pads.
How much music theory do I need to know?
Very little. I steer clear of deep theory in all my courses. You'll be at an advantage if you can harmonise the major and minor scales, but that's about it.
Do I have to know how to mix and master too?
No. Mastering engineer Toby Mason gives an hour-long masterclass inside the course on mixing and mastering trailer music to a Hollywood standard.
Can you guarantee I will get a placement?
Of course not. What I can say is that the composers from this course who are getting trailer work are the ones who put the hours in. They also happen to be very nice people (industry secret).
How long do I have access?
Forever. It's a one-time payment, not a membership, and you get all future updates and new lessons free.
What format is the course?
Streamed video lessons (you log in to watch) plus downloadable PDFs.
What if it's not for me?
Within 30 days of registering you can ask for a full refund, as long as you haven't accessed more than 30% of the course (not counting anything public or in the Welcome module).
The Trailer Music Course
My flagship course. Compose, produce, mix and master a complete three-act trailer cue, with a mixing and mastering masterclass from Toby Mason.
Not ready yet? Start with the free path
The free learning paths cover the same ground in article form. Work through one first and come back when you want the full walkthrough.
Trailer music, from first cue to first placement
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