Jen Moss is an award-winning music supervisor with more than 15 years’ experience in the industry. Her credits include acclaimed films I, Tonya and Saint Maud, amongst others, and she has four films due for release this year, including the horror film Victorian Psycho and the award-winning documentary The Siege of Paradise. At Aesthetica Film Festival 2026, Moss will be in conversation with Helena Gee from Warp Records. She’ll her passion for storytelling through music by breaking down the roles and responsibilities of a music supervisor, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the creative and practical realities of collaborating with filmmakers on unforgettable soundtracks. We caught up with Moss to get a sneak preview of what audiences can expect from the masterclass.

A: Take us back to the start. How did you first begin working as a music supervisor? 

JM: Movies and music were always my two greatest passions growing up, so when I learned that there was a job that would allow me to pursue both, I knew that was the end game. I first started my career on the other side of the fence, working for rights owners and pitching their catalogues to music supervisors and film producers. My very first job was in the sync department of an independent classical music publisher. From there I went to work for a major record label, by which point I had made my own contacts in the film world. I started offering my music supervision services whilst working at the label and it all went from there. 

A: What makes a successful soundtrack?

JM: It definitely depends on how you measure success. Ultimately, my role as a music supervisor is to help the director fulfil their vision and tell the story of the film via the medium of music. Where a composer will do that via the creation of original score, my job mostly involves doing so using existing music. It’s my duty to collaborate with the director creatively, but within the budgetary constraints laid out by the producers – so it’s absolutely a balancing act. 

A: At what stage of filmmaking do you get involved as a music supervisor?

JM: It very much depends on the given requirements of each individual project. My preference is to get involved as early as possible, even at script stage. That allows me to get a sense of the film’s musical needs, which means I can help the producers budget accordingly. If there are any on screen music uses – characters singing, choreographed dancing, musicians performing – that all needs to be sorted pre-shoot, but otherwise the bulk of my job will happen once the film is in the edit and we’re trying tracks to picture. It’s definitely less than ideal but I’ve been known to work on films mere weeks before final delivery. So again, every project is different. 

A: You’ve worked on major films, from I, Tonya to Saint Maud. Do you have a project that you’re particularly proud to have worked on?   

JM: I’ve been lucky to work on many amazing films and I do have a soft spot for working on debuts such as Saint Maud, Beast and more recently The End of It, as I love collaborating with filmmakers at the start of their careers. But for sure I, Tonya was a highlight. I’d always dreamed of working on an Oscar-winning film ever since I was a kid. Plus I won my own award for it, picking up Best Music Supervisor at the Music Week Sync Awards, which was incredibly exciting.

A: What can audiences expect from your masterclass at this year’s Aesthetica Film Festival? 

JM: I want to give people some insight into what the job of music supervisor entails – and just as importantly what it doesn’t! There are lots of misconceptions about what the job involves, and this is a chance to lift the curtain a little bit. Don’t get me wrong, I still think I have the best job in the world and there’s no greater feeling than being in the cinema, hearing a great needle drop and thinking “I made that happen,” but the job is way more admin heavy than I think most people would assume. 

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Words: Emma Jacob & Jen Moss

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Music Supervision: How to Craft a Film Soundtrack is at York Theatre Royal Studio on Friday 6 November. Find out more here.

Aesthetica Film Festival runs 4-8 November in York, UK. To purchase your pass, click here.