The Family Plan 2, PROs Align on AI, and More

Hey Gang,

I know it’s been a busy stretch for a lot of us, but I hope your week’s been treating you well. It’s been an exciting one on my end, and I’ve got a few fun (and not so fun) things to share. A quick insight into what a “drop” in film trailers really means and some news from ASCAP, BMI, and SOCAN about AI registration policies. I also want to share a video I made a while back giving specific feedback that I tend to have to give composers often to help their mixes.

Before we dive into discussions, I want to say thank you for all your amazing support! As a special gift to our subscribers, you can take 15% off our debut sound pack for composers—Echelon—with promo code TRR-15 at checkout. This offer is exclusive to newsletter subscribers!

PROJECTS

Excited to share that my remix of EMF’s Unbelievable was featured in the official trailer for The Family Plan 2! I originally made this remix back in 2022 and then Darby Phillips from our team added some custom Christmas elements over it to match our client’s need. Big thanks to Apple TV+ for having us along for the ride!

Hyped to be part of The Fantastic 4: First Steps campaign featuring bunch of our sound design on the mix!

I give this specific mixing/mastering note all the time to composers, so I wanted to share this video here once again in case it might to some of you who are new to the party!

Looks like things just got a little more official when it comes to AI and music. ASCAP, BMI, and SOCAN have all announced updated policies that now allow songs created with a bit of AI help to be registered. It’s a big shift in how the industry is defining what it means to be a creator in the age of AI. That said, the human touch is still non-negotiable.

To qualify, a track has to come from a human-led creative process. AI can lend a hand, maybe it sparks a melody, helps shape lyrics, or builds out a section but it’s up to the artist to steer the direction and bring it together in a meaningful way.

BMI explains it as “partially generated” work: something that uses AI in a real way but still carries human intent behind it. Fully AI-made songs, where the system does everything on its own, still don’t make the cut. It’s interesting to see the rules evolve like this. As tools get smarter, it’s clear that creativity still depends on the person guiding them.

You hear the word “drop” thrown around all the time, but it means something a little different depending on who’s saying it. Fans might talk about a “trailer drop” when a new promo goes live. In EDM, it’s that explosive moment when the track hits full force after a big buildup. In trailer music, it’s kind of the same idea, but it often gets mixed up with something else: the stopdown. So, let’s clear that up. In trailer music (especially when I’m talking with composers) the drop is the payoff. After a riser or buildup, the track slams in with everything it’s got drums, bass, rhythm, melody all firing at once. It’s that release of energy when the tension finally breaks and the trailer/song hits its stride. Think of it like that second-act moment where everything shifts gears. The drop isn’t just a hit or sound effect, it’s the point where the track takes off and drives the story forward.

That’s it for this week! Stay safe out there friends!

-Nathan

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